COA is pleased to announce the appointment of Sabina Kovadlo as its new CEO effective 1 July 2022. Working in a successful 15-year long career in finance and banking, Sabina commenced her association with COA in 2017 as a volunteer for the Shalom Connect project, a service offering social connection over the phone to geographically isolated and housebound Jewish seniors. As Sabina is a Russian speaker, she dealt mainly with Russian speaking members needing regular contact. (Sabina was born in Ukraine, and COA sympathises with the plight of her many friends who remain in Ukraine at the present time.)

Sabina obviously enjoyed working with COA as a volunteer because she gave up her career path in banking and consented to become an employee as our Operations Manager in 2018. Sabina later assumed additional responsibilities and was thus appointed as Chief Operating Officer in 2020. Working closely with the CEO at the time Sabina proved herself to be responsible, practical and flexible, as well as possessing the right character and skills to deal with staff and client situations, and a real dedication to COA Sydney and its defining principle – to provide services to help seniors remain independent in their own homes for as long as practical.

Welcoming Sabina, COA President Frank Marks said that he was pleased that Sabina had been prepared to step into the CEO role on an acting basis at short notice last March and had acquitted herself so well that the Committee was able to select her as an internal promotion. “Sabina is a highly intelligent, engaging and dedicated senior manager and is well liked by our members, staff and the Committee of Management. In the short time that she has been in the acting role, Sabina has built important bridges for COA with other community organisations. She tackles every task happily and enthusiastically and is a pleasure to work with. We wish her many years of worthwhile endeavour in promoting the important work of COA in our community”, Mr Marks said.

In response to her promotion Sabina said “It is a privilege to serve the Jewish seniors of Sydney, helping them to maintain their personal independence and cultural connection. I also want to take a moment to praise the team I will be leading, all of whom are skilled, dedicated and a pleasure to collaborate with. We often refer to COA as a family of friends, and there is no doubt our staff, volunteers, and Committee of Management members are a vital part of that family, ensuring COA members are cared for, healthy, happy, and able to pursue their best life.”