The Board of National Disability Services (NDS) announces that NDS CEO Laurie Leigh will be stepping down from her role in three months to take on a challenging new position in the community sector.
During her three-years as CEO, Laurie has shown outstanding leadership to NDS and the disability sector through a challenging period of significant change.
NDS has engaged comprehensively with the NDIS Review and supported the sector to meet the challenges presented by the Disability Royal Commission, while continuing to provide a high level of service and timely information to our members.
Laurie has made a significant and positive impact on NDS. She has successfully implemented a new structure to strengthen our policy and advocacy on behalf of providers and increased NDS engagement with our members.
Laurie has built close and productive relationships with the federal government, and has forged strong partnerships with local, state, and national stakeholders. She has also overseen new approaches to our membership services, business operations and communications to ensure NDS continue to have our members’ needs front and centre.
Board Chair Rohan Braddy expressed gratitude for Laurie’s contributions: “Laurie has shown great commitment to the sector and unwavering support for the provision of quality disability services that enable people with disability to live safely and equitably.”
“While we are sad to see her go, we are also excited for her as she embarks on this new chapter in her career. We are confident that she will bring the same level of dedication and success to her new role.”
The Board will be initiating a comprehensive search to identify a new CEO who will continue to build on Laurie’s legacy and drive our organisation forward.
We remain committed to ensuring a seamless transition and maintaining our focus on being a strong voice for disability service providers.
Emily Forrest, NDS Deputy CEO and Director of Policy and Advocacy, will be Interim CEO following Laurie’s departure. Emily has skillfully and strategically led our advocacy work and has been an excellent leader for our policy team. The Board has every confidence that she will ensure a continuing high level of service to members during the interim period.
Laurie will continue to lead NDS over the next three months, working closely with the Board and staff to ensure a smooth handover. We thank Laurie for her dedicated service and wish her all the best for the future.
