Board Members

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The Harmony Place Board provides leadership, support and governance to the organisation. It ensures the organisation meets its vision, mission and its strategic, administrative and operational goals.

Fiona Jackson - President

Fiona has both social work and legal qualifications. After working as a Social Worker in the health care sector for a number of years, Fiona changed emphasis working with organisations such as the former Health Rights Commission, the Medical Board and the Ombudsman. Fiona has particular knowledge in complaints management, compliance and investigations issues and governance matters. She recently a  Masters of Social Science, majoring in Social Planning at the University of Queensland.

Fiona grew up in regional Queensland and lives in Yeronga with her husband Steve and their dog, Tazzy. She enjoys living in a more culturally and linguistically diverse community than those in which she spent her childhood with others too. Fiona looks forward to fulfilling her role on the Board working achieve its vision and mission and its strategic and operational objectives.

 Mary Crombie - Vice- President

Mary has been a member of the Harmony Place Board since 2007. She was born in Fiji of Indian parents. She graduated as a junior secondary teacher in Suva in 1973 and taught in rural schools until migration to Australia in 1975. After travelling around various parts of Australia, her family settled in Mackay for three years. She has been in Brisbane for the last 30 years. Mary has a Social Work degree, a Graduate Certificate in Inter-professional Leadership (Social Science), Associate Diploma of Business and a Certificate of Teaching.

Mary commenced working with Queensland Corrections in 1990. She has worked in both male and female prisons as counsellor, education officer and adviser. From 1999 to 2003, Mary was seconded to Ipswich City Council where she worked with multicultural communities and organisations. Her work included coordinating settlement services for newly arrived migrants and refugees, working on building capacity in local communities and providing cultural awareness training to service providers and community leaders. She currently works as a sentence management adviser at the Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre. Mary has a strong commitment to marginalised groups and is committed to advocating for equality and justice for all. She holds a firm conviction about the important role of volunteerism in supporting communities and has served on various committees and boards.

 Kathy Smith - Secretary

Kathy Smith is a Registered Psychologist and experienced Supervisor of clinical practice in government, private and not-for-profit work settings. In recent years this experience has extended into developing and overseeing clinical governance and supervision frameworks in mental health, ensuring that clinical practice remains accountable and continually improves.

Kathy has been a Board member since January 2012 and has enjoyed the challenge of becoming oriented to Board processes and exposure to Harmony Place philosophy of practice. Participation in Harmony Place Cultural Self Awareness training was a highlight of the year and involvement in the Strategic Planning working group was rewarding.

With a strong interest in organisational development, Kathy looks forward to continuing to contribute to the functions of the Board of Harmony Place and alongside all staff and members enjoy achieving the goals and objectives identified in the new strategic plan.

Waree Branjerdporn - Treasurer

Waree has a Bachelor of Commerce from Griffith University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Thailand.  She comes to the Harmony Place Executive Board Member with over 20 years of accounting expertise in the areas of Refugee Support, Accommodation, Community Support Services and Humanitarian service delivery. Waree is an associate member of CPA.

Waree is currently working with Red Cross; in particular, in the Migration Support program as the Finance Officer.  She manages the Community Assistance Support program for asylum seekers.  Waree is proficient in using technical and analytical skills in managing the Financial Assistance and Emergency Relief Services. 

Waree is also a committee member of the Outreach Task group at Sherwood Uniting Church.  Waree has interests in quilting and painting.  She additionally enjoys co-ordinating the Sherwood Street Festival and Saturday Craft Market at Sherwood Uniting Church.

   Adam Dunn - Member

Adam Dunn has had and continues to have a long and interesting career in the Human Services. Coming from the field of Entomology originally, he has gained 17 years of first hand knowledge in the fields of Disability and Mental Health. He “saw the light” and moved from the Biological Sciences during the 1990's when he first started working for the Qld Department of Disability Services and he hasn't looked back. In the last 10 years he's done a Masters in Human Services with Honours, worked at Griffith university, Kyabra Community Association and The Brook RED Centre.

His interests lie in "Third Wave Practices" in the Human Services. That is, person centred, open honest and respectful practices based on narrative styles of conversation. He's particularly interested in / passionate about Intentional Peer Support as practiced by Shery Mead (www.mentalhealthpeers.com) and Michel Foucault's philosophies of thought. He works hands on in "Coal Face" services talking with and learning with what he calls "Real People". That is folk who have a wide variety of life experiences and expectations. Kind of like his own journey.

 As a board member he brings a flare for reality and a bottom line in the importance of culture in an organisation. Though a naturally funny guy he takes working as a board member to a community organisation as a privilege and not a right. He brings great intensity and thought to all he does with Harmony Place and feels honoured and humbled to bring a practitioners perspective to management.

 Coralie Kingston - Member

Coralie has worked in government, non-government community service and church-based organizations for over 30 years: providing advice to government ministers; undertaking policy research and program development; initiating service design and delivery; leading policy advocacy. She has served as the chairperson of three State Government bodies.

She has qualifications and skills in research, strategic and analytical thinking, negotiation with multiple stakeholders, team building and the timely delivery of outcomes.

Coralie is committed to social justice and to working respectfully with people. Now that she is semi-retired, Coralie in pleased to support the important work of Harmony Place as a member of the Board

Gaby Heuft - Member

 Gaby Heuft joined the Harmony Place Board in 2011. She has been working in the community sector since her arrival as a migrant from Germany in the early 1980s. Originally from a teaching background, she holds a BA in Humanities (majoring in Australian Social History & Gender Studies), as well as a post-graduate degree in Social Planning. Gaby is a well known community advocate and educator, and has a broad range of experiences in working with recently arrived people from migrant and refugee background.

Over the years she has been working with the Indo-Chinese-Refugee Association (ICRA), the Brisbane Migrant Resource Centre, coordinating the Refugee Claimants Support Centre and the Refugee Health Network, and until recently she was the team leader for MultiLinks Complex Case Management as well as coordinating MultiLinks Community Settlement Support, both funded under the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Gaby held a number of positions on Management and Advisory committees in the sector, has been invited to present refugee issues in local and national forums. Gaby is a passionate advocate for human rights, social justice and constructive, compassionate asylum seeker policy.

Gaby feels very strongly about supporting CALDB individuals and their families during their settlement process and beyond to ensure the best outcomes in terms of healthy, happy and well adjusted families.

 Catherine Grant  - Member

Catherine joined the Board of Harmony Place in 2012, keen to contribute both to the multicultural community of Brisbane and the improvement of mental health services. With a strong commitment to minority and marginalized groups (including a PhD in endangered languages and cultures), Catherine brings several years governance experience to her role, as well as an active interest in mental health issues. She is a member of BeyondBlues National Reference Group Blue Voicesa researcher for an Arts Access Australia-funded project relating to governance development and participation for people with disability, and served from 2008-2012 on the national executive committee and communications sub-committee of the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare. She works in the community arts sector and is a researcher at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University.

With several years living and travel in Europe and Asia, Catherine enjoys engaging with people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. She considers it a privilege to hold a role on the Board, and looks forward to contributing to Harmony Place in ways that align with its vision and mission.

Annette Ruzicka  - Member

Annette comes to Harmony Place Executive Board with  many years of experience working in the human service sector. Annette  has a number of qualifications including Bachelor of Adult Education and Training, Bachelor of Social Work, Master in Social Work, Certificate in Nursing and currently undertaking post graduate studies in Buddhist Psychotherapy and Counselling. Annette has been working with the Qld Department of Communities in particular in the child protection arena as the Director for the Transitional Placements Unit managing therapeutic audits for children and young people placed in Out of Home Care arrangements and Manager for a number of Child Safety Service Centres in South East Queensland.

Annette has significant experience working in hospital Emergency Department, Community Mental Health social worker, bilingual/bicultural mental health consultant with QLD Health, TAFE and university lecturer. She is a member of the ASSW and an active member of the ASSW Ethics Pool. Annette is a registered Marriage Celebrant under the Commonwealth Government of Australia specialises  in cross cultural civil marriages.

Annette speaks three languages and has been living in Australia for 40 years since migrating from Sri Lanka.