Our Board
Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA) is a not-for-profit, registered charity. The organisation’s strategic direction is overseen by a dedicated Board, comprised of leaders from member organisations across the country.
Board members serve on a voluntary basis, bringing deep sector knowledge, governance experience, and a shared commitment to strengthening the community-managed mental health system. We thank them for their contribution and leadership in advancing CMHA’s national vision.
Cathy O’Toole - President
Cathy has over four decades of experience leading people, managing organisations and projects, many as a Chief Executive Officer. She has worked in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Sector at both CEO and State and National Peak levels since 2002. She has worked as the lead consultant with the Tropical Brain and Mind Foundation’s Mentally Healthy City Townsville developing the 7 Ways to wellbeing for Townsville sectors and community organisations.
She has a Masters in Metaphysical Science, a Bachelor of Education, and a Diploma of Teaching TAFE, as well as Diplomas in Community Welfare, Frontline Management, Training and Assessment, Employment Services and Business Management. As the former Federal Member for Herbert, Cathy’s work involved navigating social and economic policy, driving strategic direction, and serving on various committees. In addition to being the Chair of CMHA, she is also the Chair for the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (QAMH) and Immediate Past Chair of Carers Australia (CA).
Cathy has extensive experience relating to the challenges that face people living with mental ill health both in her private life and professional work as a leader, she also has a living experience in the role of an unpaid carer.
Paul Creedon - Deputy President
Paul is President of the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia (MHCSA), the peak body representing the community managed mental health sector in South Australia.
He is the CEO of Skylight Mental Health. Paul has a long history in human services, and in creating, developing and managing a range of services and systems around physical and sensory disability, correctional services, and student services and supports, with the 7 years before Skylight managing mental health services across metro and country SA.
Paul is a Social Worker by trade and has strong focus on human rights and social justice; individual and organisational capacity building; consumer engagement and service co-design; and building a strong and resilient mental health community. He has worked as a one on one worker; group worker; trainer; counsellor; advocate and lobbyist; manager and CEO and has a good grasp on the politics and pressures in the non-government services area.
Leanne Heald
Leanne is President of MHCC ACT, the peak body representing the community managed mental health sector in the ACT. She has been working within the community service sector, for both government and community-based organisations in Canberra and Western Australia for nearly twenty years.
Specialising in mental health, disability and community outreach, she has supported vulnerable community members to access the supports they need to thrive.
She has managed emergency relief agencies, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) programs and most recently, Woden Community Service’s mental health suite of services.
Melanie Sennett
Melanie is the Deputy President of the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health, the peak body representing the community managed mental health sector in Queensland.
She is currently the CEO of Stepping Stone Clubhouse, and has been with Stepping Stone since 1996. She is passionate about engagement of people with mental health issues in service delivery. She has an interest in system reform and ensuring change at a systemic level.
She is a registered psychologist and has a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Honours) in Psychology. Through involvement in Clubhouse International, she has conducted accreditation visits to Clubhouses predominately in the USA and Asia. In addition, as Stepping Stone is an International Training base, she has provided Clubhouse training to Clubhouses from Australia, New Zealand, Asia, USA, UK and Europe. Being connected to an international movement allows for a thorough understanding of global mental health trends.
Dr Becc Nothrop
Becc is a board member of the Mental Health Council of Tasmania (MHCT), the peak body representing the mental health and wellbeing needs of all Tasmanians, and the community organisations that work with and support them.
For Becc, mental illness has been an inescapable reality in her career as a clinician – not only from her patients. She highlights the irony of her colleagues in healthcare, particularly doctors, suffering unacceptably high rates mental illness predating the COVID pandemic.
Both patients and healthcare workers want and work hard for the best healthcare outcomes for Tasmanians but structural and intangible system barriers limit this impact. Acknowledging this, over the years Becc has taken herself to roles beyond the bedside and into leadership coaching for doctors, speaking, and advisory and now to the MHCT board.
Through her professional coaching and advocacy work, she has worked with leaders in primary care delivery in Tasmania and has been invited to speak at numerous national events hosted by preeminent bodies including Australian Medical Association, The Royal Australian Colleges of Surgeons, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and Elsevier Publishing.
Claire Timmel
Claire is the Chairperson of the Western Australian Association for Mental Health, the peak body representing the community managed mental health sector in Western Australia.
She has living experience of mental ill-health since adolescence, and is passionate about advocating for change across the mental health sector, to improve the lives of others. Since joining the WAAMH board, and through other lived experience representative positions, Claire has sought to elevate and empower the voice and inclusion of lived experience; address mental health and broader social system gaps; and drive policy reform.
Alongside being a Lived Experience Representative, Claire is a Development Manager who works with government, the private sector and local communities to optimise social and economic outcomes in Australia. Claire holds a degree in Economics, specialising in the areas of economic and financial modelling, strategic policy reform, infrastructure development, stakeholder consultation, and service design and evaluation.
Pierre de Villiers - Treasurer
With a progressive career spanning over 25 years, Pierre has extensive experience in working as a member of an executive team, supporting businesses to meet their strategic directives, being accountable and results focused.
Holding an FCPA qualification from CPA Australia, Pierre is determined to lead strategic functions, systems and processes with a focus on sustainable growth. He has worked as a Chief Financial Officer and Group Financial Controller in multiple organisation both in Australia and abroad.
His goals are to maximise business effectiveness through operations, resource and team management and as a committed leader he brings the ability to think critically and deal with core issues, striving for a high degree of productivity, attention to detail and strong decision-making abilities.