Rural Lifestyle Options Australia
Community Service Provider
We understand rural and regional communities.
Our Executives
Leading the organisation to translate vision into reality.
Our Executive Team leads Rural Lifestyle Options Australia’s work by engaging our key stakeholders in setting direction and harnessing the passion and commitment of staff and supporters to achieve incredible life outcomes for the people we support.
Michelle Latailakepa
Chief Executive Officer
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Michelle Latailakepa joined Rural Lifestyle Options Australia in February 2015 and serves as Chief Executive Officer, providing strategic leadership across the organisation’s disability, aged care and community service operations.
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With more than 25 years of experience across the Human Services sector, Michelle has held executive and leadership roles within both for-purpose organisations and the public sector. Beginning her career as a volunteer support worker, she has developed a deep understanding of frontline service delivery, together with a strong interest in the opportunities and challenges facing rural and regional communities. This experience has shaped her belief that organisational strategy and decision-making should remain grounded in the real needs, experiences and aspirations of the people, families and communities RLOA supports.
As CEO, Michelle is responsible for leading RLOA through an increasingly complex and rapidly changing operating environment, including significant reform across the NDIS and aged care sectors. Her leadership focuses on strong governance, organisational sustainability, workforce capability, quality and safeguarding, responsible growth and ensuring RLOA remains financially strong enough to continue serving communities well into the future.
Michelle is passionate about building sustainable, values-led organisations and believes growth should never come at the expense of quality, culture or the people being supported. She is committed to creating inclusive communities where the unique skills, talents and contributions of every person are recognised, valued and welcomed.
Michelle holds qualifications across disability, business, governance, management, human resources, community sector management, social welfare, strategic leadership and organisational learning. She has achieved both Chartered Manager (CMgr) and Chartered Practising Manager (CPMgr) status and is a long-standing Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders (FIML), having held Fellowship status for more than a decade. Michelle is also a Fellow of the Institute of Community Directors Australia and a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute.
Steven Dsouza
Head of Finance
CertIVDis, DipSysMgmt, AdvDipComSecMgt, BCom
CPA, ACMA, CGMA
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Steven Dsouza joined Rural Lifestyle Options Australia in July 2022 and serves as Head of Finance, providing strategic and operational financial leadership across the organisation.Steven is responsible for overseeing RLOA’s finance, payroll and fleet functions, while providing leadership and development support to the Finance and Payroll Team. His role is central to maintaining strong financial governance, cash flow management, statutory compliance and long-term organisational sustainability.
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With extensive experience across the not-for-profit sector, Steven has a strong understanding of disability, aged care and government-funded service environments, including complex grant and funding models. He is committed to ensuring financial decision-making supports both the organisation’s strategic objectives and its ability to continue delivering sustainable, high-quality services to the people and communities RLOA supports.
Steven holds qualifications in Commerce and Economics, Disability, Community Sector Management, Systems Management and is a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), Associate Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).
Outside of work, Steven enjoys cricket, hockey, soccer, tennis as well as cooking and spending time on long drives.
Robert Rees
Head of Operations
CertIVTAE, CertIVComServ, DipMan, AdvDipComSecMgt
AMICDA, AFIML
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Robert Rees joined Rural Lifestyle Options Australia in April 2019 and currently serves as Head of Operations. With more than 30 years of extensive experience across the disability and aged care sectors, spanning both government and Not-for-Profit organisations across three states, Robert brings a wealth of operational knowledge, sector expertise, and a strong commitment to delivering high-quality, person-centred services. He holds qualifications in Training and Assessment, Community Services and Management, including an Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management. Robert is also a Member of the Institute of Community Directors Australia and an Associate Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders.
As Head of Operations, Robert provides strategic and operational leadership across RLOA’s service delivery functions and is responsible for ensuring the quality, effectiveness and sustainability of services provided to NDIS participants and older Australians. He leads and supports key operational teams, including Service Delivery, Support Coordination and Workforce Coordination, with a strong focus on service quality, participant outcomes, workforce capability and operational performance.
Robert also plays an important role in strengthening relationships with participants, families and key stakeholders, developing partnerships, responding to feedback and identifying opportunities to improve and grow RLOA’s services, including Supported Independent Living.
Robert remains passionate about working alongside people and their families to achieve meaningful outcomes. For him, one of the most rewarding aspects of his role is seeing people achieve the goals they have set for themselves and knowing that RLOA has played a part in supporting their success.
Nicholas Power
Head of Marketing and New Business
DipMktg, AdvDipComSecMgt, BMultMedDes
AMICDA, AMAMI CPM
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Nicholas Power joined Rural Lifestyle Options Australia in May 2015 and brings over 15 years experience to the Head of Marketing and New Business role. Nicholas oversees the ‘Marketing and New Business Division’ and is accountable for managing a high volume of marketing information through a range of different platforms. He is responsible for the ongoing transformation of the Rural Lifestyle Options Australia brand and all aspects pertaining to the customer experience across all of the organisation’s brand touchpoints. In addition to these responsibilities, Nicholas oversees the organisation’s Information Technology and Communications (ITC) portfolio, ensuring systems and infrastructure support seamless service delivery and future-focused innovation. As Head of Marketing and New Business, Nicholas plays a pivotal role in the ongoing growth of the organisation. He provides support and leadership to the Customer Service Team which is driven by a shared goal of achieving steady and sustainable growth and quality care across all of our services.
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Fiona Gracie
Head of People and Culture
CertIVHRM, DipProjectMgmt, DipMgmt, BBus(HRM)
MAHRI
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Fiona Gracie originally joined RLOA in 2019 and after a 2 and a ½ year break working as a P&C Business Partner in the Aged Care Sector, returned in April 2024 as the Head of People and Culture. As Head of People and Culture, Fiona provides both strategic and operational expertise to the CEO, Executive and Leadership Teams, Supervisors and employees on all people related matters. Fiona commenced work in the People and Culture space over 20 years ago as a payroll officer in the Federal Government. Her experience since then includes HR Generalist Coordination and Business Management on Christmas Island; HR Procurement with the NDIA; and being a volunteer member of the Charles Sturt University HR Advisory Committee. Fiona is committed to contemporary human resource management practices which find ways to meet the goals and expectations of both RLOA and its employees. Her favourite aspect about working for RLOA is that "we really do live by the motto Big enough to provide the service, small enough to look after you" stating that “it is refreshing to work for an organisation that not only values its clients, but truly recognises the value of its people.”