Em James says Goodbye to NCQ

Thank you and farewell!
From NCQ CEO, Em James:

Hello Everyone,

It’s bittersweet to share the news with you that after four years with Neighbourhood Centres Queensland, my final day in the role will be this Thursday, the 18th April.

I first walked through the door of a Neighbourhood Centre in 2010, and I’ve been in awe of our sector ever since. It has been an honour and a privilege to lead NCQ and our sector through significant growth and development. Together with our members and partners such as yourselves, we have dramatically increased the relationships, recognition, and resourcing of our sector.

I have been reflecting on the past four years with NCQ, and am immensely proud of how far we have come in such a short period of time. There is much to celebrate!

Since 2020, together with stakeholders and members, we have: 

• Reignited the Neighbourhood Centre movement and sense of belonging as a sector;
• Together with our supporters, secured a historic sector funding uplift to the value of $115.8M for the sector over 4 years;
• Engaged with the state government and strongly advocated for communities through key initiatives, such as the Social Isolation and Loneliness Inquiry;
• Codesigned landmark sector reforms including the new Shared Vision for our sector, Neighbourhood Centre Initiative Guidelines, and advanced Community Development in our sector;
• Established NCQ as a funded peak body, and increased our ability to support our members, with flagship projects such as the Sector Impact Report;
• Grown NCQ from a team of 3 to a thriving team of 9 employees, each with a unique set of skills and a passion for the sector;
• Promoted the value and role of Neighbourhood Centres in community-led disaster resilience. This includes the launch of the Queensland Neighbourhood Centres Strategy for Disaster Resilience at the cross-sector Growing Resilience Forum;
• Uplifted, celebrated, and shared the incredible work of Neighbourhood Centres and created opportunities for peer support and cross-sector learning through events such as the Queensland Neighbourhood Centres Gathering and Queensland Community Impact Awards.

Given our incredible work together, it is with mixed emotions that the time has come to move on. I will continue to be a champion of the Neighbourhood Centre sector, albeit from a different vantage point.

The strategic vision of NCQ will continue forward in the capable hands of our staff and board, led by the long-term Sector Development Lead, Chris Mundy, as Interim CEO. I am excited to see what the future holds for NCQ and our sector and have every confidence that NCQ as the peak body will continue to thrive alongside our sector in this next phase of maturity.

If you have any queries regarding operational matters, please contact Chris Mundy, Interim CEO, on 0428 130 141 or email . For questions regarding governance matters, please contact Caroline Cuckson, Chair of the Board, at 07 32 042 022 or via email at .

The recruitment process to appoint NCQ’s next CEO will be underway after the transition period.

I would like to personally thank you, our partners, alongside each Neighbourhood Centre and the teams behind them, for your support and trust over the last four years. I would also like to extend my thanks to the NCQ staff team and board for their efforts to grow our member-based organisation into the influential and established peak body it is today.

I look forward to some rest and rejuvenation, in preparation for my next adventure. If you would like to stay in touch, please connect with me on LinkedIn.

Thank you and farewell for now!

Em James
NCQ CEO