Our Board
Yhana Lucas GAICD BSci
Chair
Yhana is a seasoned policy and strategy adviser, with an extensive background in stakeholder management and communications.
She currently provides policy and strategy advice to both non-government and government organisations, with current projects in decarbonisation and industry development, housing and homelessness, and non-profit governance.
Prior to this, she was the Senior Policy Adviser to the WA Minister for Energy. In this role, she developed a reputation for her tenacity and analytical skills, successfully developing and delivering complex cross-sectoral policy initiatives.
In addition, she integrates a data-driven and evidence-based approach, having studied science and engineering at the University of Melbourne and the University of Western Australia.
She completed the Company Directors' course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2022, as an inaugural Directing Change Scholar.
Yhana also works as a freelance journalist when time allows, and is published by the Australian Broadcasting Commission.
She is particularly passionate about education, civic engagement, and participatory communities.
She can be contacted via email.
Nihal Iscel
Vice Chair
Nihal has completed a Bachelor of Psychology degree at Edith Cowan University. Her current board experience includes being Vice President of People with Disabilities WA inc board and board member at Umbrella Multicultural Community Care.
Nihal has been working in the multicultural and disability sectors for almost 20 years in various roles supporting people from refugee, humanitarian entrant and migrant backgrounds including people with disability. She currently works at the Ethnic Communities Council of WA Inc as the Speak My Language (disability) WA Coordinator.
Her aim is to help and contribute to making positive systemic changes and help break barriers for people in minority groups like people with disability, Women, Children and so on from culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse (CELD) backgrounds. Her work mainly involves:
- Supporting people in their successful inclusion and meaningful participation in the economic, social, cultural and all aspects of community life;
- Supporting people to build their capacity to exercise their choice
- and control when accessing the relevant supports and services independently to meet their individual needs.
- Writing submissions to government enquiries that impact on people
- with disability, migrants and refugees; and
- Organising community meetings, forums and seminars to inform people from CALD backgrounds of their rights and access the supports and services they need.
Danielle Loizou-Lake
Board Member
Danielle is the founder of Paper Planes Support Coordination, operating out of Walyalyp (Fremantle) Paper Planes supports people with disability and mental illness. The organisation hires people with lived experience and focuses on well-being and protective professional relationships.
As a consultant in the social services sector, Danielle is an effective communicator and specialises in community and consumer involvement to improve service design and delivery.
With a background in health promotion and population health, Danielle’s approach to improving our social systems includes purposeful partnerships, where people and communities, together with experts and professionals work collaboratively.
Over the past 10 years, Danielle has worked with not-for-profit organisations, peak bodies, advocacy groups and government agencies.
Prior to this Danielle owned and directed a corporate health company for which she was awarded a 40 under 40 business leader, this organisation was acquired in 2014.
Danielle enjoys advocacy, strategic development and governance and currently is a board or committee member to:
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Consumer Protection Committee - Department of Mines Petroleum and Industry Regulation.
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Sustainable Health Review, Rec 4 Steering Group – Department of Health WA
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People with Disabilities WA
Danielle has been appointed to the Ministerial Advisory Council on Disability for Hon. Don Punch MLA.
Eric Casey
Board Member
Eric is 65 years young and from Derby, WA. Living with three show cats, two of which have now retired.
Eric has been an individual with a disability for seven years now and has a good knowledge and understanding of the disability community from being on both sides, as a provider and as a participant.
After opening an antique shop in Dongara, Eric moved to Geraldton with his family. Eric advocated for his stepson, who has Muscular Dystrophy, to ensure he had support and access to the community.
After joining the Fisheries Department as a volunteer fishing liaison officer, Eric then ran Fishing with Disabilities, a social group for children and teens. Eric has worked as the Vice Chair for Midwest Family Support, Vice Chair of the Lotteries Commission and Vice Chair of the Community Living Association.
Grace Barnes
Board Member
Grace is a current student of Law and Behavioural Science at the University of Notre Dame (Fremantle). Combining these degrees facilitates her values of social justice and equity through the understanding of key psychological, sociological, political, and cultural disciples. To entrench herself in the legal profession, Grace has worked as a legal clerk for over a year at a law firm practising primarily in family, commercial and immigration law. Grace also assists with pro bono work aiding individuals with obtaining NDIS support.
Grace has always been passionate about supporting and advocating for marginalised communities. She has been volunteering for homeless organisations throughout Perth for over two years including Share the Dignity and a team leader for Orange Sky. These opportunities have provided her with first-hand experience to further her understanding and empathy regarding the challenges that individuals and communities are facing with homelessness and marginalisation.
As a result of having lived experience with disability, Grace has become an advocate for the rights of individuals with disability to improve their experience at an individual, relational, and collective level.
Kat Johns
Secretary
Kat is an autistic activist and advocate. She has a passion for structural equality in employment, education, housing and justice. She is also an LGBT community member and brings an intersectional experience.
By way of professional experience, Kat has worked in government and non government organisations including as a Lead Commissioner, Principal Programme Manager and Logistics Lead.
Shazzy Tharby
Board Member
Shazzy was born in the UK and lived and worked in various countries before settling In Australia. Shazzy is biracial and multilingual. She has volunteered in the disability sector since 1996. Shazzy studied at Cambridge University and is now a Registered Nurse and a Credentialed Mental Health Nurse. She currently works as a Clinical Nurse Consultant and Counselling Psychotherapist in her own private practice, Positively Living and is undertaking her Master’s in Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Shazzy has lived experiences in many aspects of disability including invisible disabilities like chronic fatigue syndrome and mental health. Shazzy is a wheelchair user, proudly autistic, ADHD and lives with various auto immune and neurological conditions. Shazzy is part of a proudly neurodiverse family being married to Alex with two beautiful neurodiverse children. She is an active advocate for mental health, disability and neurodivergent rights, and is an LGBTQIA2S+ ally. Shazzy is focused on centring marginal and silenced voices through an intersectionality lens.
Shazzy has worked on various committees and co-design projects, and currently sits on the Volunteering WA Disability Advisory group.
Shazzy is an award winning mentor, and a motivational speaker and trainer delivering inspiration and leadership to businesses and conferences across the globe.
Tom Oliver
Board Member
Tom is autistic, is a TEDx Speaker and global leader on autistic individuals caught up in the justice system and is a 2022 Young Australian of the Year Finalist. Tom works as an autism consultant at Savannah Legal, where he helps to save autistic clients from imprisonment terms and instead obtaining non-custodial sentences with suitable therapy over imprisonment – recently saving an autistic client from 15 years imprisonment. Tom also works as a guest law lecturer at Curtin University.
Tom is undertaking a double degree in Law (Hons)/Biomedical Science, graduating in 2023, and he is determined to become a lawyer thereupon. He also has a NFP diploma in governance from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is the former Chairman of the Advisory Board at Spectrum Space – a NFP autism service provider.
In his spare time, Tom mentor’s fellow autistic youths across WA.
Brendan Cullinan
Chief Executive Officer
Brendan is married to Jane and has two children. He has held a number of senior management positions in his 23 years’ experience in working in and with the not-for-profit sector across WA in roles with the State government and community member-based organisations.
Brendan has volunteered in the disability sector since 2012 and has been actively engaged in a range of social inclusion projects.
Our Advisory Board
Jim Preketes
Advisory Board Chair
With a background spanning over three decades, Jim has been a catalyst for change in the realms of technology and operational leadership. He has lent his expertise as an advisor to various technology start-ups and not-for-profits, facilitating strategic alignment in complex and dynamic organizations. Through collaborative efforts with boards and CEOs, Jim has consistently elevated strategic alignment, compliance, and growth agendas, propelling organizations towards success.Charlie Stephenson
Charlie is a Western Australian native who left after his schooling to travel the world before eventually joining the Navy as a pilot. After a fulfilling career as a Navy officer, Charlie retired in Canberra with his wife and three children and works as an associate for a strategic management and government relations consultancy firm.Chris Kent
Chris is State Director of Hays in Western Australia, with operational responsibility for the recruitment and advisory services we provide. He leads a team of over 125 people, who partner with up to 1,000 organisations across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, and oversees a contingent workforce of over 2,000.Dale Wilcox
Dale holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA) and Fellow Certified Practising Accountant (FCPA). Dale has over 45 years of experience in senior management roles, including Principal Internal Auditor with British Airways in London, Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Group Chief Operating Officer with APM, an international business providing a range of human services, including services for people with disability. He retired recently and is currently a Director of Magic Coat for Kids Pty Ltd, a business providing programs to enhance the mental health of young people.
Dale is married with 4 children and 7 grandchildren. Interests include swimming, walking and art.
Dave Harwood
Dave is a project logistics manager for a global energy company based in Perth. With an 11-year career as a Master Mariner & Captain on the world's largest offshore vessels, Dave brings a wealth of unique expertise and leadership capabilities to his current position and PWdWA.Lenka Psar-McCabe
Lenka Psar-McCabe is an experienced senior executive in the health and business sectors and a non-executive director.
Before her current role as CEO of Palliative Care WA, Lenka spent 28 years at Perth Radiological Clinic, with almost 25 of those years as the CEO, significantly growing the business but remaining true to the values of the organisation of providing responsive, high-quality service and care.
Lenka holds a Master's of Business Administration and two Bachelor's Degrees in Commerce and Education. Lenka is a chartered accountant, trained at Ernst & Young, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
With her significant and relevant experience in leadership, business strategy for growth, governance and facilitation, Lenka is keen to assist community and not-for-profit organisations. She is honoured to be a board member of the Anglican Community Fund and an Advisory Board member for PWdWA.
Linda Pham
Linda is a property development expert with over 20 years of experience in urban renewal and infill developments and management of short-stay accommodations and hotels. Linda's core strengths are in programme and project management, relationship management, risk management, troubleshooting and business process improvements.
Linda is passionate about the disability sector and is particularly interested in advocating for equal access and provision of suitable and inclusive disability homes.