MEET THE TEAM | opening-the-doors

Our Staff

Brigid Knight-Braniff

Administration Officer

Lisa Moloney

FIRE Carrier Program Coordinator

Eric Du

Accounts Officer

Michelle Gale

Philanthropy Specialist - Consultant

Odette Lo Castro

Administration Assistant

John Farlow

Finance Manager

Vicki Clark OAM - Co-founder and Chair

Vicki is a proud Mutthi Mutthi and Wemba Wemba woman, and lifelong advocate, supporter and activist for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Vicki founded The Aboriginal Catholic Ministry of Victoria (ACMV) and became the first ever Coordinator of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, where she fostered Aboriginal spirituality within the Catholic church of Victoria for over 25 years. After identifying the need for support of Aboriginal families in education, Vicki, along with John Arthur and Melissa Brickell, the ACMV and community, launched Opening The Doors Foundation.

Vicki has guided people through the lands of her ancestors around Lake Mungo to listen, learn and feel the spirit of the land. She is currently the Chairperson of Yingadi Aboriginal Corporation and is committed to the Treaty process of Victoria including as part of the Aboriginal Treaty Working Group.

Vicki has been on numerous boards including as Australian Catholic University, the Mary MacKillop Foundation, Caritas Australia, the Sisters of St Joseph, the Edmund Rice Education Australia, as Deputy of Mallee District Aboriginal Services (MDAS) and as Chairperson of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council. Vicki has won countless awards for her commitment to the Aboriginal community and to Reconciliation, including the Order of Australia Medal which she was awarded in 2018.

Melissa Brickell - Co-Founder

Melissa is a proud Yorta Yorta, Ulupna and Wiradjeri woman who has been actively supporting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community on justice issues: reconciliation and human rights, and in particular Stolen Generations. Melissa has supported the ACMV since 1991 and co-founded Opening The Doors Foundation.

Melissa has 10-year teaching experience in Victoria and the Northern Territory in public and private sectors in Primary, Secondary, University, TAFE, Prison, Museum and the Church. Melissa has worked with a number of education and welfare organisations in supporting the welfare, cultural rights and freedoms of Aboriginal peoples, including with the Department of Employment Education and Training, the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, MacKillop Family Services, and the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care.

Melissa has been a committed community volunteer with a number of organisations over the years; some for many years: The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Committee, The Living Museum of the West, Reconciliation Victoria, State and, National Sorry Day Committees, Stolen Generations Alliance, MacKillop Heritage and Information Services, Victorian Aboriginal Catholic Council, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council, Caritas Reference Group, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission, and for the Opening The Doors Foundation for 16 years.

Melissa received: A Reconciliation Award for Advancing the rights and community life of Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, Maribyrnong City Council, 1998; a Community services Award, Stolen Generations Victoria, 2007; a Leadership and Mentoring Elders Award, Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Limited, 2017, and Service to Community Award in 2022 for her work in the Parish of St Martin de Porres and incorporating Aboriginal spirituality into the parish.

Dr Julie Andrews

Julie is a Yorta Yorta and Woi Wurrung woman with connection to Wirdajuri peoples. She is committed to empowering young Aboriginal people through education and mentoring. Julie is involved in community development and is an anthropologist and has a long connection as a scholar in Aboriginal Studies at Latrobe University. She is Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Studies and Indigenous Strategy Committee for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University.

For over thirty years Julie has been instrumental in developing Aboriginal higher education at La Trobe University’s Bundoora and regional campuses across Victoria. Among her many roles, Julie lectures and researches on Aboriginal community, cultural knowledge, families, identity and self- determination. She is a working party member for the Indigenous Australian Dictionary of Biography project and is a Melbourne Museum Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Advisory Council Member, and is involved in the Aurora Education Foundation Internship Program, and has been involved in the North Balwyn Rotary Indigenous higher education scholarships as a mentor.

Sherry Balcombe

Sherry is an Olkala, Djabaguy woman from North Queensland with a strong history in welfare and supporting Aboriginal families. She supported families and children in foster care while working at VACCA. Sherry later worked with the Commisssion of Aboriginal Children and Young People in the Independent Visitor Program where she visited and supported First Nations youth in detention, as well as Elders at the Aboriginal Community Elders Service (ACES), the community nursing home on Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Country.

Sherry worked at the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry (ACM) for two decades, including eight years as Executive Manager at the ACM. In this role she advocated for and supported First Nations families in Catholic education in Victoria and instilled Aboriginal spirituality and truth-telling in the church. She also helped to start and later coordinated the FIRE Carrier Program which engaged Catholic schools across Victoria in their own journey of truth-telling and reconciliation.

Fr Charles Balnaves - Treasurer

Fr Charles has served the Catholic community of Melbourne since 2012 when he was ordained as a Permanent Deacon. He is currently serving St Kevin’s Parish Templestowe and St Gregory the Great Doncaster as the Parish Priest and is also involved with CatholicCare Victoria’s as Board Member. Fr Charles Balnaves has been a friend and strong advocate of the Foundation for over a decade.

Having completed a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science Fr Charles previously worked in the petroleum industry for 30 years. He has now added a Master of Theological Studies and is strong voice for the Foundation.

Kevin McMahon

Kevin has dedicated his life to teaching, community service, and leadership, as a teacher throughout Melbourne for more than 30 years, Kevin has taught mostly Secondary students. He has been passionate about teaching the importance of giving back and has enable many students to volunteer around Australia, in community and overseas.

Kevin was also a volunteer at the Greensborough branch of St Vincent de Paul for over 30 years, followed by leadership roles in the Diamond Valley region, Northern Central Council, and State Council of St Vincent de Paul including as President of the Council for four years.