Associate Professor, Meg Smith, OAM

President
Meg Smith recently retired as a community psychologist in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Western Sydney. She is a part-time member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal and a board member of the Black Dog Institute. She has been active in the reform of mental health services and policy since the early 1980s when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Her current research interests are the management of  bipolar disorder, cannabis use and mental illness and social and community issues for people living with mental illness.

Jill Faddy, OAM, B.A., Dip. Psych, MAPS
Vice President
Jill has worked as the Psychologist in Charge at Rozelle Hospital, and is a life member of Alzheimer’s Aust. (NSW) and having served on the board for 25 years still leads a support group for carers. A long time member of the MHA Board, Jill is on a number of working committees within the organisation and represents the MHA on the Missing Persons Committee (NSW) Inc. Her other interests include choral singing, theatre, travelling, continuing education and keeping fit.

Frank Flannery, B.Sc., MPsy.
Vice President
Frank is a psychologist with extensive senior management experience of mental health services in hospital, community area mental health and NSW Health settings. Since retiring from Health in 2007, Frank has worked as a Surveyor Coordinator with ACHS and has undertaken consultancy  projects with NSW Health. The latter have included Realignment and Relocation of MH-Kids (the state Child and Adolescent Mental Health Policy unit) and a Review of the Implementation of the 2005 NSW Health Suicide Prevention Framework. 

Associate Professor, Janette Perz, PhD (Syd), MAPS, R Psych
Hon. Secretary
Janette is an executive board member of several national and state level community mental health and primary care associations. Janette is an academic psychologist at the University of Western Sydney and has a record of research and scholarly activity related to her commitment to the application of psychology through multi-disciplinary collaborations and approaches. She researches in the field of women's health, more specifically, in the areas of reproductive and mental health, and the field of primary care and early intervention. Janette holds senior management and governance positions at UWS, and brings human resource, financial, strategic planning and management knowledge and skills to the Board of MHA (NSW).

Peter Trebilco, OAM, ED, Fachper, LMPHAA
Chairperson
Peter joined the Mental Health Association in 1978 and was elected Chair of the Board later that year. Peter was a founding member of the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service of NSW and is a life member of the Public Health Association of Australia. Peter believes that the work of MHA is of great importance, working for the seriously disadvantaged members of our community, their families and friends. “We need the support of all people of good will”.

Phillip French
Hon. Treasurer
Phillip has been involved in the disability sector for over 25 years. He is currently Director for NSW Disability Discrimination Legal Centre and previously Executive Director of People with Disability Australia. He has been a consultant working in private practice specialising in disability law and policy, with a specific focus on human rights. We welcome Phillip as an elected member and Treasurer of the MHA Board.

Dr Nick O’Connor
Deputy Chairperson
Nick is staff specialist psychiatrist at Concord Centre for Mental Health. Nick has worked in the public sector mental health services since 1983 and has been involved with both the Mental Health Association and the Royal Australasian College of Psychiatrists for many years. Nick’s special interests include clinical governance, patient safety, relapse prevention and helping people with treatment resistant illness.

Les Bursill OAM
Les is a Dharawal historian, archaeologist, anthropologist, and publisher. He has extensive experience in Counseling, Drug and Alcohol and Mental Health. He worked as a Court Advisor assisting magistrates in sentencing decisions, in Corrective Services, and as a lecturer in continuing education with the New South Wales Police Service. He received a Police Commander’s Award for professionalism in teaching in 2007. He had earlier been awarded the Centenary Medal and the Public Service Medal. Les has produced five pamphlets on Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol  issues for NSW Aboriginal inmates to assist them in changing and improving their lives in a drug-free environment.
Les is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Biomedical Science. He is a community representative of the Sutherland Shire Council Heritage Committee and in June 2009 he was appointed a legatee (St George and Sutherland) of Legacy Australia He is currently Chairman of the St. George and Sutherland Division of Legacy NSW, he is also presently a member of the Legacy NSW Education Committee.
 

Faye McMillan, B.Pharm, MIndHealth
Faye is a Wiradjuri woman from Trangie (Central West, NSW). Her interest in pharmacy began when she was a pharmacy assistant in Trangie for three years. She is the first Aboriginal person in Australia to gain a pharmacy degree and to go onto registration as a pharmacist and had since worked in remote areas such as the Tiwi Islands. Faye is currently working within the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health as the postgraduate coordinator of the Indigenous Health program at the University of Wollongong.

Sharyn McGee, MA (UNSW), GrDipComm (UTS), BA (Hons) (MACQ)
Sharyn is a sociologist and social scientist in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Western Sydney. She was a registered psychiatric nurse and her post-graduate research was focused on the role of psychiatric nurses in mental health policy. Her current research interests include social issues related to mental health, cannabis use and mental illness and evaluation of mental health programs.
 

Frederick Kong
Fred trained as a psychiatric nurse and served a Welfare Officer at Gladesville Hospital during the 1970s where he was responsible for the follow-up care of patients who had been discharged from the facility. In 1983 he obtained substantial funding and was able to establish a group home for 48 former patients at Gladesville and Rozelle Hospitals. These innovative facilities aimed to provide the 48 residents with support to overcome their mental illness and the ability to live with independence and dignity. In 1988 Fred Kong became CEO of the Richmond Fellowship, which then took over the activities of the former Group Home Program he had headed since 1983. Fred will soon be retiring from work to enjoy some time in the garden.

Megan Wintle, BA., Dip. Ed.
Longtime Editor of Publications fo the NSW Health Department, Megan has produced scores of titles, going into millions of copies. She also pioneered human rights, social justice and non-discriminatory language and illustration in Australian health publications. The Health Department's mental health/illness publications became her speciality and Megan produced "Living with Mood Swings" by Meg Smith and Ann Greener, a flagship production in demand throughout Australia and overseas. As a carer of family members with mental illness, Megan is able to bring a carer perspective as well as health promotion and publishing expertise to the Board.

Scott Mahony
Among his many talents that he brings to MHA, Scott's expertise ranges accross the development and implementation of effective compliance and risk frameworks including risk identification, breach management, monitoring and training initiatives. He has experience in reviewing corporate governance policies and processes, and implementing policy improvements. He has the ability to effectively lead people and develop teams to consistently achieve superior results. Scott has a Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance, an MBA (major e-commerce), a Graduate Diploma of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Business (Accounting). Scott currently works as Head of Risk & Governance with DEXUS Property Group.

David Harper
David has worked in information technology since 2004. He currently co-facilitates the Ryde Bipolar Support group. He works as a volunteer facilitator for ASteen, a social club for young people with Asperger’s Syndrome and also acts as an advisor to the Autism Spectrum Association's adult research project. David brings unique perspective to mental health related affairs with his personal concern for consumer needs and balanced by an appreciation for the legal, social and political environment in which we operate. 

Gary Moore
Gary has a very strong 30 year background working in the community and public sector. He is CEO of Homelessless Australia and has served as Director Community Services, Marrickville Council , Director of Council of Social Service NSW (NCOSS), Project Director, Strengthening Local Communities NSW Premiers Department , Project Director at NSW Office on Social Policy Manager, Employment Programs Dept of Industrial Relations and Employment. Gary holds other Board positions as Chair of the NGO Healthy Kids and Board Director for The Benevolent Society. Gary describes himself as a lover of life, with a passion for social change, an enabling leader, and an innovative thinker. 
 

Ken Neyle
Ken is a CPA, Registered Tax Agent and a Registered Company Auditor. He also holds a Bachelor of Education with a Diploma of Teaching and spent 22 years teaching in the TAFE system. With another 30 years experience as finance manager in various commercial organisations he currently runs his own small accounting practice. Ken is involved with several non-government organisations and is the auditor of Australian Baptist World Aid and the Australian Thyroid Foundation.

Katrina Davis

Katrina is the staff representative on the MHA board and is employed as the MHA’s Mental Health Promotion Manager. Katrina’s responsibilities involve managing projects including Mental Health Month, the Workplace Health Promotion Network, and the Young and Parenting Project. Katrina’s association with the MHA began in 2008 in the capacity of a volunteer; she has been part of the mental health promotion team since 2009. Along with a rewarding job; reading and chocolate cake contribute to Katrina’s good mental healhh