When you first visit the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre, these are the first faces you will likely see.
We decided to introduce you to this front-of-house team that makes sure everything runs smoothly and is integral to making you feel safe and supported.
Kynea Lee-Olive will be the first person you meet as you come through the door at the Centre. As our receptionist and administrative assistant, she will answer your phone calls and emails and will welcome you as you arrive.
You may hear her sneeze from time-to-time – don’t worry, it’s just allergies.
Kynea’s deskmate is Jess Sztachanski, our Centre and Project Co-ordinator. Jess never sits still, and you will see her doing everything from creating marketing leaflets organising the monthly schedule of groups and services, to making sure there’s cake when someone celebrates a birthday.
Jess says her energy is driven by empathy and a deep sense of purpose.
Melissa Lord is our intake officer.
When you first contact the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre to find out how we can support you, we will refer you to Melissa, who will talk with you on the phone.
Melissa will spend 45 minutes with you, to understand your needs and to discuss the next steps.
From this call, we can assess your eligibility and suitability for our service.
Melissa is a qualified social worker and says she is passionate about empowering women through their healing journey. If she’s not at the Centre she’ll likely be in the great outdoors enjoying stand-up paddle boarding.
Finally, you can often see our CEO, Maree Kerr, at the Centre with her office door wide open and a welcoming smile on her face.
Maree is an experienced senior executive and company director with over 30 years of experience in the corporate, for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.
She was the general manager at Healthy Cities Illawarra and is known for her work with a number of community organisations in the Illawarra.
Don’t let her suit jacket and impeccable lipstick put you off. She’s always up for a chat and a kind word.
Contact us to find out more about how the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre can help you.
