WHG has a passionate and committed team with a proud history of collaboration and achievement. Staff members bring a range of skills and experience across public health and health promotion, social work, education, government and administration.
Marianne Hendron
Chief Executive Officer
Marianne has worked across the Grampians region for many years. She has extensive senior management experience in community health and primary care in our region, bringing to WHG her strong leadership values, an unwavering commitment to working within a feminist framework and exceptional partnership development skills.
Shannon Wolf
Business Manager
Shannon joined the WHG team in 2020 and brings with her a wealth of experience in the not-for-profit, community and arts sectors. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Laws. Shannon is passionate about equality, inclusion and community and these core values inform all her work.
Renae Scholte
Office Manager
Renae commenced with WHG in 2022. Renae has a Bachelor of Management and a Cert IV in fitness and is passionate about improving the health and wellbeing outcomes of all women. Renae has a wealth of experience in administration and has worked for a diverse range of industries including public health, the community sector, accounting and retail and even ran her own VA business. Renae is a passionate volunteer who is committed to serving her community.
Sarah Hart
Communications Lead
Sarah joined the team in 2021 and brings many years of communications and policy development experience across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. As an artist, academic, and staunch feminist, Sarah is currently working on a creative PhD around the importance of collaboration between women in contemporary interpretations of classic fairy tales.
Health Promotion Team
Rose Durey
Manager Strategy and Programs
Rose started working at WHG in March 2019 and brings with her extensive health and social policy experience across the not-for-profit and government sector. She has worked in women’s health promotion and advocacy, cancer screening policy, and adoption and fostering research. Rose has a combined Bachelor of Law / Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Social Science (Policy and Human Services). She is committed to improving women’s health and challenging gender inequality.
Leena Edward
CoRE Support Officer
Leena joined WHG in April 2021 as a Bilingual Health Educator, assisting migrant and refugee women to access CALD appropriate health information and make informed health choices. Leena has also worked as a Software Engineer in both government and private sector and is from Singapore. Leena is currently pursuing the Bachelor of Community and Human Services and working in the role as our CoRE Support Officer .
Dee Micevski
Regional Consultant – Central Highlands & Gender & Sport Lead
Dee became a WHG team member in 2015 after six months abroad in Cambodia as a research assistant for Deakin University exploring the sexual and reproductive health perceptions of garment factory workers, and as a health promotion worker for the National Centre for Health Promotion, increasing dialogue on maternal and infant mortality and contributing to tobacco legislative reforms. Dee has a Masters of Public Health, a Bachelor of Food Science & Nutrition with Honours and a Bachelor of Health Science. As a health promotion officer and nutritionist Dee is dedicated to improving the health outcomes of women.
Melissa Morris
Senior Regional Consultant - Wimmera & Workforce Capacity Building Lead
Melissa has worked for local government and community sectors for over 25 years. She has extensive experience in community development, community engagement, strategic planning, policy development and partnerships. Melissa has worked in the Wimmera region for 13 years and joined WHG in 2016.
Kate Diamond-Keith
Senior Regional Consultant – Grampians Pyrenees & Diversity Lead
Upon joining the team in 2017, Kate brings over 14 years of experience in community development and health and wellbeing planning to WHG. She has previously developed public health plans, social policy, strategy development and community engagement. Kate has a Bachelor of Media Studies and a Masters of Business Administration and is passionate about working with organisations and communities to improve the health and wellbeing of women in the region.
Claire Evans
Regional Consultant - Grampians Pyrenees
Claire has worked for both state government agencies and private industry in a variety of roles from land management to web design. She has extensive experience in project management, strategic planning and community engagement. She has lived and worked in Gariwerd / Grampians for the last 10 years and has been enjoying working with the great team at Women’s Health Grampians this year.
Jane Measday
Regional Consultant - Central Highlands
Jane has over 25 years experience in planning , implementing and managing a range of primary care services in the community setting. She has a Bachelor of Education and is committed to genuine client participation in the design and delivery of programs that directly impact on them. She is a champion of the codesign and the recovery model.
Deb Harris
Regional Consultant - Central Highlands & Grampians Pyrenees
Deb joined the WHG team in 2018. Deb commenced her career as a registered nurse and has lived and worked both interstate and overseas including third world countries. She has also worked in the primary care, corporate and education sectors. Deb has a passion for improving the lives of those in her community with a particular focus on those in marginalised communities. When she is not at work Deb loves spending time with her family, gardening, reading and exploring the region.
Ange van den Berg
Project Coordinator, See What You Can Be
Ange has worked in various community, sporting and not-for-profit organisations in Australia and the UK, and has experience in project management, community engagement, event management, fundraising and partnerships. Ange has previously studied a Bachelor of Arts/Education and Bachelor of Social Sciences and has recently completed a Master of Arts (Sociology).
Katja Fiedler
Act on Site Consultant
Katja joined the WHG team in 2022, and brings 10 years of professional experience in the community development sector including in youth, arts and intercultural settings. Holding a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social and Cultural Studies, Katja migrated to Australia in 2012 from Berlin, Germany. She is a passionate advocate for gender equality, access and inclusion, and increased leadership opportunities for women.
Shannon Hill
Health Promotion – Sexual Health Advisor
Having worked in a variety of industries Shannon has extensive experience in project management, communications, technology, and women's sexual and reproductive health. Shannon joined the WHG team in 2012, inspired by the opportunity to return to her home town, to increase community awareness and understanding of the sexual and reproductive health issues that women face across Grampians region.
Stephanie Cooper
Health Promotion Officer - Sexual & Reproductive Health
Stephanie joined the WHG team in 2023 after working for 11 years as a Registered Nurse in Women’s and Children’s Services. In addition to her nursing work, Stephanie has also been involved in multiple community-based organisations and currently sits on the Executive Committee for the Ballarat Regional Trades Hall Council. As a proud and passionate feminist, Stephanie advocates for all women and gender diverse people to have access to safe, local, comprehensive healthcare.
Katrina Baraquiel
Migrant & Refugee Health Equality Advisor
Katrina joined WHG in 2022 as a Multilingual Health Educator, focusing on delivering COVID-19 Information sessions to the Filipino community. She uses her background in International Relations and Development to make impactful contributions with each engagement. She completed her Masters in Development Studies from the University of Melbourne in 2017 and has been curious about structures and norms that affect outcomes for women. She is committed to finding solutions, collaborating with a network of advocates, and applying best practices in her role as the Migrant and Refugee Health Equality Advisor to co-design an environment that benefits everyone.
Carly-Anne Myers
Gender & Disability Advisor
Carly joined joined WHG as Gender & Disability Advisor after serving on the board for 12 months. Carly has recently been accepted into the Master of Public Health course at Deakin University which has a focus on health promotion with a stream on disability and ethics which is of key interest for her. Carly has experience serving on various Board and Committees including Government Liaison Officer, Short Statured People of Australia; and President, Genetic Support Network of Victoria.
Lyndel Ward
Health Promotions Officer - First Nations
Lyndel is a proud Gamilaraay Woman.
For over 25 years she has been providing direct service delivery for people experiencing marginalisation and she has a deep understanding and experience of the need to apply an intersectional lens as a First Nations woman. The majority of work Lyndel has done has been with First Nations communities. The roles include engagement with youth and youth homelessness, homelessness and advocacy for improved housing and access to suitable, appropriate and safe housing. Most recently Lyndel worked with First Nations Women and children experiencing Family Violence and participated in Yarning Circles with Young First Nations People who have experienced Family Violence.
Lyndel is strongly committed to working with and advocating for First Nations Women to break down the barriers that exist to perpetuate the ongoing effects of colonialisation for First Nations people.
Luke Baker
Gender Equality Advisor - Masculinities
Luke has an extensive work history across health and welfare sectors including time as the Mens’s Health Co-ordinator for Nganampa Health on the remote Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands of central Australia. More recently Luke was the Manager of Family Services at Goolum Goolum Aboriginal co-operative in Horsham. Luke has a strong commitment to addressing gender inequality and building healthy communities.
Mika Pediaditis
Research and Evaluation Advisor
Mika commenced with WHG in 2022. Mika has a Bachelor of Social Science and Master of Public Policy. Mika has over 25 years professional experience working in the community and human services sector including not-for-profit, local government, and university settings. She has experience in direct practice service delivery with marginalised and disadvantaged populations including people experiencing homelessness, asylum seekers, and young people. Mika has research, program design / implementation, and project management experience in violence prevention and gender equality initiatives. She is passionate about courageous innovation that challenges and changes gender inequality and discrimination, gendered violence, and structural oppression.
Belinda Devine
Trainer
Belinda joined the WHG team in 2023. Belinda has a Bachelor of Development Studies and a Graduate Diploma in Adolescent Health and Welfare. Belinda comes from a community development background with experience working in the community legal sector, higher education, the not-for-profit sector, and the refugee youth settlement area. Belinda has a passion for empowering communities through education and welcomes the opportunity to be part of a primary prevention approach to eliminating gender inequality and violence against women.
Vernetta Taylor
Trainer
WHG added Vernetta to their team in August 2023. Her previous employment focused on community and leadership development in Wimmera Southern Mallee. Vernetta also has experience in event management, primary health, recruitment, and training. Vernetta is passionate about educating regional businesses, organisations, sporting groups, and community groups about gender equality. She is dedicated to improving outcomes for women and children in the Grampians region and making it a great place for everyone to live and thrive.
Central Highlands Integrated Family Violence Committee (CHIFVC)
Jess Cadwallader
CHIFVC Principal Strategic Advisor
Jess joined WHG in June 2019 as the Principal Strategic Advisory for the Central Highlands Integrated Family Violence Committee. Jess has a PhD on feminist theories of embodiment, and has completed postdoctoral studies on responses to trauma, gender inequality and social memory. Most recently working on information sharing and the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework at the Department of Health and Human Services, she has an extensive background in research, consultation, advocacy and policy in relation to violence prevention and response.
Youzhen Huang
Workforce Development Officer, CHIFVC
Yo commenced working at WHG in December 2020. Yo has a Master of Social Work degree, with placement and volunteer experiences in family services and family violence support. Yo previously worked as a Community Education Officer in a community legal centre, delivering training on worker’s rights in Australia to newly arrived migrant workers including international students, refugees and other temporary visa holders from diverse cultural and linguistic communities.
Susie Muller
Family Violence & Disability Practice Lead, CHIFVC
Inspired by the opportunity to improve the accessibility of specialist family violence and sexual assault services for people with disability, Susie joined CHIFVC in August 2023 as the Family Violence and Disability Practice Lead. Susie has a Graduate Certificate in Family Therapy specialising in Acquired Brain Injury and a Master of Politics and Policy, as well as experience in service delivery within the family violence and disability sector. Susie is passionate about equality, inclusion and working within a feminist framework.