Chairperson
Laurelle Muir
Laurelle Muir has 25 years experience in social planning, community development and community engagement.
Her experience in local government in South East Queensland has included working with disadvantaged communities in the Moreton Bay Region and across Brisbane.
During the 2011 flood Laurelle was a Coordinator at a major Council evacuation centre, and managed community development recovery projects across Brisbane following the crisis.
As Manager of Community Engagement for Brisbane City Council, Laurelle was involved in the design and delivery of engagement strategies seeking community input into major projects that have shaped the City.
Laurelle holds a Masters Degree in Social Planning, and a Master of Philosophy researching the role of place-based community organisations in the activation of community disaster resilience.
She has been on the Management Committee and Encircle Board since 2008, holding the role of Board Secretary for five years, as well as sharing the role of Chair of the Board over the past year.
Laurelle has a strong belief in the ability of communities to work collectively to lead action and innovation at the local level to influence both social and environmental outcomes for where we live.
Vice Chairperson and Chair of the Farm and Risk Management Committee
Michele Lark
Michele is a Chartered Accountant and has lived in the Moreton Bay area since 2007. She has worked with not-for-profit organisations for 13 years, and prior to that held a variety of senior finance positions in Australia and overseas.
Michele has experience on the Boards of not-for-profit organisations as a Treasurer and member of the Finance and Risk Management committees.
Michele joined the Board in early 2024 and brings knowledge of the financial management of charities and not for profits to Encircle.
Michele sees her involvement in Encircle as a way of giving back to the community that has supported and enriched her family over the past 14 years.
General Directors
General Director
Dr Noel Tracey
Prior to academia, Dr Noel Tracey lead operations at state and regional level for several well-known retail brands including BP Australia, Overflow and Timezone.
He has held senior executive responsibilities for environmentally focused and sustainable businesses and consulted on a range of projects for small and large organisations.
Noel has lectured for over 18 years at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels for several Queensland Universities in the areas of governance and sustainability, employment relations, management and leadership, innovation and technology management.
Noel is currently a Program Coordinator for the USC School of Business and Creative Industries and is committed to ensuring students from all walks of life can engage with tertiary education as this becomes ever more crucial to long-term success.
He is currently a member of the Innovate Moreton Bay Steering Committee, undertaking research into entrepreneurship and innovation in the Moreton region and drawing on his PhD in corporate reputation and financial performance in an effort to better understand regional identity and how to attract innovators to the region.
General Director
Jacey Octigan
General Director and Governance and Nomination Committee Chairperson
Fiona Graham
Fiona Graham is a solicitor who operates her own legal firm and practices, in the main, in South East Queensland.
Fiona has been practicing in child protection, domestic violence, criminal law and mental health law for over thirty years.
She has been a volunteer at the Pine Rivers Community Legal Service for nine years and has previously been a volunteer member of the Queensland Law Society Criminal Law Committee and the Legal Aid Reference Group Committee.
Fiona is well respected by members of the Judiciary and other members of the profession. She has an interest in social justice and helping those most in need. She brings to the Board knowledge in governance and in areas of the law where Encircle has daily dealings.
General Director
Zac Zahner
Zac is a corporate governance consultant and is founder and principle of Total Governance Solutions.
Zac has worked in governance for over 15 years and works closely with boards and management teams to deliver improved governance structures and set strategic objectives.
Zac has previously worked with professional chartered accounting practices, as CFO of retail and rental companies, CEO in a Brisbane-based rental company and, most recently, prior to starting his own consultancy, was Managing Director of Australia’s largest specialist governance consultancy.
Zac is passionate about the importance of the NFP sector and particularly how the communities sector can make a significant difference to people’s lives.
Current Qualifications: B.Bus, CA, GAICD
General Director
Matthew Statham
Matt grew up in the Moreton Bay region and spent the early part of his 25‑year career supporting young people, families, and communities across the region.
Alongside senior leadership and executive government and non-government roles in the social and health sectors, Matt holds tertiary qualifications in psychology and has recently completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ foundational director’s course.
Over the past decade, Matt has led place‑based initiatives across North Brisbane, Woorabinda, Logan, and the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, contributing to transformational improvements in maternity care and early childhood development.
He has worked closely with culturally diverse communities to establish community‑controlled organisations and develop sustainable infrastructure and local services that address complex social and health challenges.