Meet our committed and
highly-invested team

Kiind is thrilled to welcome Cristian as our new Chair. He is the father of six year old Max who lives with a rare medical condition.

Cristian started his career as an accountant, working in the maritime industry for 12 years before taking on a commercial role with the same company and later becoming the General Manager for Australasia for a further six years.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Curtin University and is a qualified CPA accountant, specialising in tax. Cristian is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Cristian is about to embark on a new chapter in his professional life as he moves into the not-for-profit sector with the aim of using his extensive experience, in life and in business, to help develop and grow for purpose organisations, including Kiind.

Recently stepping into the role of Kiind's Vice Chair, Nicole has over 15 years’ experience in human resources and organisational development and change.

She has worked across the government, transport, engineering and construction sectors.

She is currently an organisational change consultant within the WA public sector.

Nicole has been a member of Kiind since 2014. She has lived experience raising her eldest daughter who has autism.

Nicole is a passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity. She strives to create a better world of work, where people and organisations are empowered to grow and environments are cultivated to enable individuality to thrive.

Dr Lana Weldon is a high-energy professional with 27 years’ experience in governance, assurance, reporting, consulting and education.

A chartered accountant, Lana also holds a PhD in accounting as well as a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA). She is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand.

Lana currently works as the General Manager at Moore Australia and is a non-Executive Director with Diabetes Research Australia, as well as the Lead Independent Director and Audit and Risk Committee Chair of a financial services group in South Africa.

A skilled communicator, educator, trainer and team leader, Lana is looking forward to applying her wealth of knowledge and experience to supporting Kiind families raising children with disability and additional needs.

Following his tenure as Kiind's Chairman since 2019, Simon has recently assumed the role of Director.

He has more than 20 years’ experience in stakeholder engagement and a proven track record in solving complex challenges by finding win-win outcomes for companies and their communities.

Most recently, Simon founded Corporate Affairs Australia, a full-service corporate affairs agency which helps organisations build strong relationships with government and communities.

Prior to this, Simon was a Director at Perth’s largest strategic communications firm, Cannings Purple. He has also enjoyed an extensive career in mining which has included senior roles with BHP, Atlas Iron and CITIC Pacific Mining.

Simon has worked in Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor roles for Ministers responsible for Resources and State Development, Local Government and Regional Development and Employment Protection.

His qualifications include a BA in Political Science and a Graduate Diploma in Primary Education. He is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Simon is married with two children and in his spare time enjoys cooking, woodwork and hiking.

Leanne has been a member of Kiind, (formerly Kalparrin) since 2009. Her daughter has an intellectual disability and her diagnosis led Leanne in the direction she has been following ever since.

During the many years of her involvement with Kiind, Leanne has been both an employee and a Board member. She has previously been instrumental in helping to organise Kiind's many, annual, family events as well as undertaking the role of Family Support Officer. As a member of Kiind's Board, Leanne has acted as Secretary, Vice Chair and is now a Director.

Currently working as a Support Coordinator with a service provider in Midland, Leanne currently helps families in the NDIS to coordinate the supports they need within their NDIS Plans. This involves connecting people with support workers to assist them in reaching their goals, liaising with service providers, providing information and linkages on available services and providing assistance, using her lived experience and local knowledge, to connect NDIS participants with their community. She also volunteers her time, as a guest speaker, providing presentations to families and service providers about her experience as a mother of a child with additional needs and as a Support Coordinator.

For Leanne, becoming a member of the Kiind ‘family’ was life changing and she is passionate about Kiind and the incredibly important role the organisation plays in the lives of families. She continues to provide an active role as a member of the Board to support families and their children through the journey from infant to adulthood and beyond.

Dr Jenny Downs leads research programs at the Telethon Kids Institute that work towards improving outcomes for children with disability and their families.

Her current program includes research on rare disorders including Rett syndrome, the CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder, MECP2 Duplication syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Early Onset Scoliosis.

There is typically little known about the trajectory of rare disorders and how clinical issues should best be managed and Dr Downs’ research has addressed important gaps in this area.

She works with consumers to develop meaningful research programs and aims for the translation of research findings into clinical practice. She has a strong vision of what success looks like for both children and their families which, over the short- and long-term, includes living with a strong quality of life.

Dr Downs has juggled research work with raising two daughters who are now young adults.

Barbara Goodwin is the Industry Partnerships Manager for the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA and a passionate advocate for people living with a disability and their carers.

Barbara has completed a PhD in Law and has held multiple senior positions in the Australian Higher Education Sector. She has also previously served as Secretary on the Board of Unicare.

Barbara has strong networks in the social services industry and not for profit sectors and uses her high level communication, strategic and critical thinking and problem solving skills to provide opportunities to foster active citizenship in young people.

Barbara has a strong interest in the disability sector, stemming from her lived experience with her son, Winston, who is living with multiple disabilities. Winston is one of four boys and his strength and resilience fuel Barbara’s passion to help create inclusive environments for all abilities.

Barbara has been a Kiind member since 2019 and is pleased to serve on the Board of Kiind and give back to the community.

Amelia is a banking lawyer and has worked in large, international law firms and banks in both Perth and London for the past 15 years.

She currently works as a senior lawyer at ANZ and is involved in managing legal risk and working with internal and external stakeholders to deliver strategically significant projects.

Amelia holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce (majoring in Investment Finance) from the University of Western Australia as well as a postgraduate law degree from the University of Oxford, UK.

With three young children, Amelia is an advocate for inclusion and improving understanding of disability within schools and workplaces. She is passionate about the work of Kiind and supporting families during hospital stays and navigating complex systems such as health, disability, education and the NDIS.

Amelia has been a member of Kiind since 2019 and a board member since 2022.

Sarah has been closely aligned to Kiind since her appointment as a Director of Kiind, (formerly Kalparrin) in 2012.

Sarah is a Dietitian, dividing her time between private practice, her children and family life as well as supporting a number of philanthropic interests together with her husband, David.

Sarah believes deeply in the vision of Kiind and the support the organisation provides to Western Australian families raising children with disability and additional needs.

David Flanagan AM CitWA has been closely aligned to Kiind since his wife's appointment as a Director of Kiind, (formerly Kalparrin) in 2012.

David is the Executive Chair of Red Dirt Metals Limited, the Chair of AROSE and the Chair of Battery Minerals Limited.

David is a passionate supporter of giving in Western Australia and doing things to make his family proud.

David was named West Australian of the Year in 2014 and made an Eisenhower Fellow in 2013. David has received a number of awards over the years including the inaugural Governors Award for Giving in 2011, EY Entrepreneur of the Year (Business) in 2010 and First Among Equals, 40 under 40 in 2009.

David is also Ambassador to WA Parks Foundation and Patron of Many Rivers.

Sarah and David believe deeply in the vision of Kiind and the support the organisation provides to Western Australian families raising children with disability.

Hon Donna Faragher MLC is the Liberal Member in Western Australia for the East Metro Region and Shadow Minister for Community Services; Early Childhood Education; Youth; Seniors and Ageing.

Prior to this appointment, she served as the Shadow Minister for Education and Training; Women’s Interests for four years.

As a former Minister for Disability Services she is a long-time advocate of organisations and initiatives supporting children and young people across Western Australia and a strong ally for Kiind and the support of children living with disability and additional needs.

Carrie brings a wealth of experience to the team at Kiind, previously working in senior community development and communications roles in the mining sector and local government.

Prior to joining Kiind, (formerly Kalparrin) in 2015, Carrie worked with Platform Communications, coordinating the delivery of strategic communications projects for corporate and not-for-profit clients.

Carrie also has eight years’ experience in the mining industry, working with Atlas Iron, CITIC Pacific Mining and BHP Billiton, where she worked with businesses and not-for-profit organisations to design and deliver programs and services that brought benefit to communities. She has led teams to deliver outcomes in the areas of community development, internal and external communications, government relations, brand management, media liaison, social media management and event management.

Carrie has a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development and Sociology. She has lived and worked in regional communities and has a lived experience of disability with a brother with additional needs.

Simone joined Kiind in 2021, bringing with her many years of professional experience in communications and community development roles within the private and not-for-profit sectors.

Simone’s career has included the delivery of strategic and corporate communications, stakeholder relations, and community engagement for organisations including Telethon Kids Institute and CEWA.

Simone manages the Operations Team at Kiind to develop and deliver capacity-building programs and digital communications. She is passionate about leading our high performing team to deliver outstanding support services and improved social outcomes for our members.

Simone’s qualifications include a BA in Community Development and Sociology. She has lived experience as a carer and is grateful to have shared in the journeys of hundreds of other carers throughout her career. Both her personal and professional experience have provided her with a deep respect for carers, and an in-depth understanding of the issues and challenges they often face.

Simone currently serves on the Board of Management for ADHD WA and is a member of the Disability Access and Inclusion Committee for the Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS).

Teresa joined Kiind in January 2022 and heads up Kiind’s Peer Navigation team.

With more than 10 years’ experience in the disability sector, Teresa was previously an Advisor with the Autism Association of WA where she assisted families to access information on supports, services and community engagement opportunities.

In her current role, Teresa provides direct, one-one one support to parents and carers, through Kiind’s Pathway Planning program, helping families to navigate the complex world of the NDIS and health, disability, community and government services.

In addition to this, Teresa coordinates and facilitates Kiind’s Parent Support groups, providing opportunities for members to connect, share insights and experiences and hear from a range of expert guest speakers on topics of interest to the group. She also provides training to support the development of Kiind’s volunteer parent coaching program.

Teresa’s lived experience of supporting a family member with disability is the reason why Teresa is passionate about her work at Kiind. She operates on the philosophy that if she can help a family with just one piece of information that makes their lives a little easier, then it’s been a very good day.

Danica is a passionate communications professional who has been with Kiind since 2021. She joined the team with a BA in Mass Communications and over six years of experience in the world of digital marketing.

Initially starting her career in the travel industry, Danica used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to pursue a more meaningful path where she could use her communications skills to help others. This led to starting a career in the disability sector at Hannah’s House and later joining Kiind.

Through her role as Digital Communications Lead, Danica is responsible for the development of communications that raise awareness of Kiind’s services to keep members informed of the supports that are available to them.

Danica helps to drive a sense of community and belonging amongst members, managing the Kiind Families Facebook Network and Kiind’s What’s On activity and event guide for families.

Danica reports that one of the most rewarding parts of her role is following the journeys of Kiind members and seeing how just one social media post or eNewsletter can have a positive impact on the lives of families.

Kerryn joined Kiind (formerly Kalparrin) in 2016 with responsibility for coordination and management of the organisation’s extensive member events program. Following a short break during COVID-19, Kerryn returned to Kiind in September 2021 as the Office Manager.

In this role Kerryn manages Kiind’s two office locations and the smooth running of all office processes and IT platforms. She also plays an integral role on several project committees, most recently the design and development of Kiind’s Member Relationship Management system.

With a Diploma in Front Line Management from the Australian Institute of Management, Kerryn has an extensive administrative background having held previous roles within the mining and transport industries.

Kerryn enjoys being part of the Kiind community. Her long tenure with the organisation has enabled her to share the challenges and the joys of many amazing families as their children scale new heights and achieve ambitious goals throughout their disability journey.

When not at work, Kerryn enjoys spending time with her family and the odd spot of golf, both as a golfer herself and caddying for a particularly enthusiastic teenage son.

Renée is a social impact leader who brings 25 years of experience in the community sector, working in community development, disability, youth, peer support, and family services.

She holds a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact from UWA’s Centre for Social Impact, a BA in Psychology & Sociology, and a Postgrad Cert in Community Development at Murdoch University.

Joining the Kiind team in 2023, Renée is responsible for leading the organisation’s Systemic Advocacy. This role involves engaging with Kiind’s membership to identify the issues and barriers affecting families navigating the world of disability, and developing advocacy positions to inform decision-makers of the changes needed to improve systems.

Renée is an enthusiastic advocate for social and system change. She understands the value of peer support and lived experience and works in partnership with consumers to get their voices heard.

From her own experiences supporting a neurodivergent child, she brings empathy and a commitment to making the system better for families. Renée has been a member of Kiind since her first child’s diagnosis in 2014.

With a passion for community participation, Renée currently volunteers as a board member at her local school, and at the Vic Park Community Centre. When not busy parenting or changing the world, she can be found singing in a feminist choir, dabbling in half-completed craft projects (pottery is the current interest) and going for long walks as often as possible.