- Our Board
Board of Directors
Michael O'Connell
NOVAS Chairperson
Michael O Connell joined the Board in 2021 and became Chair in 2024.
Michael is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years’ senior management and leadership experience in the public service and higher education. He retired from Limerick Institute of Technology as Vice President for Strategy and External Affairs in 2015. His experience includes leadership in financial planning and control, human resources, strategic planning and development and institutional mergers, restructuring and governance.
Since retiring, Michael has worked part time as a higher education consultant for a wide number of institutions in Ireland and since 2020 internationally. He is a member of the Higher Education Authorities’ Finance and Governance Board Sub Committee since 2017.
Michael serves or has served on a voluntary basis on the boards of several registered charities including Team Hope, the Irish Bible Institute, Shannon Dragons and Healing Streams Community Church. Michael joined NOVAS as a member of the Finance and Audit Board subcommittee in January 2020, becoming a Director in May 2021.
Martina Murphy
NOVAS Company Secretary
Martina Murphy, Secretary of NOVAS Board of Directors, is a principal solicitor in her own law firm in Limerick city suburbs. She joined the NOVAS board in 2022.
Martina Murphy is a graduate of the University of Limerick. She founded her own practice in 2007 and as well as being a solicitor, Martina is also an accredited mediator.
Martina has a particular interest in family, mental health and education law. Martina chairs the NOVAS Advocacy and Fundraising Sub-Committee.
Pat Claffey
NOVAS Board Member
Pat Claffey brings unique lifetime expertise and experience of homeless services to the board.
He started as a volunteer with the Dublin Simon Community, later was elected to its board and served as its Chair. Thereafter, he worked in various roles within the Dublin Simon Community and became its Head of Services. He played a critical role in identifying new services and led the way in their introduction.
He is committed to quality standards and client participation; he now chairs our Quality, Safety and Compliance Sub-Committee and is a member of the Clients and Services Committee. He joined NOVAS when we opened our first service in Dublin and until his retirement played a valued role in the successful development of this service.
Dian Loposso
NOVAS Board Member
Tracy Leonard
NOVAS Board Member
Tracy Leonard was appointed to the Board and Audit & Finance sub-committee in 2020.
She studied Bachelor of Business Studies in University of Limerick, achieved a Masters of Accounting from UCD Michael Smurfit School of Business and is a member of Chartered Accountants Ireland. She joined KPMG in 2012, is a Director in the audit practice and provides audit and assurance services to a wide variety of both private and public clients.
Tracy has experience working with listed companies and private Irish family-owned businesses across the Retail, Hospitality, Agribusiness, Manufacturing and Education sectors. She also works with a number of not-for-profit organisations. In her spare time Tracy likes to travel, catch up with friends and enjoys baking.
Wayne Stanley
NOVAS Board Member
Wayne Stanley was appointed to the board in 2025.
Wayne is currently CEO of EPIC (Empowering People in Care) charged with the strategic leadership and operational management of the organisation. Prior to this he worked for almost 20 years with some of the leading homeless organisations in Ireland. Wayne has a BA in Sociology and MPhil in Ethnic and Racial Studies.
Patricia Cremin
NOVAS Board Member
Patricia Cremin was appointed to the board in 2025.
Patricia is an experienced Social Care Educator, Student Counsellor and an IAHIP accredited Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapist. Patricia has lectured in the University of Limerick, Mary Immaculate College Limerick and the Irish College Louvain. Patricia is interested in active learning strategies and particularly in experiential small group learning. The focus of her research is in the subject area of Personal Development in the training and education of Social Care Workers.
