Our people
Our staff
Lisa Kelly: Chief Executive Officer
Lisa is a passionate advocate striving to influence change that has a positive impact on people, communities and the community services sector. As the CEO of Mental Health Community Coalition ACT, Lisa works in partnership with the Board, members, consumers and carers to build a mental health system that offers people support and belonging with their community.
She has extensive knowledge in mental health and is passionate about wellbeing, equity, social impact and the value of collaboration. Lisa is passionately committed to ensuring that consumers and carers receive high quality supports and services, and the community mental health sector receives recognition of its role within the community.
Lisa has worked in the community sector for nearly 30 years in a range of positions for organisations including Carers ACT, Lifeline Canberra and headspace. She has a strong background in working with young people, particularly in the areas of mental health and suicide. She has also had a long involvement with supporting young carers and has been involved in advocacy for carers for many years. Lisa has received many awards and accolades and is a well-respected member of the community sector.
Lisa is Deputy Chair of the ACT Council of Social Services and is part of many advisory and reference groups in the ACT.
Stephen Dunkerley: Business Manager
Stephen came to MHCC ACT in October 2024 with over two decades of experience in management, mentoring and leadership development in IT, Government and NGO sectors through roles spanning Program Manager, CIO, CFO and COO.
Stephen is an impassioned practitioner of the servant-leader philosophy devoted to nurturing the next generation of leaders.
A lived and living experienced carer, Stephen is passionately committed to improving outcomes for mental health consumers and carers in the ACT and regional community.
Meg Young: Program Director
Smera Naik: Policy & Training Officer
Smera brings a strong commitment to supporting vulnerable members of our community, with experience across various areas including case management for vulnerable jobseekers, education, user-focused design, and strategy consulting.
With a background in Psychology and Economics, she is dedicated to understanding how our society and economy influence wellbeing and life experiences, and finding ways to enhance these for all Canberrans and beyond.
Working towards these aims, Smera is dedicated to providing operations and administrative support to ensure the effective delivery of MHCC ACT programs and advocacy work.
Jessica Turtledove: Policy & Program Officer
Jessica is passionate about helping others and making a positive impact on people’s lives. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and has completed a Psychology Honours thesis to further expand her knowledge.
Over the past three years, Jessica has gained valuable experience working in the mental health sector, specifically in mental health education, and continues to dedicate herself to improving her understanding of how best to support individuals experiencing mental health challenges.
Jessica was thrilled to join MHCC ACT in February 2025. She is eager to contribute her skills and enthusiasm to facilitate and promote the organisation’s programs.
Karen Li: Perinatal Mental Health Alliance (PMHA) Project Officer
Karen has spent over a decade working across government, national security and consulting in roles spanning policy, organisational change and complex program coordination,
She has recently pivoted her commitment to the mental and social health sector, finding a social health startup building technology to support young people in the midst of the global loneliness epidemic.
Her deep sense of commitment to mental health comes from her personal lived experience and her interest in the intersection at community mental health, social research, and technology.
Jaclyn Cruz: Project Officer - Capability Training
Jaclyn Cruz brings over 15 years’ experience across international development, higher education, and community-based initiatives. She has worked with organisations including Médecins Sans Frontières, Mines Advisory Group, Right To Play, the Australian National University, and Macquarie University, designing and delivering complex programs across Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Jaclyn has expertise in working across diverse cultural and institutional contexts, partnering with governments, universities, and community organisations to build capability, support adaptation, and enable effective program implementation. She is committed to inclusive, participant-centred approaches that strengthen systems and improve wellbeing outcomes. Jaclyn holds a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Research in Anthropology.
Cara Thurston: Executive & Business Support Officer
Cara is a highly organised executive support and operations professional with extensive experience supporting senior leaders, managing complex diaries, preparing briefing material and working with discretion in trusted environments. Cara brings MHCC ACT advanced skills in administration, stakeholder engagement, HR processes, event coordination, IT and system management, and workplace operations. Known for delivering high-quality support, maintaining smooth office operations, and fostering positive workplace culture.
Cara is a highly organised executive support and operations professional with extensive experience supporting senior leaders, managing complex diaries, preparing briefing material and working with discretion in trusted environments. Cara brings MHCC ACT advanced skills in administration, stakeholder engagement, HR processes, event coordination, IT and system management, and workplace operations. Known for delivering high-quality support, maintaining smooth office operations, and fostering positive workplace culture.
Our Board
Leanne Heald: President
Leanne has worked in the community sector for over 20 years, supporting vulnerable people across government and not-for-profit settings. Her experience spans community development, welfare, mental health and disability, with the past six years spent in management roles.
An active contributor to the sector, Leanne serves on community boards and participates in collaboratives, working groups and forums to drive positive outcomes for participants. She is passionate about building capacity—both at an individual and community level—so that people have the tools they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.
Leanne has been on the MHCC ACT Board since 2021 and was elected President in January 2025.
Prue Slaughter: Vice President
Prue is the CEO of Mental Illness Education ACT (MIEACT). With a diverse professional background across the not-for-profit, international development, education, IT, and defence sectors—including international experience in Cambodia, South Africa, and the UK—Prue brings a global perspective to her work. She has a proven track record of leading complex projects, building collaborative partnerships, and driving sustainable impact.
Prue combines strategic vision with compassion, transforming challenges into opportunities to grow resilient communities. Her commitment to addressing mental health through education and lived experience advocacy exemplifies her belief in the power of prevention and the importance of fostering connection and understanding within our communities.
Stuart Althaus: Director, Chair Governance Committee
Stuart Althaus is an accomplished board director and governance leader with a strong record of strengthening organisational capability across the ICT, health, defence, and community sectors. His expertise spans strategic governance, financial stewardship, risk management, and operational reform.
Stuart is currently the CEO of Infogate Advisory and previously was the CEO of SME Gateway, where he advanced national procurement pathways for small and medium enterprises. As a senior officer in the Australian Army Reserve, he brings a disciplined, systems‑focused approach to organisational leadership, ensuring dependable and strategic guidance.
He has contributed to multiple boards and advisory groups, overseeing digital transformation, community health, veteran support, and sector capability building. Stuart’s integrity, analytical rigour, and ability to navigate complexity have earned him a reputation for guiding organisations toward community-focused outcomes and long‑term sustainability.
Hazel Bennett: Director and Treasurer, Chair Finance & Risk Committee
Hazel has had rich and diverse career, initially across audit, insolvency and consulting professional services. After nine years as a partner in the strategy and business improvement area working with clients in diverse sectors including utilities, communications and government, Hazel joined the Commonwealth public service to ‘walk the talk’.
In the twenty years since 2004, Hazel led corporate and enterprise service areas in the Australian Trade Commission, Commonwealth Scientific Industrial and Research Organisation, Australian Signals Directorate and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. Her achievements include uplifting governance, risk management and assurance, financial sustainability, and strategic planning and performance delivery to meet ever-changing operating environments, legal and ethical considerations and community expectations.
Hazel joined the MHCC ACT Board in July 2025. With personal experience in navigating clinical and community-based health services, she deeply appreciates the critical role of community-managed organisations in providing hope, support and assistance to move individuals through to recovery, and the importance of maintaining the effectiveness and continuity of this sector.
Katerina Powick: Director, Lived Experience - Carer
Katerina joined the MHCC ACT Board as a Lived Experienced Carer Director in February 2025.
As a single mother with two autistic sons, this position aligns with Katerina’s passion for enhancing the quality of care and wellbeing for people in our community.
Having worked in the public service, including the Department of Health and Aging, Katerina holds qualifications in mental health, community education, youth services, community services, training and assessment, leadership and management, and is currently completing a psychology degree. She also has a long history of volunteering in the Canberra community.
Katerina’s strengths lie in meeting people where they are, in collaborating with compassion to realise collective potential and drive meaningful change.
Lloyd Taylor: Director, Lived Experience - Consumer
Anne Kirwan: Director
Anne Kirwan is the CEO of Marymead CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn and has worked in community social services for over 30 years.
A Registered Psychologist, Anne has held varied leadership roles across the mental health, child and youth, ATOD, housing and homelessness, disability and aged care sectors, leading multi-disciplinary teams focused on improving opportunities and outcomes for all.
She is committed to working with both government and community partners to build a stronger sector with greater diversity of service options, by pursuing initiatives which disrupt fractured systems, improve service integration and support self-determination for clients.
Anne has held various Board positions across the social services sector and has completed the AICD Company Directors course. She became the Treasurer of MHCC ACT in February 2025.
Brenton Higgins: Director
Brenton is a workplace, employee and industrial relations specialist with a keen focus on psychological safety and wellbeing in the workplace. He holds a Masters Degree in Industrial Relations and has honed his skills in this area though union positions and membership of committees including the ACT Labour Hire Licensing Advisory Committee and the Work Health and Safety Council ACT, through which he helped develop and implement the Psychosocial Safety Code of Practice. Brenton is also the Vice President of the Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association (ALERA) and the President of the ACT ALERA branch, through which he has developed governance experience.
Brenton joined the MHCC ACT Board in January 2025. He believes that we all need to participate to make a difference in reducing stigma related to workplace psychosocial risks, and that focusing on mental health and wellbeing in all aspects of a person’s life is critical to ensuring they can live a healthy and safe lifestyle.