Board
Our dedicated Board oversees PAYA’s strategic direction, governance and policies. The Board consists of five Non-Executive Directors including our President, Vice President and Treasurer. The Co-Chief Executive Officers of the Association also serve as Executive Directors, bringing the number of voting members to seven.
The PAYA Constitution mandates that at least three of the five Non-Executive Directors, and one of the Co-Chief Executive Officers must have current Pasifika citizenship. The Company Secretary is also present at every Board of Directors meeting in an administrative role only, not as a voting member, and is always based in Queensland, Australia.
You can read more about these distinguished young leaders from across the region below, and click on their photo to connect on LinkedIn!
Dominic is the President of PAYA and co-founded the organisation in 2020.
He previously interned in policy and public diplomacy at the Australian Consulate-General in Nouméa. Dominic has studied on exchange three times in the Pacific to New Caledonia and French Polynesia.
He has interned with the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) based in Fiji and the PNG Rural Development Inc (PNGRDI). Dominic was also a delegate at the Young Pacific Leaders TechCamp in New Zealand and Project Lead and Director for the Mini TechCamp in Wallis and Futuna.
He is passionate about the Blue Pacific region including international relations, cross-cultural collaboration, business development, trade and diplomacy
Non-Executive Directors
Dominic de Moura McCarthy - President and Chair
Gladys Bartlett - Vice President and Deputy Chair
Gladys Bartlett (née Habu) is a Registered Pharmacist and passionate advocate from the Solomon Islands who focuses on health, climate change, and youth empowerment. She has represented Pacific youth regionally and internationally, participating in global forums such as COP26 in Glasgow (2021), the UN Oceans Conference in Lisbon (2022), and serving as a keynote speaker at the 7th Global NAP Expo in Botswana (2022).
Recognised as a Commonwealth Point of Light awardee by the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2021, Gladys holds a Pharmacy Honours degree from Monash University, Australia. As a Chevening Scholar, she recently attained a Master’s in Clinical Pharmacy, International Practice and Policy with Distinction from University College London.
Gladys began her journey with the Pacific Australia Youth Association as an Ambassador when the program was first established in 2020 and has since been an active volunteer with the association. She also serves as a UNICEF Pacific Ambassador and One Young World Ambassador.
Fiolino Mavaetau - Board Director
Fiolino served as the Treasurer from 2023-2025, now serving as a Board Director from 2025-2027.
He was the Local Coordinator and Project Assistant for the Mini TechCamp - Digital Skills, Technology and Sustainability that took place in Wallis and Futuna in July 2023, funded by the US Department of State through the Young Pacific Leaders program.
Fiolino speaks English, French and Wallisian, and is a young entrepreneur managing his own photography company, Sinemoni.
He has previously worked in France across a range of sectors including education, energy and retail.
Jessie Penning - Treasurer
Jessie is the Treasurer of PAYA Inc., having previously served as Chief Financial Officer from 2023-2024.
Executive Director
Phillie Julai Marai - Co-Chief Executive Officer (Co-CEO)
Phillie is the Co-CEO of PAYA, stepping into the role in January 2024.
She is from East New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea and graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in PNG Studies and International Relations at Divine Word University (DWU). Phillie is an alumni of the Young Pacific Leaders program.
In 2021 Phillie was elected as the DWU Student Representative Council (SRC) president. She made history for DWU by signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on behalf of DWU to create new partnerships for students.
Phillie is currently employed with Papua New Guinea Tribal Foundation as the National Coordinator for the Senisim PNG program, a Leadership Nation Transformational movement in partnership with John Maxwell Leadership Foundation.
Company Secretary
Walai Tongia - Company Secretary
Walai Tongia was appointed Company Secretary in July 2025, bringing with her over 10 years of experience in project management across Papua New Guinea and Australia. She has held key roles supporting project implementation at organisations such as DT Global, Abt Associates, the World Bank, and the United Nations program in PNG.
Throughout her career, Walai has built a strong track record in managing small to medium-sized projects, leading monitoring and evaluation efforts, and fostering collaboration with donor partners, clients, and stakeholders, particularly in the infrastructure and energy sectors. Her extensive work on DFAT-funded initiatives has positively impacted thousands of rural Papua New Guineans, focusing on empowering women and youth through improved access to clean energy.
Since 2023, Walai has been pursuing an Honours Degree in Built Environment at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane. Her academic journey is driven by a commitment to applying her knowledge toward sustainable development in PNG on completion. On campus, she also serves as a student peer leader, championing student voices and engagement for change.
In her role as Company Secretary, Walai would like to continue to advance opportunities for Pacific Youth. She is dedicated to ensuring inclusive, and accessible capacity-building and leadership mentoring for young people across the region.
Enoli Tsitsi - Board Director
Enoli, from Nauru, is passionate about learning and deeply dedicated to her family. She has been married for almost five years and is a proud mother of two daughters.
Her overseas educational journey began at an all-girls boarding school in Fiji, where she studied for a year before completing high school at Kedron State High School in Australia. She is currently in her final year of a Bachelor of Business program under the Australia Awards scholarship at Griffith University, Nathan campus in Queensland. Actively engaged in various programs, she participates in Griffith Mates, BusinessPLUS, and the Women Developmental Leadership Program offered by Women Leading and Influencing (WLI). In 2024, she completed the Leadership Connect program under WLI and earned a Griffith University Co-curricular BusinessPLUS award.
Her diverse work experience includes roles as a supermarket assistant, administrator, safety officer, accountant, cabin crew member, and logistics professional. It was in logistics that she found her true calling, recognizing the significance of the logistics and supply chain system for her country’s survival and quality of life.
In her personal life, she enjoys reading, watching anime, and playing table tennis, volleyball, and tennis. She has also rekindled her love for baking, creating delicious treats such as brownies, cakes, and custard pie.
Balancing motherhood, leadership roles, her career, and personal aspirations is challenging, but she is grateful for the support of her husband, family, and friends. Looking ahead, she aspires to own and manage various businesses, including a daycare center and a bakery.