Meet the team.
Kyla O’Leary
Managing Director
Kyla O’Leary heads up the Pillar team. She has 25 years of experience in disability services, working in government and non-government leadership and direct allied health service provision roles. This includes working as an Area Manager in Local Coordination; supporting individuals and families with complex needs with individualised planning; and navigating times of crisis and transition from mainstream services. Kyla’s role sees her work alongside individuals and families to navigate their NDIS journey. She’s available with a friendly ear for any queries or problem-solving conversations.
Nicole Crane
Team Leader
Nicole Crane has 20+ years working in disability services in various roles, including direct service provision for state, local, and non-government agencies. She was recently part of the pilot program My Way and supported individuals and families through the transition to WANDIS and then NDIS. Her Local Coordination experience included individualised planning, development of goals and linkages with service providers from disability, health, justice, and community agencies. Nicole has a keen interest in advocacy, training, and development within the sector.
Sharri Roepen
Participant Engagement Officer
Linda Willoughby
Participant Engagement Officer
Linda has a strong passion for supporting people and is always available with a friendly ear to help with any queries or referrals. Linda has over 13 years experience working within the disability sector in customer service and administration roles.
Rebecca Andrews
Specialist Support Coordinator / Social Worker
Rebecca has over 15 years of experience as a social worker within the health sector, working in both inpatient and community settings. For the last 8 years, Rebecca has focused on the disability sector, supporting people to transition between hospital and home. Rebecca is highly skilled in supporting people who have experienced significant health and lifestyle events to plan for the next stage in their life. With a broad network of mainstream and disability services providers in Perth, Rebecca is committed to ensuring individuals receive the necessary services to live their best lives.
Saurav Chapagain
Specialist Support Coordinator
Saurav is passionate about providing holistic practice through person- centred and strength-based supports that build independence and reduce barriers. Saurav holds a Diploma in Community Services and a Certificate IV in Mental Health. He brings years of experience working within the mental health and disability sectors where he has seen amazing stories of strength, inspiration, and achievement. Saurav sees the best in every person and views his role as supporting people to write their own story of hopes, dreams, and empowerment so they can form positive connections with community and live their best life. Saurav is also fluent in Nepali and Hindi.
Kylie Heavens
Specialist Support Coordinator / Social Worker
Kylie has 25+ years’ experience in human services in Australia and the US, working in the child protection, refugee and immigration, aged care, and disability sectors. In recent years, Kylie has supported people with disability and their families to transition to the NDIS. With a strong interest in supporting people to live independently, Kylie has supported people to move from DSC group homes to privatised supports and independent living. A qualified social worker, Kylie’s passion is supporting people to live the life they choose, never underestimating the diverse & unique gifts each individual has to offer.
Renee Hesford
Specialist Support Coordinator
While studying her Bachelor of Psychology, Renee wasn’t sure what she wanted to do career wise. Following a recommendation from a friend she trialled working with a disability support provider. With no experience in the sector and despite being unsure she went in with an open mind and absolutely loved it! From that moment on, she was sure she wanted to pursue a career where she could make a positive impact on the lives of others and has now been working in the sector for 9 years. She joins Pillar with a wealth of experience in the provision of services and a strong commitment to support people to live their best life.
Sam Tully
Specialist Support Coordinator
Sam Tully has 6+ years’ experience in the disability sector and NDIS funding, working in support coordination, community supports, supported independent living, and therapy/equipment services roles. Sam has qualifications in Psychology and Counselling and is passionate about supporting individuals and families to access the services that meet their needs.
Ainsley Swankie
Specialist Support Coordinator
Ainsley has over 9 years experience working in the disability sector, having held many different roles from support worker to team leader. She’s passionate about advocacy and empowering the people she works with, recognising their goals, dreams and aspirations. Ainsley supports creative approaches and out-of-the-box thinking to promote independence. She trusts that the answer always sits with the person she’s supporting. Ainsley connects well with providers and has no doubt that collaboration equals success. She’s easy to get along with and loves a good laugh!
Chelsea Bailey
Senior Support Coordinator
Chelsea has 17 years’ experience working in the health care and disability sector, including service coordination, individual support, and nursing. Chelsea also has lived experience of disability gained through growing up in her family home. As a passionate advocate for an inclusive, welcoming, and equal society, Chelsea relishes providing opportunities for all people to live their best life.
Sam Baillie
Senior Support Coordinator
Sam has worked in disability support for 8 years, including as a support worker, coordinator, and in leadership roles. Sam focuses her support on person-centred planning to empower individuals and help them achieve personal goals. Sam prioritises independence, inclusion, and capacity building, and enjoys building positive relationships with those she supports.
Sue Deering
Senior Support Coordinator
With 6+ years’ experience in the disability sector, Sue enjoys helping people and has a strong sense of social justice. She has worked as the Pilbara Regional Coordinator for the Australian Government Departments of Health and Ageing / Family and Community Services, as well as in the WA Department of Communities as a Local Coordinator. More recently, her Support Coordination alongside individuals and families has helped them make the most of their NDIS plan.
Keeley Faram
Senior Support Coordinator
Keeley has 10+ years’ experience in the disability sector, primarily in residential accommodation settings. More recently, Keeley has worked in mental health support and has a keen interest in indigenous culture. Passionate about inclusivity, Keeley aims to increase awareness and support people to live their best life, whether this is in achieving their goals or creating new ones. Keeley takes a person-centered approach and is a strong advocate for helping people find their voice.
Kathryn James
Senior Support Coordinator
Kathryn has worked in the disability sector for 5 years where she has provided support coordination, employment services, and acted as a team leader. Kathryn’s career spans various sectors such as legal, government, finance, and not-for-profit organisations, allowing her to acquire a diverse set of transferable skills.
Angela Kaaks
Senior Support Coordinator
Angie has a Diploma in Community Services Management and 20+ years experience in the disability sector as a support worker, team leader, and local coordinator. She has worked with both government and non-government organisations and was part of the My Way pilot program, later supporting families to transition to the WA NDIS and NDIS. As a Local Coordinator, she has experience with individualised planning, advocacy, linking with service providers and connecting with community.
Angie is passionate about helping individuals and families to get the most out of life, build sustainable and meaningful relationships, and be who they want to be.
Denise Laycock
Senior Support Coordinator
Denise Laycock has 30+ years’ experience working with individuals with disability and/or mental health needs, assisting them and their families/carers to access funding, services/supports. Her vast experience and knowledge have seen her work across multiple sectors and roles across the globe. More recently, Denise has assisted individuals to transition to the NDIS and to navigate the system. She helps people understand how to access services and supports and plan for the future while enabling people to advocate for their own needs and wishes.
John Manansala
Senior Support Coordinator
John has worked within the disability sector for the past 5 years in various roles including acting area services supervisor, team leader, and support coordinator. John is driven by a deep passion for advocating for people living with disability and is committed to ensuring they receive the necessary support to build their capacity and resilience, achieve their goals, and improve their quality of life.
Naomi Manganaro
Senior Support Coordinator
Naomi Manganaro has worked in disability for 8+ years. Her wealth of knowledge is grounded by having an adult son with disability. Naomi has vast experience in administration, health, the Disability Services Commission, and participation engagement. With her son being a part of the NDIS since the beginning, Naomi has managed the ins and outs of the scheme and ridden the highs and lows. Naomi recognises the importance of being given opportunities and not underestimating one’s abilities.
Rachel Stuart Senior Support Coordinator / Psychosocial Recovery Coach
Rachel joins the team with a strong passion for inclusion, advocacy, and empowering people to live their best life. Holding a Bachelor of Social Work and a Bachelor of Social Science, Rachel brings a wealth of case management skills from working within the Thrive program to support people to maintain tenancies and improve their wellbeing. This experience in supporting housing tenure for people facing significant life challenges has equipped Rachel with a vast understanding of the barriers people face in dealing with complex systems. This is particularly valuable in connecting people with local support services and helping people to navigate the NDIS.
Tyler Burness
Support Coordinator
Tyler has more than 5 years experience working within the disability sector, including roles as a support worker, coordination, and support management. Tyler is highly qualified with professional experience in person-centred support. He’s skilled in providing the necessary resources to help his clients thrive. Tyler constantly seeks to expand his knowledge through ongoing education, ensuring he’s equipped with the most up-to-date skills and techniques to provide the best possible support for people to live their best lives.
Patience Chakombera
Support Coordinator
You’ll be hard put to find someone with a bubblier personality than Patience. Her big smile and warm voice immediately pull you in.
But you shouldn’t underestimate her. Her qualifications and work experience make her a force to be reckoned with. She combines a BSc in Nursing and a Certificate IV in Aged Care with over 15 years’ experience in aged care, and 9 years in mental health.
Patience walks the walk when it comes to holistic care, addressing people’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being. This stems from a genuine desire to have a positive impact in the lives of others. She loves supporting people on their road to recovery. In her previous role as a Senior Recovery Partner, she was able to do just that.
As your Support Coordinator, she can’t wait to help you achieve your goals and regain your independence.
Anne Dourado da Rocha
Support Coordinator
Anne has a diverse skill set and a deep commitment to social justice and inclusion. After working in the community health field, where she gained invaluable experience collaborating with individuals, families, and other professionals, she transitioned her career to focus more on social and community services.
With a Master of Social Work, her expertise lies in providing holistic support through a person-centred and strength-based approach, nurturing independence, and supporting people to overcome barriers and achieve their life goals.
Anne is fluent in Portuguese.
Chas Houston
Support Coordinator
After her cousin was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Chas saw her aunty struggle to make do. The limited available resources and lack of funding made it difficult for her family to live quality lives. The experience ignited a fire in Chas; she wanted to work alongside people with disability.
Armed with a Bachelor of Social Sciences and diplomas in counselling, she focuses her time on improving the lives of others.
Her experience is second to none. She’s led mental health teams, residential teams, and worked in a variety of community services case management roles.
In a career spanning over 2 decades, she’s developed a passion for early intervention. Now as part of the Pillar team, she combines her knowledge and expertise to help people like her cousin live their best possible lives.
Jenni Murray
Support Coordinator
Jenni has worked within the community services and disability sectors for 13 years in a variety of roles including support worker, residential manager, and case worker.
She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is always striving to expand her knowledge and develop new skills to help people achieve their goals and live their best life.
Christina Papafilis
Support Coordinator
Christina is a compassionate and engaging professional with a genuine passion for supporting and improving the lives of people with disability. Having worked in the disability sector for several years, Christina started her career as an education assistant and progressed to leadership/mentor roles.
Christina establishes authentic, meaningful relationships with people, and applies creative solutions and problem-solving skills to manage challenges. Always striving to deliver the best possible outcomes for people, Christina continues to develop her knowledge to ensure she’s up to date with best-practice skills and strategies.
Kelly Twartz
Support Coordinator
Kelly has worked directly with people with disability and their families since 2015. She empowers people to achieve their goals, to create new goals, and to feel in control of their lives. Prior to her career in the disability sector, Kelly worked in other community services, particularly as a housing support worker to help families in crisis resolve issues and achieve positive outcomes. Kelly is passionate about helping people reach their goals and enjoys developing professional, positive relationships.
Chipo Zulu
Support Coordinator / Psychosocial Recovery Coach
Chipo Zulu has a passion for people and being able to make a positive impact in the lives of people living with disability. She has worked in the field for over 10 years with experience in direct support services, administration, coordination of staff resources and problem-solving such as matching staff skills to different support needs. Chipo links people with disability to the services they need while supporting them and their families to navigate their NDIS plans.
Miah Carr
Youth Peer Worker / Psychosocial Recovery Coach
Do you want to strike up a conversation with Miah? Just mention the topic of true crime and you’ll see her eyes light up. She finds the extremes of human behaviour absolutely fascinating. No wonder she completed her Bachelor’s in Criminology.
But her true passion lies in making a difference. Especially in the lives of people who can’t advocate for themselves. Miah saw how abuse had devastated a loved family member. The impact of this horrific act fuelled her to be a beacon of hope to others.
That’s why she also completed a Bachelor’s and Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology. She loves combining her professional knowledge with her lived experience to help others achieve their goals.
Miah gained invaluable experience over the past few years working in the disability sector. She worked with developmental, neurological, and acquired disability across the lifespan.
Knowing she’s making a difference, makes it easy for Miah to go to work every day. And her enthusiasm is contagious. She inspires a holistic and person-centred approach to mental health and overall wellbeing.
Henri Chok
Youth Peer Worker / Psychosocial Recovery Coach
Henri believes in the power of second chances.
A tumultuous past drives him to make a positive impact on today’s youth. His own experiences help him to relate with them and their struggles. And he shows up daily to be the person he needed when he was an impressionable 14-year-old.
After completing his studies in Community Services and Mental Health, he’s gone on to create several courses for the WA Recovery College. His passion for early intervention came in handy while working in the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) industry.
Henri’s on a personal mission to break down barriers, empower individuals, and help people navigate life with a record. He wants his participants to feel supported, understood, and encouraged.
But that’s not where his talents end…
You’ll be impressed to learn that he speaks English, Mandarin, Hakka, Malay, Indonesian, and Tagalog. This gives him a unique cultural sensitivity to assist the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. He’s all about bridging cultural divides.
There’s never a dull moment when Henri’s around. His insatiable curiosity and spontaneity make him instantly likeable. And he has perfected the ability to connect with anyone regardless of their age, gender, or background.
