Meet the Team
A/Prof Christina Pollard
Director
Associate Professor Christina Pollard joins Curtin University as the Professor of Public Health Priorities and Director of the Mentally Healthy WA’s Act Belong Commit campaign. Christina is a prac-ademic having worked for Government for over 30 years. She brings diverse experience in public health interventions including developing, implementing and evaluating interventions from policy and practice. Christina has a particular interest in protecting the health of people who are rendered vulnerable due to their social, economic or physical circumstances. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health, a Masters of Public Health, Grad Dip Public Sector Management, Grad Dip Dietetics and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Nutrition and Food Science).
Meg Clarey
Campaign Manager
Meg Clarey joins Mentally Healthy WA as Campaign Manager of Act Belong Commit. Meg brings a wealth of social marketing campaign experience to the team having managed multiple health promotion and behaviour change programs within WA and nationally covering topics such as nutrition, physical activity, falls prevention, online safety, water efficiency and water security and sustainability. Meg has worked on both agency and client side and also has specialist brand and communications strategy development experience. Meg holds a Grad Dip in Business (Marketing), Grad Cert in Management and a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism/Film & Television).
Lynne Millar PhD
Research Fellow
Lynne Millar PhD joins Mentally Healthy WA as Research Fellow for the Act Belong Commit campaign. Her research focus is health promotion and chronic disease prevention, focusing on mental health and obesity, especially in low socioeconomic and rural communities. She is experienced in development, implementation and evaluation of systems-based interventions in schools and wider communities. Lynne has collaborated with international researchers in progressing systems science approaches to public health.
Jennie Ferraro
Liaison and Support Officer
Jennie Ferraro has been a part of the Mentally Healthy WA team since the campaign’s inception in 2005. Her role focuses on managing the Healthway Sponsorship program, campaign finances and HR matters. Jennie holds a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition & Food Science) and a Grad Cert in Business.
Carine Rowlands
A/Schools Health Promotion Coordinator
Carine Rowlands joins Mentally Healthy WA as the acting coordinator of the Mentally Healthy Schools Program. Intrigued by culture, Carine has lived and worked in rural and remote communities in Kenya, the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of Western Australia, and with diverse communities in Perth and Melbourne. Carine is experienced teaching children and young people in schools, and in the development and implementation of health promotion for women’s health, nutrition, physical activity, and mental health. Carine holds a Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary) and a Bachelor of Health Science (Health Promotion).
Phoebe Joyce
Schools Health Promotion Coordinator (Maternity Leave)
Phoebe Joyce coordinates the Mentally Healthy Schools Program. She is passionate about Act Belong Commit and has experienced the benefits of living a mentally healthy lifestyle as a player for the Wembley Netball Club and volunteer for their social committee. Phoebe has a Bachelor of Science (Exercise and Health) degree from the University of Western Australia and is currently completing her Honours in Psychology at Curtin University.
Gemma Davis
Health Promotion Coordinator - Partnerships (Maternity Leave)
Gemma Davis coordinates the Act Belong Commit Partnership Program, which supports close to 300 organisations from across Western Australia, nationally and globally. She brings with her experience working on state-wide and grassroots health promotion projects, and previously coordinated the Act Belong Commit Pilbara Capacity Building Project. Gemma holds a Bachelor of Health Science (Public Health & Human Biology).
Emily Montini
Marketing Officer
Emily Montini joins Mentally Healthy WA as Marketing Officer of the Act Belong Commit campaign. She has extensive experience in the full spectrum of marketing communications having serviced multiple campaigns for clients when working in Account Director roles within WA’s marketing industry over the past 20 years. Emily has specialist experience in health promotion. Campaigns benefitting from Emily’s involvement include Eat Brighter, Live Lighter, Go for 2&5 and Measure Up. Emily holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing.
Jessica Watts
Project Officer
Jessica Watts joins Mentally Healthy WA as a Project Officer supporting all aspects of the Act-Belong-Commit campaign and its programs. Jessica is an experienced health promotion officer and researcher, having working in the South West for the local Aboriginal Medical Service and as a research assistant for the Busselton Health Study. She has worked promoting physical and mental health and is passionate about helping communities and individuals increase their control over their own health. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Nutrition.
Alisha Davis
Project Officer
Alisha Davis joins Mentally Healthy WA as a Project Officer working on research to underpin the development of resources and messages tailored to mental health promotion for populations who are culturally and linguistically diverse. Alisha was awarded the Australian Health Promotion Scholarship to undertake initial work in the area and has research experience working on the University of WA’s Raine Study and as Business Support Officer at the University’s Student Guild. Alisha holds a Master of Public Health Degree and a Bachelor of Science (Genetics).