The Board
Phil Sooveere ND
President
Director of Project Development
Phil is passionate about health creation, has been in the health and fitness industry for over 10 years and has traveled to Myanmar frequently since 2011 delivering life-saving health, nutrition, and sanitation education to impoverished communities.
His extensive hands-on expertise coupled with qualifications in Naturopathy (BHSc. Nat), Nutrition (MHumNut; Diabetes Management, Obesity Prevention Strategies, Physiology and Metabolism, Human Resource Management) and Certificate IV in Fitness have given him insight into Australia’s major health concerns and enabled him to anticipate the health needs of an international audience.
In 2011 Phil joined the team at Exousia (formerly MyKids Australia) and in 2015 was elected President. Since then, Phil has lead the team at Exousia on a journey of expansion and re-creation for the sole purpose of better serving the greater vision of enhancing the Health and Education of the people of Myanmar.
Amy Heavey BSSc(Psych)
Director of Communications and Finance
Amy brings to Exousia more than 10 years of expertise in the Government sector; working in communications, housing and homelessness services, disaster management/relief and health. She holds a Certificate IV in Business and a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Psychology and is currently working towards provisional registration as a Psychologist.
Having visited Myanmar and assisted with Exousia’s Health Projects, Amy’s comprehensive understanding of human behavior powers her motivation to enhance the lives of those who are impoverished.
As a founding Board Member of Exousia, Amy serves as the current Secretary and Treasurer of the organisation and manages general communications and financial and compliance matters.
Tammy Sooveere
Director of Health Projects
Director of Social Media and Marketing
Tammy has over 10 years of experience as a Nutritionist in both clinical and management roles. Her Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition), Graduate Diploma of Marketing and Certificate III in Business and clinical expertise is an indispensable asset to the brand development, content creation, technical writing, public speaking and delivery of health training for Exousia both at home in Australia and in Myanmar.
With seven trips to Myanmar, Tammy is a program veteran. Her dedication and commitment to the well-being of the impoverished in Myanmar has earned Tammy the respect and trust of the local communities.
Tammy manages our ongoing Health Education Projects and the social media/ marketing communications of Exousia.
Andrew Rogers
Director of Education Projects
Andrew is Exousia’s Education Project Director. Now living in Myanmar, Andrew helps coordinate things on the ground in Yangon ensuring that our work is achieving the outcomes needed.
Andrew has been involved with charitable work in Myanmar since his first visit in 2008. After that first visit, he founded MyKids Australia and raised thousands of dollars to support impoverished children in and around Yangon.
In 2013 Andrew moved to Myanmar with the hope of developing businesses that would help Myanmar people reduce their dependence on foreign support. This resulted in the establishment of a preschool in 2014, an English language school in 2015 and a primary school in 2016. These schools are owned and operated by Myanmar nationals employing over 40 people.
Andrew acts as Exousia’s in-country support person with a particular interest in Exousia’s educational scholarship program. He believes that education remains the most effective way to raise an individual’s income and expand their opportunities. So Andrew is excited to be involved with Exousia and looks forward to seeing more Myanmar people lifted out of poverty through its endeavors.
Phill Rentell
Director of Digital Media and Content Creation
Phill brings an energetic and youthful vibe to the Exousia team and spends most of his time looking at the world through the lens of a camera. Since the age of 13, Phill has been passionate about media and filmmaking and enjoys sharing the powerful stories of life through those mediums.
His passion for the people of Myanmar was birthed after his first trip to the country in 2010. In 2012 he was invited to join the Exousia Team (formerly MyKids Australia) and continued to visit the country each year as part of the organisations annual trips.
Phill is charged with the creation of Exousia’s audio and visual media communications, website development and blog content. His talents allow others to experience the stories we see and hear during our time in the beautiful country of Myanmar.
Nancy Shwe
International Liaison
Nancy is Exousia’s local knowledge. Being a Myanmar national, Nancy is Exousia’s gateway into how we can best help her country.
Nancy Shwe was born in Chin State, Northern Myanmar. After graduating from high school she worked in Singapore for several years during which she broadened her English skills. After the passing of her father, Nancy returned to Myanmar and began working with Myanmar Vision International (MVI). Her roles were quite varied – she provided general administrative support, directly cared for the many children under the care of MVI and acted as translator for foreign visitors to name a few.
As part of the Exousia team, Nancy’s role is that of international liaison. This includes communicating with the numerous government and non-governmental bodies Exousia now deals with. When our Exousia Abroad team is in Myanmar, Nancy is our go-to for their translating and any other support needed by the team.
Having Nancy part of the team provides valuable insights to Exousia about the changing needs of her country.