SUSAN ROBERTSON

Anglicare Chaplain

Susan brings a diversity of experience to her role as Anglicare Chaplain, including Chaplaincy in Family, Community and Mental Health, social work, advocacy, social justice, counselling/psychotherapy, Spiritual Direction and clinical supervision.

Underpinning Sue’s experience are many years of study, which include a B.Th., Grad Dip A (Chaplaincy), MA (Pastoral Care & Counselling), MTh (Spirituality/Spiritual Direction) and MSW.  Sue is registered with AASW at Clinical level, PACFA as Clinical Advanced, Clinical Supervisor with membership in the Leadership group of the College of Supervision, with SCA as Strategic Leadership, ANSD and ANZMHP. 

Susan, who goes by ‘Sue’, serves from a person-centred and informed position, seeking to empower those she cares for by helping them tap into their own spiritual resources for their own health and wellbeing. She provides pastoral counselling that is non-judgmental and inclusive of all. In her role as Anglicare Chaplain, she hopes to embed the ethos and mission of Anglicare through the loving example of Jesus Christ.

A dedicated volunteer, Susan serves as a designated First Responder, Chaplain and Child Wellbeing Officer to St John Ambulance NSW and ACT.

Susan and her husband live in Lerida on a self-sustained property where she is blessed to have the company of family members living in close proximity. She is a mother of four and grandmother of seven delightful grandchildren who visit regularly. Sue and her family belong to St Edmunds parish in Gunning, where she assists in whatever capacity they may need.

JOHN WILLS

Executive Director of Community Support Services

John comes to us with extensive experience as a CEO, and is a leader in innovative practices, Research, Business turnarounds/start-ups and setting strategy.  John has held positions such as CEO of Zoos Victoria, Director Commercial Operations at the Australian Red Cross, Director Sussan Corporation (retail), CEO of the Centre of Adult Learning (now Box Hill Tafe), GM Strategy and Research Lend Lease, and senior positions in Catholic Education in both Victoria and the ACT.

John has been on the board of the Australian Practising Nurses Association, board member for Food Bank/Victoria Relief, Chair of Playgroups VIC, Medical Practitioners Board, Medical Ethics’ Committees, Anglicare and is currently Chair of Nutrition Australia, VIC /SA /WA (soon to be known as the Nutrition Foundation of Australia).  John also holds a Masters in Business (RMIT University), Masters in Counselling (Monash University) and Masters in Education (Monash University) and a Graduate Diploma in Organisational Behaviour.

John is passionate about working with and helping those in need in the community from marginalised and disadvantaged backgrounds and has spent the majority of his working life in this field.  This has included working with migrant populations, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, homeless adults, and homeless and disadvantaged children.

Most recently he has been working in the Education sector (specifically Early Learning). This has enabled him to integrate his skills across three areas – education, nutrition and wellbeing – which he is deeply committed to.

John values collaboration, respect, innovation, integrity and diversity and will bring these core values to bear to identify and capitalise on strengths in the organisation. Working with team members, clients and stakeholders across the organisation, John will seek to develop a collaborative culture to drive and enhance productivity and outcomes to support the recovery and future growth of Anglicare.

SANDRA MICHIE

Executive Director of Support Operations and Communications

Sandra has 20 years multi-sector experience in bid management, tendering, procurement, governance, and policy development.

Sandra has previously acted as the Senior Manager, Tender and Policy for Anglicare and Chair of the Policy Reference Group. Due to the complexity of this role, she has the pleasure of working across all areas of Anglicare and has a firm understanding of the organisation.

Sandra is a professional writer with extensive experience in the preparation of complex tender and grant submissions. In her previous employment, she was a writer for CCH’s Public Sector Governance Reporter for many years. Sandra is also a published author.

Sandra’s qualifications include a Graduate Diploma of Law and Bachelor of Arts (Political Science and English) as well as procurement qualifications.

Like so many of her colleagues, Sandra is passionate about the not-for-profit community sector and helping those who are vulnerable in these communities. She has a particular interest in disaster recovery and creating an inclusive environment for our volunteers.

TRACEY WALSH

Executive Director of Governance, Compliance, Continuous Improvement and Child Safety

Before joining the Anglicare team in 2013, Tracey’s career included many years in the banking industry including as a bank manager with State Bank of NSW and later as a tax consultant for H&R Block. With a passion for helping people, Tracey moved into the community services sector in 2011.

The roles Tracey has undertaken within the organisation have been varied, which has allowed Tracey to broaden her skills across human resources, retirement village sector, accreditation/compliance, risk management and internal audits. Prior to moving into head office as the Manager, Governance and Compliance in August 2023, Tracey held the position of Senior Manager, Retirement Village Operations.

Tracey holds a Diploma in Community Services and held the position of the Property Council Code of Conduct signatory for our three retirement villages as well as being a member of the Retirement Village Accreditation Standards and Code of Conduct Review Committee.

Tracey believes it is a privilege to work for Anglicare with so many passionate individuals who share values in wanting to help those most vulnerable in the community.

DR SERENA MATTHEWS

Executive Director Permanency Support Program (PSP)

Serena began her career in trauma services, working in child protection and sexual assault counselling, where she developed a deep and lasting passion for supporting individuals affected by trauma. Her social work trauma informed practice offered a deep understanding of the profound impact trauma can have on individuals, families, and communities. Over time, Serena’s career evolved to encompass both direct practice and academia. Through both her practice and academic roles, Serena has remained dedicated to enhancing the availability of trauma services ensuring that individuals and families in regional and remote communities have access to trauma services and counselling supports.

Serena’s passion for trauma services has always been at the heart of her career. She has earned a Bachelor of Social Work, a Masters of Child and Adolescent Welfare (with distinction), and, most recently, a Doctorate in Social Work. Her doctoral research focused on social work practices in regional and remote Australia, particularly in trauma services. The purpose of her research was to explore the lived experiences of regional and remote Australian social workers who provide trauma services to individuals exposed to interpersonal trauma. This qualitative study employed thematic analysis of participants’ life world accounts, identifying both the factors that foster and hinder social workers lived experiences in trauma setting. The study offers valuable insights into the unique challenges faced by social workers in trauma setting in regional and remote Australia, including issues related to recruitment and retention, resource limitations, unique and specialist professional skills required of social workers when working in small communities. The study presents unique insights into the lived experiences of the participants and makes recommendations that will contribute positively to supporting social worker retention in trauma settings in regional and remote Australia.

Serena worked at Charles Sturt University, where she held several key roles, including that of the Academic Lead of Workplace Learning in the School of Social Work and Arts. In this capacity, she was responsible for coordinating and leading accredited student placements in Social Work, Social Welfare, and Diversional Therapy across Australia. Serena played a pivotal role in building and maintaining strong partnerships with human services organizations, ensuring that students had access to meaningful and high-quality placements. Her efforts were focused on providing students with valuable, real-world experiences that supported their professional growth while also fostering positive educational outcomes. Serena’s leadership in this role was instrumental in bridging the gap between academic learning and practical application, strengthening the connection between the university and the human services sector.

Through her Doctoral research and professional experience, Serena continues her passion as an advocate for the ongoing and trauma informed services s for children, young people, their families, and communities. By returning to her original passion for trauma services at Anglicare, she is able to further her commitment to providing essential trauma services and creating a lasting impact on the lives of children, young people, and families affected by interpersonal trauma.

PAUL BRAND

Chief Finance Officer

Paul has significant experience as an accountant across a range of not-for-profit and government sector entities including Health, Education, Science Research, Insurance and Community Services.

Paul has professional qualifications in Accounting, Information Systems, Project Management and is a CPA. As Chief Finance Officer he has a particular interest in building strong financially sustainable organisations that have the resources and freedom to fulfil their mission.

ROHAN SMITH

Chief Information Officer

Rohan Smith brings over 15 years of experience in organisational leadership, governance, business process change, IT management and hands on technical expertise.

In previous roles as Chief Services Officer and Chief Technology Officer for a large system of interdependent Anglican schools, Rohan was responsible for leading, managing and representing the services portfolio across the organisation and oversaw the development and implementation of the minimum standards for ICT, consolidation of ICT operations, implementation of corresponding shared infrastructure and initiatives such as the implementation of a group wide student learning management system.

Rohan is also experienced across organisational transformation, having previously lead the development of a program with fellow senior executives and subsequently overseeing the transformation management office.

In his current role with Anglicare and Anglican Diocesan Services, he is responsible for providing the shared ICT function across the various enterprises operated by the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn and delivering our ICT team mission, which is to ensure that our ICT capabilities are equipping the thousands of staff members, students, clients and volunteers, to utilise the technology they need in an effective, efficient and engaging way throughout the Diocese each, and every day.

MICHAEL SIMON

Director of Human Resources

Michael brings with him a profound connection to the Anglican community and a wealth of experience in human resources management. With a robust background in crafting policies that enhance workplace culture and foster organisational growth, he has a proven track record of aligning human resources strategies with business objectives to drive success and innovation.

Michael has held positions at leading technology companies like Fujitsu and Hewlett Packard, and later served as the Human Resource Manager at both Trinity Grammar (Summer Hill) and Canberra Grammar School for over seven years. His leadership continued as the Director of People and Culture at Communities@Work, where he honed his expertise in managing and developing teams. He is dedicated to excellence in service and ministry, inviting open communication and collaboration.

CHRISSY WATSON

Director of Risk and Compliance

Chrissy has 25 years’ experience in the community service sector, supporting entities of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. She has been a qualified diversional therapist, held various senior management positions in Aged Care, and spent the past 10 years working in the area of risk management as the Senior Advisor of Risk.

Chrissy’s qualifications include Diplomas in Investigations, Community Services, Advanced Diploma in WHS and an Associate Degree in Health and Science.

Chrissy has a real passion for the work Anglicare does and is committed to supporting the organisation to achieve its objectives, through the use of structured risk management practices.