Gateway CEO Kerry Thomas retires after 25 years' community service
Gateway Family Services recently bid farewell to their CEO Kerry Thomas who has retired after 25 years of service to the Blue Mountains community and beyond.
Glenn Beaver from the Gateway management committee with new CEO Gregory Lazarus, retiring CEO Kerry Thomas, and Karen van Woudenberg from the Gateway management committee.
Ms Thomas started work at Lower Mountains Family Support Service (now known as Gateway) in 1995 and spent the next 25 years leading the development and growth of Gateway to become the respected community service that it is today.
Her vision and drive for Gateway was always focused around strengthening the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable children and their families. Ms Thomas was responsible for initiating and overseeing the expansion of Gateway’s family support services from the Lower Mountains to include Katoomba and Penrith.
As community services operate in an uncertain funding environment, never knowing if resourcing of their programs will be renewed, it takes a high level of courage, vision and commitment to continue to drive excellence in delivering effective support services.
In 2013, Ms Thomas oversaw the activities of the Step by Step bushfire support service which has provided assistance to more than 500 Blue Mountains residents impacted by the 2013 bushfires.
In addition to her responsibilities as Gateway’s CEO, Ms Thomas was also a member of a number of boards including LEAD (formerly Family Worker Training Development Program), FAMS (NSW peak body for family support services) and Blaxland Chamber of Commerce.
The management committee and staff at Gateway have wished Ms Thomas all the best for her retirement and thanked her for her contribution to the community. They are pleased to welcome their new CEO Gregory Lazarus.