Our board

Dr David Scott

Board Member since 2023 – President & Chairperson

David has a deep passion for community wellbeing and social justice with more than a decade of experience as a non-executive director at Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury Sydney Limited and other not-for-profit boards.

With a professional background as a senior executive in the Commonwealth Bank’s Group Strategic Development department, David applies his diverse corporate experience to enhancing the impact of COTA NSW’s work.

David holds academic qualifications in science, business administration and social policy. In 2022, he completed PhD research at UNSW’s Social Policy Research Centre, exploring how advocacy efforts can be improved to better support marginalised Australians.

David is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD).

Dagmar Schmidmaier AM

Board member since 2023 – Vice President

Dagmar has corporate leadership and not-for-profit board experience in the health, veterans’ support, book publishing, mentoring, and academia sectors.

Her previous corporate roles include 11 years as the CEO and State Librarian of the State Library NSW, and 14 years as Director of the Chief Executive Women (CEW) Leaders Program. She has also worked as an academic at the University of Sydney Technology and is co-founder of The Thinking Woman & Co, a mentorship initiative.

Dagmar has a keen interest in supporting healthy ageing and is involved in the NSW Alzheimer’s Australia Advisory Board and UNSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA).

She was awarded an Order of Australia in 2004 and a Centenary Medial in 2001 in recognition of her contributions to the community through library services. She has also earned several university recognitions and in 1999, was featured in “A Fair Go, Portraits of the Australian Dream – 50 Inspiring Australians” by Wendy McCarthy AO.

Margaret Merten

Board Member since 2023

Margaret is an experienced and passionate storyteller with more than 20 years as a content strategist, media and communications leader. She has worked with leading brands including Qantas, AMP, David Jones, Bunnings, Tourism Australia and NRMA to deliver multi-channel content strategies.

Margaret has also helped to deliver targeted content strategies for several member-based organisations including the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) and Greenstone Financial Group. Her experience producing content for older Australians includes delivering new content channels, including award-winning podcasts for Australian Seniors.

Community-minded and passionate about improving quality of life for everyone, Margaret enjoys collaborating with and listening to stakeholders to better understand issues and needs.

She is currently Media, Marketing and Communications Specialist for Inner West Council and a Councillor for Waverley Council.

Christopher Grover

Board member since November 2023

Chris has had a long career in executive roles across a range of sectors including finance, professional services, aged care and community services. These roles have included Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director, Finance and Strategic Development.

Throughout his career, Chris has served on numerous Boards, including with faith-based and social service organisations such as Holy Cross Services, Wesley Mission Queensland, Fresh Hope Communities and Parramatta Mission.

He holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting), is a Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA), and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

Since retiring, Chris has been focused on sharing his professional expertise to support for-purpose organisations to deliver on their missions.

He is currently Chair of COTA NSW Board’s Audit and Risk Committee.

Sharon Burns

Board Member since 2020

Sharon brings broad commercial experience to COTA NSW, gained from more than 20 years working within the financial services sector.

Sharon’s unique mix of finance, reporting and business skills coupled with strong relationship-building and communications skills has seen her lead business transformation programs requiring fit-for-purpose governance and risk management oversight.

For more than 15 years, she has been involved in supporting PEARLS pre-eclampsia research labs, Sydney, as Fundraising Director.

Sharon’s interest in supporting older people extends to being a volunteer with the eConnect program run by Holdsworth Community. In this role, she supports socially isolated older people with social support and technology support to bridge the digital divide.

Sharon holds professional qualifications in Accounting and Business Administration and is Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

Associate Professor Myra Hamilton

Board Member since 2019

Myra is a sociologist and social policy researcher whose research and policy focus includes the fields of gender, ageing and care. She is currently a Principal Research Fellow at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research at the University of Sydney.

In her research, Myra explores how policies and services can build wellbeing in work and in care over the course of one’s life. She also conducts research on aged care services and the aged care workforce., focusing on tangible impacts for policy and practice.

In 2024, Myra received a prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Mid-Career Researcher Industry Fellowship – one of only 25 offered Australia-wide.

Gary Moore

COTA NSW Board Member since 2023 – Board Director

Gary is a leading social policy and human services practitioner with over 40 years’ experience working in and being an executive and a CEO of local and State level nor profit and public sector organisations.

He has been a Board Director of major agencies such as the Benevolent Society and has chaired peak bodies such as Healthy Kids (NSW School Canteens Association) and Way Ahead (NSW Mental Health Association).

Currently Gary is Vice Chair of the Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre (BANC) in the upper Blue Mountains.

Alexis Nguyen Gage

COTA NSW Board Member since 2023 – Board Director

Alexis has been a practicing lawyer since 2006 and called to the Bar in 2010. She was a judicial clerk for two years. She served in the Australian Defence Force since 2017.

She is an alumna from Ohio State University, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, University of Georgia, University of Sydney, University of NSW, University of QLD, QUT, Clayton State University, and Bond University. Her qualifications are in law, sciences, social sciences and humanities.

She grew up in Europe as her parents careers required them living abroad from the US. She is passionate about the law and believes in the purposes for most not-for-profit organisations.

Most recently, Alexis graduated from Harvard University.