Our Board
John Della Bosco A.M
Chair
John has extensive experience within the health and mental health sectors, having held such positions as the NSW Minister for Health, Associate Director of the Whitlam Institute (University of Western Sydney), Chairman of Family Drug Support, and served on the boards of Coast and Country Primary Care and Independent Community Living Australia. John also led an important campaign called Every Australian Counts – to increase grassroots support for the introduction of the NDIS – displaying diverse and valuable skills that will be critical to the success of GROW’s future strategic plan. John is highly accomplished – having been awarded an Order of Australia in 2020, the PRIA Golden Target Award in 2013 and the Ted Noffs Humanitarian Award in 2001. He is currently undertaking a PhD in History, after already earning a Masters in Letters with merit in 2010.
Ina Mullin
Deputy Chair
Ina has over 20 years’ experience in stakeholder engagement and communication. She is the inaugural Director of Partnerships and Engagement at the National Suicide Prevention Office after serving as Director, Communication and Engagement at the National Mental Health Commission. Prior to this she held business development, brand management and public relations roles at a variety of NFP suicide prevention and mental health service providers, most recently as National Manager Communication and Public Affairs at Lifeline Australia. Ina holds a Master of Arts in Communication Management, an Executive Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons).
Heath Fereday
Director
Heath has over 10 years of experience in working with the Grow Program and more than 7 years of experience in Program and Consumer Leadership Roles within GROW. Heath is the Chair of the South Australian Branch Program Team (elected peer leaders), a member of the National Program Team and is an active member of the GROW Community and was nominated to the Board by his peers.
Jeremy Morse
Director
Jeremy is a Business Performance Analyst at Anglicare Southern Qld. He was the Financial Accountant and Analyst for Anglicare Tasmania, and during the NDIS trial period, he oversaw the transition of contracts into funding under the NDIS.
John MacIsaac
Director
John has worked as a consulting engineer for over 30 years in the minerals industry. He has participated and volunteered in the GROW program in various roles since 2006 and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr Judith (Judy) Edwards
Director
Judy has a strong commitment to community service and lifelong learning and has qualifications in medicine and public health. Her interests have taken her on a stimulating career path through general practice, politics – where she was the West Australian Minister for the Environment, and then the not-for-profit sector, leading a small medical research foundation. She was also involved in the implementation of new mental health laws in WA in 2014. Judy currently chairs an advisory board at Curtin University, WA engaging community and industry and promoting digital transformation. She is involved with several local community service and other organisations and kayaks for relaxation in her spare time
Mark Lacey
Director
Mark is a mental health professional with twenty-four years’ experience. He has fought for the recovery of those with mental illness and for systems that routinely provide for that recovery over that time. Mark is commencing a Masters of Philosophy in the field of moral theology in 2022. Mark has been a Grow member for twenty-two years, a leader in Grow for fifteen years, and Chair of the Vic-Tas Branch Program Team for four years – from 2017 to 2020. Mark is a foundation member and current chair of the Insights Mental Health Group Ballarat. Mark brings to Grow his experience in facilitating recovery; in reforming systems so that they promote recovery; and basic skills in IT management, financial and legislative compliance & leadership of a team.
Sonia Di Mezza
Director
Sonia is a solicitor and human rights lawyer. She is the CEO of the Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services in Bendigo, Victoria, supporting refugees and migrants with settlement services. She has set up and managed human rights projects in Pakistan and Sudan; worked as a Resettlement Consultant for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon; worked in India promoting the rights of child labourers; and as a Refugee Lawyer in Australia. Sonia holds a Master of International Law, majoring in human rights law.
Steve Ryan
Director
Steve has had extensive exposure across the public, superannuation, union and not-for-profit sectors. He has held roles as a secondary school teacher, Queensland Teachers’ Union President, a Trustee of the QSuper Board, and a director of QInvest.
Virginia Slaughter
Director
Virginia is Professor and Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland. A developmental psychologist by training, Virginia’s own research focuses on social and cognitive development in infants and young children. In her 25-year career as an academic, Virginia has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and chapters, three edited volumes and a first-year Psychology textbook. She is the recipient of several teaching awards, including the University of Queensland Teaching Excellence Award (1999) and an Australian Award for University Teaching (in the category Teaching Large First Year Classes; 2005). Virginia is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
David Butt
NCEO
David is the National CEO of GROW and works with the Board to guide the performance and development of GROW.