Professor Melissa Green

Chairperson

Professor Melissa Green   is a researcher and professor at UNSW Sydney, specialising in psychiatry and mental health and expertise in childhood trauma and psychosis; childhood developmental risk for mental disorders; cognitive neuroscience. She currently serves as Director of Research in the School of Clinical Medicine. She also leads the NSW Child Development Study, a collaboration with various government departments. Professor Green has also received international fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Jim Goodin

Vice-Chairperson

Jim Goodin is a former Vice Principal with 30 years’ experience in regular, secondary and special needs schools. Currently the Vice-Chairperson of the Mental Health Foundation Australia and co-chair of the Victorian Mental Health Month Advisory Committee, Jim is also a committee member on many other Boards and Committees including the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Chisholm Institute Course Advisory Committee and the Melbourne Bipolar Network. Jim was also the former Vice-President of the Australian National Association for Mental Health and former President and Secretary of the OCD Foundation (now ARCVic). Jim’s knowledge of mental illness comes from professional, voluntary and family experience. 

Daryl Williams KC

Director

Daryl Williams KC is an experienced barrister with a practice spanning commercial disputes, corporate governance, insolvency, professional negligence, misleading conduct, land tax, and appeals. He represents clients in courts and tribunals across Australia and is also an accredited mediator specializing in resolving substantial commercial disputes. Daryl began his career in 1991 at Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst Lawyers) before taking silk in 2010. Outside his legal work, he has served as a Board Director of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and its Foundation, is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and chairs the Professional Standards Committee for several Anglican dioceses - Melbourne, Ballarat, Bendigo and Wangaratta. 

Marlene Kairouz

Director

Marlene Kairouz is a community advocate and leader with extensive experience across the public, not-for-profit, and community sectors. She has worked closely with diverse communities for many years, bringing a strong focus on mental health, wellbeing, and social inclusion. With a background in health sciences and public service, Marlene has held senior leadership roles that have allowed her to advocate for improved access to mental health support, stronger community services, and better outcomes for individuals and families. She is passionate about working alongside charities and community organisations to deliver practical, people-centred initiatives. Marlene is known for her empathetic leadership, collaborative approach, and long-standing commitment to improving wellbeing and resilience within the community.

Alex Wymarra

Director

Alex Wymarra is a Chairman and Director of the Treaty Council Worldwide, an organisation focused on empowering Indigenous Nations through economic development, land rights and self-determination. He is a proud member of the Gudang-Yadhaykenu First Nation from Cape York, Australia, and has worked to build pathways toward greater economic independence and sustainable opportunity for Indigenous communities. Through his leadership at the Treaty Council, Alex engages with business advisors, cultural leaders, and international partners to support initiatives that uplift Indigenous economies and preserve cultural heritage.

Heather Ewart

Director

Heather Ewart is an award-winning Australian journalist and broadcaster with a distinguished career at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation spanning more than four decades. She has worked as a foreign correspondent, senior political reporter, and national affairs journalist, covering major events in Australia and overseas. In recent years, Heather became widely known as the host of ABC TV’s Back Roads, where she shared the stories of regional and rural communities across the country. She is highly regarded for her integrity, storytelling, and long-standing commitment to giving voice to everyday Australians.

Richard Lim OAM

Director

Richard Lim OAM is a successful pharmacy business owner and community leader, widely known for his generosity and support of multicultural communities and charities across Melbourne. He founded Lim’s Pharmacy in 1991, which has received national recognition for excellence in business and community engagement. Deeply committed to giving back, Richard has established and supported numerous community organisations, particularly within the Cambodian community, and has been recognised with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to the community. He also serves as Deputy Mayor of the City of Greater Dandenong and is a strong supporter of health and hospital charities, including Monash Health Foundation.

Luul Ibrahim

Director

Luul Ibrahim is an early childhood educator and emerging community leader, the founder of Somali support Perth, and has been advocating and building community capacity for the Somalis in WA. She works with both government and non-government policymakers in understanding the needs of a multicultural community, she Australian multicultural council representing Western Australia. She has won the African women in leadership 2022 and 2022 Human Appeal Muslim volunteer awards. She is also an Australian mental health foundation advocate and emerging Author who is launching her first children’s book.

Vasan Srinivasan

Chief Executive Officer

Vasan Srinivasan is the first person of Indian origin to be appointed as a member of the Australian Multicultural Council. He has held several notable positions, including former President of the Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria (FIAV) from 2009 to 2014, and former member of the Victorian Government Ministerial Advisory Ethnic Business Council from 2011 to 2014. Vasan has also served as the Chair of the Confederation of Indian Australian Associations Inc (CIAA) and was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for excellence in multicultural affairs by the Victorian Government. Additionally, he was a former member of the Victorian Government International Education Board.

Vernon Victor Da Gama

Legal Advisor

Mr Vernon Victor Da Gama is a barrister and very well known in the Community. Vernon helped several members of the Indian Community in giving legal advice whenever required.Vernon is an active member of the Goan Overseas Association of Victoria and the Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria Inc (FIAV), representing the Goan Association. He is also currently a trustee of the FIAV. In October 2008, he received the Victorian Parliamentary Friends of India of the Parliament of Victoria “Award of Excellence”.