In 2017, after trading as Ipswich Independent Youth Service for 35 years we rebranded our organisation, and changed our name to inCommunity Inc. Our organisation was originally established in 1982 to address the needs of young people in Ipswich, including those experiencing homelessness. Today, we’ve expanded our services offerings to also support adults and families and our geographical coverage.
“We inspire people so that they believe they can!”
By 2025, inCommunity will be an innovative organisation with strong partnerships, providing creative and functional supports to empower communities.
We are governed by a set of values that determine how we operate as an organisation and the way we deliver services to achieve our mission.
Our mission is to inspire and support individuals and communities to become more self-reliant and resilient.
Lynn has 35 years experience across commercial, financial & non-profit sectors. Lynn has a leadership, governance & community engagement focus which culminated in management and C suite positions. A 7-year tenure for a prominent NFP allowed Lynn to take the lead in capacity building, internal communication strategies, mentoring staff and participating in acquisition & growth activities. Concurrent with these activities was engagement in executive Board positions. recent activities have centred around support of organisational culture & continuous learning as part of developing operational and strategic plans.
Stay tuned.
Michael has a B.Com (Industrial Relations), graduating from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Michael has over 40 years of experience in Human Resources and Employee Relations in Australia, South America, Indonesia, Malaysia and Mozambique. He has vast experience within the fields of community relations and community development with the goal of assisting communities to be self-sustaining. His current work includes consulting non-profits and facilitating non-profit governance and strategic planning workshops.
Joel has several years experience in the design, development and execution of educational based programs. He has a background in working with disadvantaged and disengaged young people in an educational based environment. Joel also possesses a high level of contract and compliance management experience and a high level of business knowledge. He has also previously founded a community based organisation. Joel holds several formal qualifications in vocational education, business and community services. Joel was named Ipswich Young Citizen of the Year in 2013, he is also an Associate Member of the Institute of Community Directors. Joel currently travels throughout regional and central Queensland facilitating Nationally Accredited Business and Administration workshops.
Paul Tommasini is the Chief Executive Officer at inCommunity Inc and the Tenancy Skills Institute. He has a worked in the community sector for over 20 years, including 17 years at inCommunity. Paul has seen the difficulties that young people experience in exiting the homelessness system, and with his team, has developed innovative programs to address this, including; the SPin Share Housing Model, the HOPE Community, and the Tenancy Skills Institute. Paul believes that ‘people can’ and leads a team that works to inspire people to take control of their lives and achieve their dreams.
Jodie has qualifications in Psychology and Criminology and has worked within the community and health sector for close to 20 years. Jodie has worked in frontline service delivery in the justice system, drug and alcohol, and homelessness fields as well as in community education. She has also worked in corporate governance for 10 years, specifically in the areas of compliance, policy and procedure development/review, information privacy and business/process improvement in government and non-government sectors as well as consultancy. She has served on several boards, was the President of the Arthur Petersen Special Care Centre and currently serves on the board for Bridges Health and Community Care.
With 15 years in senior leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector, David brings a wealth of experience in the strategic development of marketing, communications, fundraising and events. A high-energy executive manager and leader, David has a sterling record for driving cultural change to transform not-for-profits from a traditional base, into attractive and contemporary results-focused enterprises. He has led significant projects across peak bodies, charities, commercial business and local government in Queensland and the UK. David currently works within the disability support services sector, driving business-critical marketing and communications initiatives.
Leonie is a psychologist specialising in cultural diversity, manager of cultural transitions and is a part time lecturer at Griffith College and Torrens University focussing on Cultural Competence and HRM programs for Masters students. She has extensive experience developing and conducting training programs for corporate and public sector clients.
The inCommunity Way is underpinned by three practice tenets
We develop positive, purposeful relationships
We focus on strengths
We invest in community
The inCommunity Way draws on
→ Relational Cultural Theory and Practice
→ Strengths-Based Practice
→ Community Development Practice – Micro method
→ Community Development Practice – Mezzo method
→ Transtheoretical Model – Process of Change
→ Ecological Systems and Emergent Learning Theory and Practice
inCommunity Inc is proud to share our organisation’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan, officially accredited by Reconciliation Australia on 29th May 2024. We are now a recognised member of the Reconciliation Action Plan Network. A significant milestone for our organisation to occur in National Reconciliation Week 2024.
Our organisation has been on a journey towards reconciliation for many years now, and our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan is our formal commitment to continuing this journey as we further embed reconciliation across our brands of Beddown, inCommunity Connect and Tenancy Skills Institute.
Our core work is with people experiencing homelessness and housing disadvantage. Unfortunately, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are over-represented in this system. We endeavour each day to influence change in this regard, particularly for people seeking to access accommodation in the private market.
We sincerely thank artist Kylie Hill of KJH Artworks, a proud Kalkadoon, Waanyi and Quandamooka woman and long-standing Ipswich local, for her artwork “Storyline: Community Connections” that forms an integral touchpoint for our organisation in this journey.
View our Reconciliation Action Plan here.