Board

Dr Ricki Jeffery is former Diocesan Director of Centacare, Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton and has held director positions on the boards of Family Relationships Services Australia, Central Queensland Medicare Local, and Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service. She previously held the position of Chair of the Board of Directors of St Ursula’s College Ltd. She currently sits on the Community Services Industry Reform Council and is the Chair on the Community Services Industry Alliance Board. Dr Jeffery brings to the Board a working knowledge of education, primary health and community services delivery in regional areas, with particular expertise in building capacity to meet challenges in a conscious and intentional way for ministries operating in regional Australia.

Mr Leslie Jones served as a Grant Thornton audit partner from January 1985 to December 2009 where he had wide involvement with not-for-profit organisations. During his time at Grant Thornton, Mr Jones was head of Assurance Services and was the Office Managing Partner for five years. Internationally, Mr Jones was an active member of the international firm’s risk management, client acceptance and audit technology groups. Mr Jones has been a director of various not-for-profit organisations. He is currently a director of Brisbane Housing Company Ltd and is Chair of Mercy Partners Finance Committee and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. As a Grant Thornton audit partner, Mr Jones has contributed to the Professional Education Program for the Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants as both a group leader and a member of the Institute’s Education Committee.

Jonathan Anderson is a highly experienced health and aged care leader. He worked in the NSW public health sector for over 20 years. In 2008 he was appointed as the CEO of St Vincent’s and St Joseph’s Public Hospitals in Sydney.  In addition to the position’s responsibility for strategic and operational leadership of one NSW’s leading tertiary referral hospitals, the role also included responsibility for developing translational research methodologies with St Vincent’s research partners - the Garvan Institute and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. In 2014 Jonathan was appointed as the Regional General Manager for Opal HealthCare with responsibility for multi-site Residential Aged Care facilities across NSW.  With over 10 years’ experience in the aged care sector, Jonathan has a thorough knowledge of the primary success factors required to ensure fully compliant, commercially sustainable and resident centred aged care services. Jonathan served as Board Treasurer for NSW Health Services Association for a number of years and is currently a member of the Chris O’Brien Life House Audit and Risk Committee. Profoundly influenced by the Charism of the Sisters of Charity having worked as part of their ministries for more than 16 years, he has committed his leadership to ensuring those that are at a vulnerable point in their life receive the best care and support they require.

Cath Bartolo AM has worked in community services and education for more than 30 years. As CEO of YFS Ltd, a community service organisation based in Logan (Brisbane).   Cath has led the organisation to support vulnerable and disadvantaged people to build their independence and participation. Cath’s work has included addressing poverty, homelessness, domestic and family violence, child welfare, youth participation, unemployment and financial capacity. In 2022 Cath was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to youth, to social welfare, and to the community of Logan. Cath has held Board positions with Queensland Council of Social Service, Edmund Rice Flexi School Advisory Board and Logan Together as well as collaborative community leadership teams including the Logan City of Choice.

Ms Patricia Bergin has qualifications in Behavioural Sciences, Education, Leadership and Curriculum Studies. She taught for many years in Catholic Colleges in Victoria and held senior leadership positions across a range of secondary schools. In 1991, the Catholic Education Office Melbourne employed Patricia as an Education Consultant to work in the areas of leadership and policy development. In 1999, Patricia established her own management consulting business, Energyforce, to work with Catholic Secondary Schools, Religious Institutes and not for profit organisations. She has a particular interest in governance, leadership formation, executive recruitment and organisational renewal and development. Patricia has held the position of member, chair, and director of several Catholic primary and secondary school advisory and incorporated boards and was a director on Mary Aikenhead Education Ltd. She is currently a representative of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart for the Catholic Religious Institute and Ministerial Public Juridic Person Victorian Schools Ltd; is a director on Catholic Capital Grants Victoria Ltd. and Chair of Good Samaritan Inn Board, a specialist service providing crisis, short-term and transitional accommodation and support for women, children and young people who are experiencing family violence or homelessness.

Mrs Cheryl Caughley, former Manager of the Archdiocesan Development Fund, completed almost 30 years as an employee of the Archdiocese of Brisbane in 2022. During her career she was involved in partnering with customers within the Archdiocese of Brisbane, as well a number of interstate and national Catholic entities to support their financial goal to sustain their mission.  She was primarily working with Catholic service providers in the areas of Education, Health and Aged Care, Social, Affordable Housing and Social Welfare. In her career she has held a Board Director role with EREA St James’ College and Chair of the Finance and Risk Committee for over 10 years. She has also served on various Archdiocesan committees and Advisory councils and national committees from time to time. More recently, in 2019, she was appointed as a Director of the Board of Brigidine College Ltd Indooroopilly and serves on the sub- Committees of Finance and Risk, Property and Building and Strategic Planning. Mrs Caughley is a generalist and brings to Mercy Partners Board her experience working with the existing and emerging PJPs across various industry sectors within the Catholic Church in Australia.

Mercy Partners Stewards appointed Catherine Parker to Mercy Partners Board in September 2020. Ms Parker is a lawyer, and experienced risk management and governance executive. Her desire to make a tangible difference has seen her engage with a number of not-for-profit enterprises including Lourdes Hill College, where she served as a Director and Chair of the Governance and Risk Committee. Ms Parker works with YMCA and has been active in their Youth Parliament program.

Jenny Parker brings more than 40 years of professional services experience to the role as Board Director, including most recently the Oceania Leader in Health, Life Sciences and Human Services for consultants EY. Jenny is also the Chair of Catholic Health Australia and has worked closely with health organisations throughout her career, including Mater Misericordiae Ltd and St Vincent’s Health, and has a proven track record in major government reviews within the health sector. Jenny is a member of the HESTA board and holds a number of positions in the Brisbane Archdiocese, including Chair of Brisbane Catholic Education and Director of Archdiocese of Brisbane Finance Council of the Archdiocesan Council. Jenny was also the former Deputy Chancellor of Queensland University of Technology and is a former board member of Australia’s leading cancer charity, Cancer Council Australia.

Professor Lee Anne Perry AM is the inaugural Professor of Practice (Educational Leadership and Partnerships) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Prior to commencing in this role in February 2023, Professor Perry was the Executive Director (CEO) of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC). Professor Perry has had a longstanding involvement in school education as a teacher, school and system leader including over twenty-five years as a principal. During that time, Lee Anne held teaching and leadership roles at Mercy, Franciscan and Presentation schools. Lee Anne has been a member of many state and national associations and committees concerned with school and higher education. She is currently a Director of the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and an Honorary Professor of the Australian Catholic University. Professor Perry has been actively involved in many educational reviews including as a panellist for the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools led by David Gonski AC, a member of the STEM Partnership Forum chaired by the Chief Scientist, Professor Alan Finkel AO, and a member of the Queensland Premier’s Anti-Cyberbullying Taskforce. Lee Anne is a passionate advocate for education from the early years to higher education, including vocational education and is particularly committed to supporting collaboration, partnerships and connections within and between education sectors and systems.