Our Board of Directors volunteer their time and expertise to guide WayAhead in all of the work that we do, and we are grateful for their dedication and support.
Meg Smith, OAM
President
Meg is a registered community psychologist and a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society. She is currently a part time member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal and a community tribunal member of the Guardianship Division. She has been active in mental health reform and advocacy for a number of years. Dr Smith has previously worked in womens health and as an academic at Western Sydney University teaching and researching in the areas of community mental health, bipolar disorder, criminology and social advocacy. Meg has lived experience of mental illness and founded the Depression and Mood Disorders Association NSW. She has been active over many years in a number of national and state working groups on disability, mental health reform and development of assessment measures of mental health care delivery.
Meg was elected to the Board in 1989
Sharyn McGee MA (UNSW), GrDipComm (UTS), BA (Hons) (MACQ)
Chair Person
Sharyn McGee is a retired university lecturer and sociologist. Her academic pursuits in teaching and research were mainly in the sociology of health, including mental health and alcohol and other drugs, ageing and youth. She has been on the Board of WayAhead since 2006. Since 2006, she has actively contributed to the work of the Board through Board meetings and membership of sub-committees and working parties. She chaired the Policy and Advocacy Sub-Committee and the Social Inclusion Working Party. From 2009-2014 she represented WayAhead at meetings of the Agency for Clinical Innovation (Diabetes and Mental Health group) and was instrumental in the development and presentation of an educational forum (on Diabetes and Mental Health) for mental health workers in NGOs in April 2012.
Since retiring she has focused on working to improve, strengthen and promote recovery oriented and consumer focused mental health services in NSW. Currently she is employed as an Official Visitor (in Mental Health), Official Visitors Program, Ministry of Health; as a peer educator (consumer), on a casual basis, with the Recovery and Wellbeing College, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. In that capacity she has co-produced and/or co-taught various courses such as Navigating the Mental Health System Maze, Introduction to Mindfulness, Getting a good night’s sleep, Introduction to Recovery Education, Resilience and Introduction to Communication.
Sharyn was a member of the Older Persons’ Peak Advisory Committee with Mental Health Carers’ NSW, and she has consulted on various projects with Older People’s Mental Health Services, NSW Health. As a person with lived experience of mental distress she also teaches with the HETI (Health and Education Training Institute), Mental Health on an occasional basis.
Sharyn has volunteered as a community educator for Black Dog Institute and is a member of Being Mental Health Consumers. She is also a member of Health Consumers NSW, Older Women’s Network and COTA (Council on the Ageing)
Sharyn was elected to the Board in 2006.
Don Murray, ACA, FAICD
Treasurer
Don is a retired experienced finance professional with a proven track record in financial management, business reporting , change management and team building.
He has played a mentoring and leadership role across a range of industries and business sizes. He comes with a commitment to provide financial expertise to WayAhead and to people with lived experience of mental Illness.
Don was elected to the Board in 2015.
Stephen Bourne
Vice- Chairperson
Stephen is a lawyer in private practice.
He has a lengthy history of working with individuals who are affected by mental health issues, especially individuals whose mental health issues have led to their involvement in the criminal justice system, or to them having children removed into statutory care due to child protection concerns and allegations. Stephen has post-graduate qualifications in law, psychology and forensic mental health.
As well as being on the WayAhead Board, Stephen is panel lawyer for Legal Aid NSW and the Department of Communities and Justice, Director of Kirklaw Pty Ltd and Medcalf Grant Pty Ltd, and Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance.
Stephen was elected to the board in 2018.
David Harper
David is a project consultant with over ten years of experience in the not for profit sector. He is currently the General Manager of Programs and Research at Bipolar Australia, and Executive Director of AS Purposeful Limited. During his tenure on the Board, David has contributed to projects including Collective Purpose, advocacy and policy, and information technology.
David was elected to the Board in 2011
Pam Barker
Pam is the CEO of Yfoundations the Peak body for Youth Homelessness.
Pam’s experience working as a CEO, working with boards and the not for profit sector will be an asset to WayAhead. She identifies as part of the LGBTIQ community and her experience both in the NFP and corporate business sector imbodied, with her lived experience with mental health, allows her to contribute uniquely to WayAhead’s mission and values from a board position.
Pam was elected to the board in 2018
Ben Wymer
Ben is the Director – Business Operations with ADAPT, a company that connects and equips executives with the knowledge, relationships, and tools to gain advantage.
Ben has also experienced mental health issues and wants to make a difference through the work of WayAhead. Ben’s skills are in developing and executing business strategy, multichannel strategies to drive organisational growth, business innovation etc.
Ben was elected to the board in 2019
Emma Sedlak
Emma works as a Senior Digital Project Officer, Division of External Relations at the University of NSW.
Emma has personal experience of mental health issues and is pleased to share those experiences as well as helping WayAhead with communication and digital marketing skills. She has a PHD in creative writing and is heavily invested in leadership development and mentoring in the workplace.
She identifies as a member of the LGBTIQ+ community- loves hiking, travel and music (she sings in choirs and theatre performances).
Emma was elected to the board in 2019.