Our people

Meet the team and board driving The Ballarat Foundation’s mission to support and strengthen our community.

Our board

Ellen Jackson

Chair

Ellen is a workplace psychologist, leadership development professional, and social science practitioner, passionate about impact through community capacity building.  She is the founder of Potential Psychology, adjunct lecturer in two University MBA programs and a podcast producer and host.  She is a regular subject matter expert on ABC radio, and Mum to two teen boys and two kelpies.  Ellen was born and raised in Melbourne, trained and established her career in Sydney and now calls beautiful Ballarat home.

Jacki Whitwell

Deputy Chair

Joining the Board in January 2021, Jacki is an executive leader with more than 15 years experience in the not-for-profit sector in a variety of strategic policy, research and advocacy roles working with some of Australia’s largest and most respected not-for-profit organisations. She is passionate about youth empowerment and ensuring all children and young people can reach their full potential. Jacki owns and manages her own social impact consulting company and has lived with her two children in Ballarat since 2019.

Scott Sherritt

Company Secretary

Joining the board in 2022, Scott is a long-term Ballarat local with a strong commitment to the community. He has diverse qualifications in areas including corporate governance, accounting, risk management, financial planning and insurance. He is also a registered Victorian Bail Justice. With a recognition of the benefits of strengths-based development of people he has supported community improvement through work in the health sector and local government as well as through a number of not-for-profit Board and Committee positions. The Ballarat region and its people continue to prosper through not leaving people behind and giving everyone a chance and Scott is dedicated to contributing towards this continuing.

Lee Miezis PSM

Joining the Board in 2019 Lee brings over 25 years’ experience in the public sector in NSW and Victoria, working in executive roles across policy, service delivery and regulation.  Accomplished at both strategy development and execution Lee brings strong commercial and financial acumen with a focus on good governance and managing risk. Lee is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Parks Victoria.

Angus Pryor

Joining the Board in 2022, Angus is the Founder and CEO of Dental Marketing Solutions and an outsourcing company, Dental Stars. He brings a background in small business and marketing. In 2014, he founded a multi-award-winning marketing agency using the venture to support various charities. Before his time in business, Angus held managerial positions in the pharmaceutical industry and served as a diplomat with postings in Washington and Suva. His family has a long history of serving in the Ballarat community.

Mitch Brown

Mitch brings a decade of experience in elite sport, where he gained deep insight into leadership, resilience and culture.  Inspired to share these lessons, he’s travelled the world and worked with students across Australia.  Today, Mitch is passionate about empowering individuals to discover their true selves, develop life skills, build meaninging connections and appreciate the world around them through transformative experiences.

Claire Huntington

Claire is an experienced business coach with over 20 years in corporate leadership, specialising in people and culture. She is the current Deputy Chair of McCallum Disability Services, and Chair of Food is Free, Inc. A Ballarat native, Claire is passionate about her community and has intentionally built her coaching business to allow dedicated time for community contribution. Her work supports leaders to align how they work with who they are and the impact they want to make.

Katrina Baraquiel 

Appointed to the Board in 2025, Katrina is a gender equality, accessibility, and multicultural affairs advocate. Her niche interests include the drivers of migration, having lived in the Philippines, Spain, and Germany prior to studying in Australia. She shares evidence-based research and her lived experience to help break down barriers to access for women and gender diverse people across intersectional backgrounds. Katrina also completed the Future Shapers program in 2024. 

Margaret Moreton

Dr Margaret Moreton is the Chief Executive Officer at Gender and Disaster Australia having most recently been the Executive Director at the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR). Previous roles include social policy and advisory positions and program management roles in government, working in community resilience from within philanthropy, working with non-government organisations, and delivering private consultancy services. She works to enhance indigenous outcomes, social and community outcomes, early childhood learning, stronger families and communities, and mental health and wellbeing.  She lives in Ballarat.

Gabrielle Hutchins

Gabrielle is the Ballarat Programs and Community Engagement Coordinator at the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation. She is passionate about building stronger, healthier and more connected communities through programs that promote wellbeing, leadership and gender equity. Growing up in regional Victoria, Gabrielle brings a strong understanding of local communities and values collaboration, inclusion and community-led solutions. She is committed to creating opportunities that empower people of all ages to thrive and contribute to positive social change.

Stephen Bigarelli

Stephen joined the Board in May 2026 after being a community member of the Ballarat Foundation Finance Committee for a number of years. Stephen is a retired finance professional and has held senior roles in Health, Education and Local Government. He retired in 2021 as Acting Director of Corporate Services at the City of Ballarat. Stephen has extensive experience on not for profit boards including Chair of the Apex Foundation, Chair of the Ballarat Catholic Diocese Foundation and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Ballarat Community Health. Stephen is currently a Board member of The Ballarat Art Gallery Board.


Our Team

Andrew Eales

Chief Executive Officer

Melissa McShane-Murphy

Finance and Operations Manager

Donna Fotheringham

L2P Program Support Officer

Lucy Ibrahim

Director of Strategy and Philanthropy - Respect Ballarat Fund

Pam Sutcliffe

Donor Engagement and Development Lead

Ricci Shepherd

Communications & Engagement Manager

Our Ambassadors

The Ballarat Foundation Ambassadors are an influential group of leaders in our community who will advocate and inform on our behalf. Ambassadors support the work of the Ballarat Foundation by communicating the impact of our work, sharing the success stories and explaining why the work we do is significant to the Ballarat area.

Ambassadors

Randhir Sewgolam, Tim Bone, Fiona Murphy, Rob Croucher, Jules Zass, Lynne McLennan, Melissa Farrington, Sue Yung, Jen Pollard, Lee Martin, Val Sarah and Pam Sutcliffe.

We work on Wadawurrung land

The Ballarat Foundation acknowledges the Wadawurrung people, the traditional owners of the lands and waterways in our region. We recognise their diversity, resilience, and the ongoing place that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people hold in our communities. We pay our respects to the Elders, both past and present, and commit to working together in the spirit of mutual understanding, respect and reconciliation. 

The Ballarat Foundation is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive community where everyone is welcomed, respected and empowered to thrive.

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