Bronwyn Pike
Chairperson
Bronwyn has worked for over 20 years within a variety of human services, with her focus on supporting individuals and families to plan, develop and self-direct their supports. Her current role as Side by Side Manager at Developmental Disability WA has seen her working closely with families to co-design a family partnership model of support, specifically targeted towards families who are living with challenging behaviour. Bronwyn has been involved in several projects including designing a resource for planning for people with complex needs.
Bronwyn is a Microboard Facilitator at Microboards Australia, a non-profit organisation that specialises in supporting people with disabilities to create a network of trusted people around them who will love and support them even when parents no longer can.
She joined Lifeplan as a Board Member because she values the work the organisation is doing, and the person centred approach they take when supporting people with disability. Her focus is to ensure the long-term sustainability of Lifeplan as a vital not-for-profit organisation that delivers the services individuals and their families want and need.
With the introduction and rollout of the NDIS, we are experiencing the biggest social and economic social reform since the introduction of Medicare in the 1970’s. At this time of growth in the sector, she wants to ensure the organisation continues to deliver high-quality services to the people they serve.
Anne Montgomery
Board Member
Anne’s connection with the disability sector is through her son Julian. He was born with an intellectual disability and attended a school supporting students with disability. Upon leaving school, Julian became connected with Lifeplan via Debbie Wilson, a teacher at Julian’s school, who was at that time in the process of establishing what would become Lifeplan. Julian benefited greatly through his engagement with Lifeplan during a very important time of transition from school to adulthood. Sadly Julian died suddenly in 2016.
Retiring from the Commonwealth Bank in 2006, where Anne worked as a Customer Assistant, she has since worked at Curtin University in the second-hand bookshop, helping at the beginning of each semester. With many year’s experience in retail and customer relations, added with Anne’s unwavering support of her son, she brings to Lifeplan a sharp sense of customer focus, and a very real perspective and insight as a parent of a son with a disability.
Margaret Stewart
Board Member
Margaret is a science graduate from the University of New England, Armidale, NSW and has been employed as a Research Assistant, Maths/Science Teacher, Mine Geologist, Administration/Office Geologist; worked with children with special needs as an Education Assistant, and is on the Nulsen Fisher Service Review team.
Margaret has a daughter with special needs thus was originally introduced to the disability sector through sourcing medical, educational and recreational services that would enhance her life. Margaret and her family developed a close relationship with several Local Area Coordinators in addition to specialist health professionals, Alternative to Employment agencies and Business Enterprises.
“It is a privilege to serve on the Board of Lifeplan, as a family representative, assisting management to achieve the outcomes of its vision for its clients.”
Vicki Martin
Treasurer
Vicki started her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, London where she gained her Chartered Accountant’s qualification whilst working in Middle Markets Tax. Since then she has worked in a variety of industries with a focus on start-up environments, which have not only given her a very robust and rigorous financial skill, but also provided the opportunity to develop a strong commercial and operational acumen. More recently, her ethical values and passion for people and equality, have seen her seek out more purposeful work and apply her skillset to the fields of Environment & Conservation and the Disability Sector.
In her position of Treasurer at Lifeplan, she not only hopes to be a safe pair of hands in terms of the financial administration and reporting framework of the organisation, but also to add value to the Board on matters of corporate governance, risk management and strategy.
Mehdi Nawa
Board Member
Mehdi is a political science and international relations graduate from the University of Western Australia, who has a strong passion in health development and assisting people with disabilities with integrating into the community.
Mehdi and his family arrived to Australia as a refugee from Afghanistan with the hopes of starting a new life, but unfortunately after a few years, his father suffered a spinal cord injury that not only deteriorated his health but left him with serious barriers to work, individual freedom and community participation.
Mehdi has also been the President of OxfamUWA for three years. He has helped campaign and raise funds for a range of social justice issues such as indigenous incarceration, indigenous health inequality (Closing the Gap), Yemen Hunger crisis, refugee rights, LGBTQI+ rights including disability rights amongst queer folks, international women’s rights and ethical consumption/fair trade. He is also a current member of RUAH – an organisation that provides community health, social services and legal education to people who are in poverty, suffering from mental illness or are a victim of domestic violence.
In his position with Lifeplan, he hopes that his passion for health development and strong background in advocacy, mentoring, and project management would further assist Lifeplan in developing its strong ethos, and commitment to empowering people with disabilities.
