Meet the WIDI Team
David Clements
WIDI Director
David’s career in the social services sector began in the mid-1990s, when he escaped the world of banking and finance to manage what was at that time Australia’s largest needle and syringe exchange program. From there he worked as a child and family services social worker in Victoria and Northern Ireland, before moving into roles in public policy. David’s career has spanned portfolios including child protection and out-of-home care; mental health; alcohol and drug services; higher education and skills; employment; and Aboriginal economic development. The constant theme across his career has been how government and service providers can work together to improve the quality, effectiveness and impact of the social services they deliver – and how we can build a more inclusive, fair, and prosperous community.
David joined WIDI in 2023 as Director. He has qualifications in business, social work, public policy, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Chris Halacas
Project Manager
Chris Halacas joined WIDI in April 2021 to manage the Disability Standards Research Project, commissioned by the Victorian Disability Worker Commission and is also leading a project to design a common workforce dataset in the specialist homelessness services sector. Chris has extensive experience in designing and leading not for profit projects and programs, including executive and management leadership roles across public health, community services and primary care.
Chris is interested in using systems, data and information for good and enjoys bringing people together to adopt and share evidence-based approaches. He is particularly interested in understanding complex systems in order to simplify and refine to make information easier and quicker to access and understand for all staff to use, particularly through data visualisation.
Lesley Bridge
Senior Program Manager
Lesley is the Senior Program Manager at RMIT’s Workforce Innovation and Development Institute. (WIDI) leading the implementation of the Skills in Employment Project and Higher Apprenticeships and Traineeships Social Service Extension Project (HATSSEP). She has more than 20 years’ experience working in community services, predominantly in disability, aged care and mental health, across the government, not-for-profit and private sectors both in Australia and in the UK.
Lesley’s industry experience is the disability, aged care and mental health sectors. In her early career she started as a disability/aged care worker and progressed to managing dementia and disability residential houses. This then led to management roles leading learning and development teams for Government and not-for profit organisations.
Lesley’s passion is for lifelong learning, collaboration, partnership working and continually figuring out new ways of working all ensure she makes a difference in an individual’s life.
Jean Cameron
Project Manaager
Jean Cameron joined the team in April 2021 to manage the Family Violence Workforce Project. She has a strong commitment to social justice and extensive experience in working in response to violence against women in both specialist sexual assault and family violence settings. Jean has performed in a range of roles including direct service delivery, project co-ordination and organisational management. She has been responsible for staff development, quality improvement, training design and delivery, employment initiatives in community health, violence against women and multicultural sectors.
Jean is interested in the identification of program initiatives that promote equitable access and has been involved in substantial consultation and networking at regional, state-wide and national levels.
Rick Ede
Senior Advisor
Rick joined WIDI in 2019 in a part-time capacity to support the development and implementation by the Institute and RMIT of the “Higher Apprenticeships in the Social Service Sector” pilot project working with DET and industry partners. He also provides support to other WIDI collaborative projects.
Rick has over 11 years’ experience as a CEO of major public vocational education providers in New Zealand and latterly Australia. Building on this experience he now focusses on providing support to education providers, government and industry for the development of education and training partnerships involving innovative education delivery models, deep integration of working and learning experiences, and delivering better outcomes for both learners and employers. He previously held senior research management and business development roles with the CSIRO, and was a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry with the University of Waikato in NZ.
Dr Carly Millar
Senior Project Advisor
Carly Millar joined WIDI in April 2021 as a communications advisor, supporting the Disability Standards Research Project and the evaluation of the Leadership Intensive Program. She provides research and communications support and is currently part of the Family Violence Workforce Project team.
Carly holds a PhD in History from Monash University and brings a wealth of writing, research and managerial experience from her previous work in academia and the publishing industry, where she held senior editorial and project management roles. Carly is passionate about social justice, championing diversity and supporting feminist leadership initiatives. She is excited by the breadth of innovative work currently underway at WIDI that will inform the growth and transformation of the social services sector, as well as the chance to contribute to positive social change in her day-to-day work.
Jess Kitchen
Senior Advisor - Evaluation and Projects
Jess joined WIDI in January 2022 as an evaluation officer primarily supporting the Higher Apprenticeship Training and Skills in Practice Program. Since then she has moved into the role of Senior Advisor- Evaluation and Projects and oversees monitoring evaluation activities and provides support to a number of other WIDI projects.
Prior to joining WIDI, Jess worked across International and community development in both Australia and Cambodia and is currently undertaking her Masters in Clinical Psychology. Jess is passionate about challenging traditional power dynamics and actively including marginalised voices in data collection to drive meaningful change.
Declan Gleeson
Senior Advisor - Policy and Projects
Declan commenced at WIDI in June 2020 as a Research Officer supporting research into the impact of the NDIS on the Victorian disability advocacy sector, he now supports the evaluation of a number of WIDI projects including the Higher Apprenticeship Program, Innovative Traineeships Pilot Project and the Community Traineeships Pilot Project. He also holds the critical role of WIDI Quizmaster!
Prior to joining WIDI, Declan worked across a number of initiatives at the Department of Education and Training which aimed to support capability building within the teaching workforce. Declan is passionate about the cause of inclusive education and is most proud of his work in managing projects that built the capability of Department staff to support students with complex behaviours of concern using an evidenced based approach.
Alyssa Warland
Project Officer
Alyssa has been with the WIDI team since early 2020 as the Project Officer supporting the Leadership Intensive Program. Alyssa has supported three online cohorts of family violence sector leaders through the Leadership Intensive Program and has provided support to other WIDI projects. Currently Alyssa is supporting the SkiP and HATSSEP projects. Alyssa brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to WIDI from a range of previous administrative and project roles during her career at RMIT University.
As a natural collaborator, Alyssa thrives when working with others and she prides herself of the strong and diverse professional networks she has built throughout her career. Alyssa is a staunch supporter and ally for both BIPOC and LGBTIQA+ communities, and is an advocate for representation and diversity in all the projects she is involved in. Holding strong personal passions for the work being done by WIDI and our broader partners, Alyssa has a strong desire to support the growth, quality, and adaptation of the social service sector for the benefit of everyone in the community.
Casey Hill
Project Officer
Casey joined WIDI in April 2021 as the Project Officer supporting the Family Violence Workforce Project. Casey is passionate about the work that WIDI does, and is excited to be involved in projects that assist in making positive social change.
Prior to her commencement at WIDI, Casey began at RMIT in 2014 as a Research Assistant in the School of Mathematics and Geospatial Science, in which she collected and analysed data, and co-authored a textbook and teaching guide. Since then, she has been involved in countless learning and teaching projects, including the implementation of the Course and Program System, forging relationships with international counterparts to offer STEM programs, as well as championing allyship and inclusion in the STEM portfolio and RMIT more broadly through her involvement with the Diverse Genders Sexes and Sexualities network.
Kerry Lyons
Senior Project Advisor
Kerry joined WIDI as a casual Project Officer in August 2019, providing research and communications support for the Leadership Intensive Program. Since then, she has worked across a number of WIDI research and evaluation projects, including Stories into Evidence and the Reach, Train, Employ Project. With a background in corporate communications, commercial photography and secondary education, she brings a diverse skill set and an unshakable belief in the power of the written word to change the world.
Ioanna Forgac
Industry Training Coordinator and Workplace Mentor (Homelessness)
Ioanna Forgac joined the WIDI team in June 2022 as the Industry Training Coordinator and Workplace Mentor (Homelessness). Ioanna is supporting the Specialist Homelessness Sector Internship Program and as a Workplace mentor with co-design and implementation strategies, lead stakeholder engagement, evaluation and mentoring students on their professional journey in the sector. Ioanna has extensive experience in the Homelessness sector in both the sector directly and in other supporting case management roles.
Ioanna has a Social Science background with years of experience in community development and the social services sector. Ioanna has worked in both government and non-for-profit settings has expertise in service delivery and operational and program management. Ioanna has performed in a range of roles in the community services sector including case management within employment and education settings, mentoring and coaching, crisis and emergency initial assessment support, leadership and management, analysis and evaluation, community support development.
During Ioanna’s professional career, she has developed a strong passion for supporting CALD communities and developing pathways to address barriers and explore opportunities for individuals to pursue their goals and aspirations. Ioanna has a strong commitment to social equality and building a strong, vocal community where each person has a voice and is part of building an empowering and inclusive culture of innovation development.
Jess Jackson
Social Work Placement Student
Jess Jackson is currently completing her Bachelor of Social Work at RMIT University. She is excited to embark on her field education placement with the Evaluation Team at WIDI. Jess will be assisting the Evaluation Team with the final report on the SKiP and HATSSEP earn-and-learn pilot projects.
Jess has industry experience in early childhood and youth work, which has contributed to her growing interest in the social services sector. These roles have provided her with insights into the diverse needs of communities and the complexities of delivering social services. Jess is passionate about improving the social services sector by addressing education, efficiency, and impact. She is particularly interested in early intervention, prevention, and the important role of family violence lived experience in policy development.
Jess is looking forward to gaining field experience, applying her knowledge and learning, and continuing to grow within the WIDI team.
Adrian Nguyen
Social Work Placement Student
Adrian is currently engaged in a research placement at WIDI, focusing specifically on the SKIP/HATSSEP program. This initiative is dedicated to upskilling workers in the disability sector, aiming to enhance their capabilities and the support they provide to individuals with disabilities.
Adrian's passion for making a tangible difference in people's lives led them to this path in social work. Currently, Adrian's role involves deeply exploring how to elevate the training and development of the workforce within the disability sector. The SKIP/HATSSEP program is at the heart of this effort, designed to equip the team with advanced skills and knowledge to better meet the needs of those they serve.
The goal of Adrian's work in this research placement is to identify effective strategies that can be implemented to strengthen the workforce. By doing so, they are not only aiming to improve the quality of care provided to individuals with disabilities but also to foster a more supportive and enriching environment for the workers.
Adrian is excited about the opportunity to contribute to such an impactful program. Through SKIP/HATSSEP, they hope to be part of creating lasting improvements in the disability sector and to support the workers in their professional growth.