The WRISC Organisation Chart shows just how much WRISC has grown from our beginnings in 1988 as the Central Highlands Women’s Collective. We now run specialised family violence support programs via the Family Violence Outreach Program, Aboriginal Family Violence Program, Van Go Children’s Creative Therapy Program and WRISC Groups Program. These programs are supported by the WRISC Board, the Executive Team, the Corporate Team and Volunteers.
Lisa holds a Masters of Business Administration and brings over 20 years of experience in organisational development, culture, governance, risk and leadership, across the not-for-profit, government and commercial sectors. She specialises in initiatives that align internal culture with strategic objectives and is passionate about building values-driven workplaces where individuals feel empowered to thrive.
Lisa is deeply committed to the prevention of family violence and believes that the work is not done until all women are safe. Joining the WRISC Board, Lisa is proud to support the organisation’s vital work in empowering women and children.
I possess a strong background in governance, corporate policy, event management and finance. My skills and experience have evolved from working within and alongside sectors including hospitality; recreation; manufacturing; agriculture; health; trades; NDIS service providers; local government; emergency services; motor industry and professional associations. These activities have been supported with tertiary study.
My strongest skillset is in the provision of support and leadership. I have always been driven to go the extra mile to help others and believe that the relationships we build along the way are an integral component to everything we do – and the people we become.
Typically, I work in the background to build, support and create structures underpinning what is seen on the surface. Corporate senior executive support roles working at Central Goldfields Shire, Ballarat Health Services and the State Emergency Service are some examples of the experience gained in my professional career. It has been my task to support leaders in Business and the Community to do what they do best.
A purposeful highlight were my years working for Paramedics Australasia at the time paramedicine was preparing to become the 16th registered health profession. As National Manager Governance and Corporate Policy I provided support to volunteer paramedic Chapters and Committees to collaboratively shape the structure and procedures for a new representative model. My role expanded to include the management of events and major conferences. Sound skills in key stakeholder management led to undertaking a key role providing support to paramedics during the transition to mandatory National Registration, working closely with AHPRA and the Paramedicine Board to relay and translate critical information to provide a very successful transition to the new environment.
Today I run a small boutique business management consultancy. The service pillars offered to my clients are strategic business setup, governance and compliance along with bookkeeping, BAS services and Payroll functions. I love supporting my clients using lessons I have learned on my journey, helping them build robust structures and meeting their compliance obligations.
Jacinta is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of experience across professional services and industry. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Master of Business Administration. Jacinta has worked for a national standard-setter and a big 4 accounting firm, as well having extensive experience across the not-for-profit, education, tourism, and hospitality sectors.
Jacinta has a deep knowledge of governance and financial stewardship, coupled with a strong commitment to ethical practice. Her experience enables her to provide practical insights that strengthen governance and empower organisations to deliver positive social impact.
Merryn holds an Executive MBA and is an experienced leader across government, higher education, health, events, and community and cultural development. A Change Lead and communications specialist, she brings expertise in strategy, stakeholder engagement, and values‑led leadership across both for‑profit and not‑for‑profit sectors.
She is known for fostering clarity, collaboration, and connection through strategic direction, mentoring, and coaching.
I am a qualified lawyer and family violence specialist with over a decade of multidisciplinary experience spanning legal policy, corrections, family violence and behavioural change. My career has been shaped by a deep commitment to justice reform, accountability, and the practical realities of system responses to violence. I recently worked in private legal practice in Ballarat, providing strategic advice on complex matters, and also served as a Men’s Behaviour Change Facilitator at CAFS, working weekly with men who have used family violence. I facilitated sessions to support their accountability, challenge harmful beliefs, and reduce risk to families and communities. I currently run a small business in Melbourne, managing an operations team manufacturing our products and a marketing team selling our products within Australia and exporting to 13+ countries.
My previous experience includes working in the Legal Policy Unit at the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, where I supported the judiciary by producing legal research and policy material on family violence, bail, and law reform. I also have frontline corrections experience, having served as an ORNI-R assessor for Corrections, conducting structured risk assessments and contributing to case planning and rehabilitation strategies. These roles have given me insight into the interaction between law, behaviour, and systems, and the importance of culturally safe, evidence-based interventions.
Academically, I hold a Juris Doctor and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Psychology, including advanced clinical psychopathology study. This dual legal and psychological foundation informs my nuanced understanding of risk, motivation, and change. My training across criminogenic needs assessment, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed practice and cross-cultural family violence responses enables me to engage respectfully and effectively with people from a range of backgrounds.
As a culturally diverse woman living in Ballarat and working in Victoria, I bring experience that strengthens my work. I am passionate about systems reform that centres the safety of women and children, and brings together law, psychology and community practice to drive meaningful change.
Natalie brings extensive experience and a strong commitment to the family violence sector through her professional and community work. She holds a Bachelor of Community and Human Services from Federation University and is accredited with the Australian Community Workers Association, providing a solid foundation for her practice.
Natalie has worked for many years in the local social welfare sector, supporting women and children experiencing domestic and family violence. Her frontline experience has strengthened her dedication to advocacy, safety, and empowerment, and has shaped her understanding of the complex challenges faced by individuals and families impacted by violence.
A passionate advocate for human rights and women’s autonomy, Natalie is committed to contributing to meaningful change, improving service responses, and promoting community awareness around family violence. Her work is guided by a strong belief in dignity, choice, and equity for all.
Natalie’s values-driven approach, combined with her professional knowledge and lived sector experience, inform her contributions as a Board member of WRISC Family Violence.
I have over thirty years’ experience in leadership, management and directorships with not-for-profit organisations in Victoria and Australasia. My skills cross the areas of governance, risk management, strategy, financial stewardship and communications. I have held CEO and GM roles with professional membership organisations, including Australasian Cemeteries and Crematoria Association, Australia and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine, Paramedics Australasia and Environmental Health Professionals Australia.
In addition, I have held three Victorian ministerial appointed roles: Chair of the Funeral Industry Ministerial Advisory Committee, Chair of the Daylesford and Macedon Ranges Tourism Board and Director of the Maryborough District Health Service.
I am proud to be a Director of WRISC Family Violence Support Inc. and am committed to the Board’s role in providing services for the safety of women and children in our region.
Anna is a Ballarat-based marketing business owner. She runs The Radiance Collective, which provides social media marketing, public relations and event support, with a strong focus on fundraising, community engagement and supporting the local community. Her work centres on helping organisations and small businesses communicate clearly and connect meaningfully with the people they serve.
Alongside her current work, she brings experience from the community services sector. She holds a Diploma of Counselling and a Diploma of Financial Counselling and has worked in frontline roles including family violence financial counselling and emergency relief, supporting women experiencing financial hardship and safety risk. This experience has shaped her strong commitment to equity, safety and community-led responses to family violence.
As a Board Member of WRISC, Anna is proud to contribute her skills in communication, fundraising support and advocacy, alongside her community sector experience, to support the organisation’s vital work in promoting safety and wellbeing for women and children.
Yvette started at WRISC in 2021 as Board member and became the Business Operations Manager in 2024.
She has qualifications in Human Resources, Governance and Change Management and has been in senior leadership roles for the last 18 years. Yvette has experience in executive management, leadership development, strategic and business planning, and organisational development.
She has worked across the private and public sector, not for profit and community services, and is thrilled to have joined WRISC and to work alongside passionate, dedicated and inspiring women.
She has a strong interest in equality and human rights, and helping people and businesses be the very best they can be.
Ash grew up in a small country town just outside of Ballarat. Ash spent a few years in Melbourne after finishing school and then returned to complete her first degree Batchelor of Arts, Rural Social Welfare. Ash was fortunate enough to be placed at WRISC for her final placement in 2012. Ash has been working in the Family Violence Sector ever since!
Ash worked casually in the intake space before securing a Specialist Family Violence Practitioner working with Aboriginal families in the Aboriginal Program. It was in this space that Ash really cemented her passion for working with Aboriginal families, understanding history and culture and being strong advocate and ally. In 2016 Ash took a leap of faith and moved to Alice Springs and worked with a local Aboriginal Organisation supporting women and children impacted by Family Violence in remote communities of the NPY lands in the centre of Australia.
It was in this time that Ash completed her Master of Social Work and returned to Ballarat a couple of years later and with perfect timing she was able to complete her final Masters Placement in the Van Go Pilot program. She honed her therapeutic skills and rejoined WRISC within the Van Go Children’s Creative Therapy program as the Single Session Therapist once finishing her placement. Ash then moved into the Van Go Team Leader role and then took some time out from WRISC to have her babies. It was in this break that Ash became an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and engaged in private practice before returning to the Program Manager role. Ash’s drive and passion is to provide client led services and to provide the best practice and support for women and children.
