Board of Management

President, Steve Wiles
Steve is the director and secretary of Community First Inc (CFI), a not for profit organisation with employment and training contracts in Mandurah, Bunbury, Katanning and Albany. CFI has also recently diversified into aged care and mental health.

For many years he was very interested in volunteering (and still is), serving from 1994 to 2005 in various roles including, chair of VWA and Treasurer of VA.

Before retirement, Steve's (paid) working life in Australia was largely spent at the University of WA including a number of years in human resources with responsibilities related to the recruitment, selection, appointment and payment of academic and non-academic staff. During this period Steve was also involved in a number of partnerships and consultancy roles in small businesses.

Vice president, Dr Hugh Cook
Hugh’s interest in mental health and his concern for people with mental health problems come not only from his medical profession but also from personal and family experiences.

Hugh served for many years as chair of the Youth Suicide Advisory Committee (now the Ministerial Council for Suicide Prevention). Hugh started training in psychiatry in 1978 and become director of child and adolescent mental health services from 1988 to 1995.

More recently he has provided services to regional southwest WA towns Bunbury, Busselton and Bridgetown. Hugh has no retired practice except for ongoing work with people with autism and with the Mental Health Review Board.

Vice president, Denise Bayliss
Denise was the CEO of a mental health NGO for 10 years, and previously a research and development officer in the intellectual disability field for five years.

Denise currently has a private consultancy specialising in working for the not-for-profit disability sector. The nature of her work over the last 15 years has involved interactions with people with mental illness and their family members.

This, together with her management and board experience provide skills that contribute to MIFWA’s corporate governance.

Treasurer, David Winter (Fellow of Institute of Management Consultants and Australian Institute of Company Directors, a director of Community First International, member of the city of Rockingham Economic Advisory Committee)

David is the managing director of Goldcrest Holdings, which has operated in Rockingham for more than 15 years, providing advisory consulting services to federal, local and state government, non-government and corporate clients. He has expertise in economic/employment development planning, infrastructure planning, advocacy to and between governments and public consultation.

Rosemarie Kenny, carer

Rosemarie is the carer of a 28-year-old son who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age of 17. She has a deep interest in working towards the improvement of quality care, both in hospitals and in the community for people with mental illness.

Rosemarie has her own real estate business and was a high school teacher who specialised in art and children with behaviour problems and special needs.

Rosemarie is supported by her husband Gordon; they have two grandchildren – and, with his three daughters, a family of eight children. Rosemarie’s experience and positive can do attitude is a great benefit to the MIFWA management committee.

Vivien Hannaford, consumer

Vivien was born in Ireland and came to Australia as a child and grew up in Perth. She describes herself as “a quiet sensitive soul” who has been volunteering at the Lorikeet Centre for around seven years. 

She enjoys working as the receptionist at the Lorikeet Centre because she loves meeting and greeting people. She conducts tours in the centre for groups from other organisations and prospective Lorikeet Centre members.

Vivien became a member of the MIFWA board of management in 2008.

Doleres Beros (Bachelor of Arts, Recreation)

Doleres has experienced mental illness affecting family members including her mother and three of her siblings. She has taken on roles of carer in the family and now chooses to be a sister first.

Doleres has an interest in sports and her first recreation job was at the Lorikeet Clubhouse, formerly the Lorikeet Centre. Other jobs included caring, working in a laboratory and cleaning houses.

She has certificates in reiki and reflexology. She has been working at the Lorikeet Centre as a reflexology therapist and performing reiki and ion spa detoxes.