Our team
Our leadership team is driven by an unwavering passion to empower partners for greater impact.
Dr Robyn Miller, CEO
Robyn is the Chief Executive Officer of MacKillop Family Services. She is passionate about social justice and the rights of children and families. As a social worker and family therapist, Robyn has over thirty years' experience in the child and welfare sector. Robyn is committed to training and supportive supervision for colleagues to provide best practice to the children and families we serve. When not traveling to MacKillop programs all over Australia, Robyn delights in her own five children and three beautiful grandchildren.
Leadership team
Anne Henderson, Director - The MacKillop Institute
Anne is responsible for MacKillop’s Specialist Schools and our Education and Engagement Programs. She has worked in schools for 30 years and has held a number of senior leadership roles. Anne believes in the transformative and liberating power of education. She is deeply committed to ensuring equity, access and success in learning for every child, regardless of culture, background and ability.
Cameron Burgess, National Program Director, Sanctuary
Cameron Burgess holds qualifications in Social Work (Honours), Business Management and Leadership and has over 20 years' management experience in the Community Services, International Development, Social Enterprise, and Child Protection sectors. From 2012-2017 Cameron established and led Mission Australia's Strengthening Communities program, delivering innovative community renewal projects in urban public Housing Estates and remote Indigenous communities across Australia. The program was a finalist in the national Collaboration for Impact awards.
Cameron has worked extensively across Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia, and previously chaired the Board of an International NGO. Prior to his current role, Cameron managed MacKillop Family Services' programs across South West Victoria. Cameron is an engaging public speaker and is passionate about helping people grow and assisting organisations to cultivate healthy cultures.
Justin Roberts, ReLATE National Program Director
Justin is an inclusive education expert. His experiences as a teacher in mainstream education fostered a desire to see education that meets the needs of all students. He has over 15 years’ of experience as a teacher and leader in both mainstream and specialist schools, including as a Principal and Deputy Executive Principal at MacKillop Education Schools. Justin was a key contributor to the formation, development, and implementation of the ReLATE Education Model which originally started in MacKillop Education specialist schools. The school’s success, and its positive impact on student outcomes, would see the opening of new campuses and the offering of ReLATE externally. Justin has provided professional learning to educators across Australia. His knowledge and experience in working with children and young people, informs his passion for the development and implementation of inclusive education and collaborative leadership.
Rebecca Kafetzis, National Sanctuary Practice Lead
Rebecca brings more than two decades worth of experience in human and community services across government, not-for-profit, and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) sectors, including roles in out-of-home care (OOHC), child protection, homelessness, disability, mental health, and counselling services across Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Rebecca’s engagement with the Sanctuary model spans 11 years beginning with implementing change management frameworks in child protection practice through to leading an Aboriginal community controlled organisation through the Sanctuary certification journey. Rebecca is skilled in developing culturally sensitive programs and services, building strong relationships with community leaders and Aboriginal communities. Rebecca was awarded the Australian National Award from the Centre for Social Impact Scholarship and the 2022 Julie Michaels Prize as the highest-achieving post graduate student for leadership in Social Impact. She holds a Bachelor of Psychology and is currently undertaking a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Western Australia, specialising in leadership, business management, and social impact. Rebecca also holds qualifications in Bachelor of Psychology, Sanctuary Peer Certifier, Internal Auditing, Relative and General Carer Assessments, Diploma of Community Services Procurement and Contracting.
Smeeta Singh, National Program Director, Power to Kids
With an MA in Education Policy, Smeeta is passionate about social justice in education and the impact of intergenerational outcomes on student transitions, engagement and achievement. Nearing 20 years in the education sector, Smeeta has worked across a variety of roles that focus on empowering young people through education, including school improvement, teacher training and child wellbeing.
Through senior leadership roles at AVID Australia, The Smith Family and The Orange Door, Smeeta has led the rollout of trauma-informed practice and systems-based change across school, family violence and community services sectors. She brings a deep understanding of place-based implementation within national and state contexts, and experience harnessing the voice of communities and young people to inform meaningful change.
Chris Higgins, National Programs Director, Development and Innovation
Chris is a passionate advocate for inclusive and equitable education. Through leadership roles in schools, not-for-profits, consultancies, and the ed-tech sector, Chris has devoted his career to empowering educators and young people both in Australia and on a global scale.
Prior to joining MacKillop, Chris was Director at Asia Education Foundation, at the University of Melbourne, where he led a team in the design and delivery of educator and student programs across 23 countries. Prior to this, he played a pivotal role in propelling one of Australia's ed-tech unicorns to a user-base exceeding 2 million and was responsible for the creation of over 1000 digital K-12 student learning resources. Chris's contributions to education have earned him recognition as 'Most Influential Educator' by The Educator Magazine Australia. He is also a member of the Institute of Community Directors Australia and maintains his status as a fully registered teacher. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. focused on digital technologies in Australian schools.
Yvonne Lindros, ReLATE Consultant and Practice Specialist
Yvonne is a passionate educator and leader in the trauma-informed education space. For 9 years Yvonne worked in the alternative education space with MacKillop Education working within the ReLATE model, as a teacher, education & wellbeing coordinator, and deputy principal. Her roles have included leading and supporting the implementation of trauma-informed education initiatives including the ReLATE model. This has included the delivery of ongoing professional learning, mentoring and coaching. Yvonne has worked directly with students and families, ensuring access and equity to education through individualised and tailored support structures for each child.