The Care for Africa board is responsible for the organisation’s overall performance and compliance. Its members bring expertise across international development, law, agriculture and public policy, and all of them serve as volunteers.
For annual reports and project updates, visit our Resources page.
Diana Butler OAM is the Founder and CEO of Care for Africa Foundation, which she established in 2006. A Registered Nurse and After Hours Nurse Manager at Launceston General Hospital, Diana has guided Care for Africa’s growth into an NGO registered in both Australia and Tanzania, delivering an integrated, community led model across clean water, health, education and women’s enterprise in rural Tanzania for twenty years. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2016, received the University of Tasmania International Alumni Award in 2021 and was an inaugural inductee to the Tasmanian Nurses Honour Roll that same year. Diana remains deeply connected to the communities of Tarime and believes lasting change begins with listening, walking alongside communities and giving people the tools to write their own story. She lives in Launceston, Tasmania, and is a proud mother and grandmother.
Sophie Folder is an agricultural facilitator with over 25 years’ experience working in agricultural extension and industry development roles across a range of agricultural industries and not-for-profit organisations. She is passionate about connecting people and fostering collaboration to address the practical needs of farmers and their communities. Sophie is deeply committed to helping people learn, grow, and embrace change and making a meaningful difference in the rural communities with which she works.
Until December 2022, Trudy Witbreuk was a senior government official with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Ms Witbreuk has extensive experience in public policy and international diplomacy/negotiations, with a particular strength in trade policy and negotiations and pursuing Australia’s economic and commercial interests in overseas markets.
She successfully led negotiation of the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement with Indonesia and was Australia’s senior official for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (2017-2019).
Mark has been a Principal of Camerons Accountants and Advisors for 25 years with over 40 years experience in Public Practice in Australia and overseas. Mark graduated from the Tasmanian State Institute of Technology in 1988 before travelling and working in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong before returning to Tasmania to complete his professional studies to become a Chartered Accountant. Mark has previously acted as a board member for Epilepsy Tasmania and on several industry advisory boards.
Ross Hart resides in Launceston where he has been practising as a lawyer since 1985. He was a partner of the firm Rae and Partners until 2016 when he was elected to Federal Parliament. He is currently practising in his own legal practice with an emphasis upon commercial and litigious areas including commercial litigation. He is a past President of the Law Society of Tasmania, and as a parliamentarian served as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Public Accounts and Audit Committee, was Deputy Chair of the Joint Committee on Trade and Investment Growth and served on the Parliamentary ICT Advisory Board.
Harriet Baillie comes to Care for Africa with over 20 years’ experience in Australia’s diplomatic service.
Following 10 years as a research scientist including work for an environmental consulting company in Japan, Harriet made a big career change to join the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2002. She soon fell in love with the Pacific islands, with stints working in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, when she gained experience in overseas development work.
Alice Herbon is an experienced executive, lawyer and non-executive director with more than 20 years’ experience across governance, legal strategy, risk management and complex stakeholder environments. She is currently General Counsel and Head of Commercial Strategy at SFM Agribusiness, where she oversees legal compliance, governance frameworks and strategic commercial initiatives across large-scale natural asset operations.
Care for Africa is governed by a small, committed voluntary board focused on governance, strategy and accountability, with the operational detail managed by the CEO and volunteers.
After nearly twenty years building a community-led model across water, health, education and women’s enterprise, the organisation is at an inflection point. We are looking to expand that model, and we are building the board’s capability to match the ambition of the mission.
Position closing date: 30 October 2026
EOI:
Your EOI should include a CV and a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) detailling your interest in the role, skills and experience you would bring to the role and to the Care for Africa Board.
Details:
Leading the board’s thinking on major giving and strategic financial partnerships, and working with the board and CEO to diversify and grow funding for our Tanzania-based programs.
This role suits someone with genuine high-value networks and relationship capital, who understands how high-net-worth individuals, family foundations and corporate partners think, and who wants the fulfilment of knowing exactly where those connections lead. Senior experience in wealth management, corporate affairs, philanthropy, financial services or law would serve you well. A background in international development is not required.
Position closing date: 30 October 2026
EOI:
Your EOI should include a CV and a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) detailling your interest in the role, skills and experience you would bring to the role and to the Care for Africa Board.
Details:
Leading our relationship strategy with the international development community. You would be the board’s primary point of contact with ACFID and steward our Code of Conduct obligations, build a collaborative network with Australian NGOs working in Tanzania, and develop our links with the Australian Government, in particular DFAT.
This role suits someone with experience in partnership development or stakeholder engagement in international development, who knows the Australian NGO landscape and is familiar with ACFID. Knowledge of Tanzania is highly desirable.
Both are voluntary positions. Directors serve three year terms and are eligible for re-appointment.
Board meetings are held either in person with the option to join remotely or as online meetings.
You would read and prepare for board papers, attend around six board meetings a year plus one strategy session, and take part in board communications and occasional working group activity between meetings.
We take accountability seriously, and anyone considering a seat at this table is entitled to see how the organisation operates. Our constitution, all board-approved policies and procedures, and our impact reports going back to 2019 are published on our Resources page.
Care for Africa is registered with the ACNC and is a member of ACFID, bound by its Code of Conduct.
Sophie Folder
Chair
Care for Africa Board
info@careforafrica.org.au
Ms Witbreuk served in senior roles in Australian diplomatic missions, including as Charge d’affaires at the Australian Mission in Brussels (2021). In that role she led Australia’s diplomatic engagement with the European Union, NATO, Belgium and Luxembourg. She was also a Director in the Trade and Agriculture Directorate of the OECD in Paris (2012 – 2015) and Deputy Permanent Representative at the Australian Mission to the World Trade Organization in Geneva (2009-2012).
Ms Witbreuk serves on the Tasmanian Women’s Council and is on the Board of the Australia Indonesia Business Council. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum Australia and of Chief Executive Women.
Harriet’s other overseas posting was to Paris for four years, working on various aspects of Australia’s relationship with France. Her second role while in Paris was Australia’s Deputy representative to UNESCO.
Drawing on her scientific background, Harriet also worked on Australia’s nuclear non-proliferation and anti-whaling policies. Some in the Tasmanian community may have met her during her time running the DFAT Hobart office during the period 2017-2019.
Harriet’s other varied work experience also includes time working in Parliament House, CSIRO and a chocolate shop. She is currently Manager of the International Section of the Australian Antarctic Division based in Hobart – a role which brings together her love of wild places, science and international relations.
Alice has held senior legal and governance roles advising on major infrastructure, commercial and public sector projects. Alice brings particular expertise in governance, strategic risk management, legal compliance and navigating complex government and community stakeholder relationships.
Alice holds degrees in Law and Arts (Honours) from the University of Tasmania, a Master of Laws in International Arbitration, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
