Meet The Board

Rob CookChairman / President

Rob has been involved with One Meal for over 3 years and is the Area Coordinator for the Sutherland Shire service area. Rob has a history in aviation with qualifications in Human Factors, Engineering, Quality and Safety Management. Beyond working with the Sutherland service, Rob has built many links with the business and the community, ensuring a robust funding model is maintained. Rob has also been involved with the establishment of new service areas including, Riverwood and Blacktown and additional services within the Sutherland Shire.

Diana ProudVice-President

Diana is an active advocate for the homeless as co-founder of One Meal and presently Vice-President. She was pivotal in developing the operational side of the charity and expanded its presence to various areas.

Diana is also involved in the day-to-day administration of One Meal. She is a mother of three children and has four grandchildren.

Martin TalackoTreasurer

Martin has been on the Board of One Meal for the past three years. He has extensive experience in marketing research having graduated with a degree from the University of Technology Sydney and having held senior positions in Australia and South East Asia at AC Nielsen , the Maxwell Group and IAMS (Mars Inc).

He is the founder and Managing Director of a health food manufacturing company in Sydney and co-owner of Naked Foods Management, having vast experience in business management & development, marketing and sales.

Verity PearceSecretary

Verity has been involved with One Meal for two years and is roster coordinator for the Cronulla Service. She has an extensive career history in Executive Management and Human Resources, within multiple industries. She prides herself on being highly organised and extraordinarily resourceful.

Verity has a great passion to spread kindness and compassion to all and hopes that her work with One Meal and the board will inspire others to do good and prove anyone can help be the change.

Cristina TalackoBoard Member

Cristina is a passionate advocate for health food and the homeless and has been involved with One Meal for the past three years. She co-owns health food manufacturer SalDoce Fine Foods winning the NSW Premier’s Export Awards 2016 and the Ethnic Business Awards 2017.

Cristina has vast experience in governance and has served on various not-for-profit Boards, presently as a director on the Board of Multicultural NSW, as Chairperson of Coalition for Conservation, as Vice-President of the Australia-Brazil Chamber of Commerce and as former director of the Australia-Latin America Business Council. Cristina has a Bachelor of Law from the University of London and a Graduate Diploma on Corporate Law & Governance from the University of Sydney.

Joanne OliverBoard Member

Joanne has been volunteering at One Meal Blacktown since 2018 and now happily leads the Blacktown service.

Joanne has extensive experience with over 20 years in Administration at an accounting firm. Her real passion lies in Nursing and Community Support where she works in Aged Care and Disability.

She has lived in the Blacktown area for all of her life, and has 4 children and 2 grandchildren. Her husband and adult/teen children also kindly volunteer with One Meal.

Brenda TrippBoard Member

Brenda is a dedicated champion for marginalised, disadvantaged and vulnerable people, particularly in relation to their right to food, shelter and safety, and to be treated with dignity and compassion.
Brenda has 30 years of business experience as a management consultant, the last 12 as CEO of Asia Pacific operations for a multinational firm. Brenda has a Bachelor of Business Science (B.Bus.Sci) from Cape Town University and Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Massey University.
Specialising in strategic planning, general management, marketing and customer engagement, Brenda has spent the last 4 years working and volunteering in the not-for-profit sector, with particular focus on food security, housing, education and employment pathways to effect sustainable change for disenfranchised communities.

Jackie WarnBoard Member

Jackie has been involved with One Meal for 6 years – mainly with our Darlinghurst and Surry Hills services. She has served on the board for the past 2 years.
Jackie works as a Senior Medico Legal Officer at a major hospital in the Sydney’s South West.
When she’s not at work, she enjoys cooking and is known as the dessert queen at our City meal services! The patrons love it when she brings in her Sticky Date Pudding.
Jackie has 3 children, 5 grandchildren and a very supportive partner who also enjoys being a part of the One Meal family helping at services and behind the scenes.
Jackie is happiest when she’s helping people and making sure they have what the need. She’s also involved in an animal rescue and has been a foster carer for around 100 kittens so far.

Matt HarwardBoard Member

Matt has been volunteering with One Meal since 2015, starting at the City services, and then being instrumental in founding the Sutherland Shire service in July/August 2016.
Matt’s contribution to the community was recognised as he became 2018 SutherlandShire Citizen of the Year.
Matt is an advocate for people having a good support network and works tirelessly to meet that need in our local community. Matt’s active community presence is responsible for many of our wonderful Shire sponsors.
Matt has recently become very active in our future One Meal Plus+ program, as both a driver and coordinator.