Heather is a dedicated action researcher and lifelong Renewalist. She likes to work in a wide range of challenging contexts and loves the ‘too hard’ baskets.

 

Heather has combined twenty years of practical experience, four years of doctoral research and a lifetime of personal renewal to finesse the art of identifying where a problem started in a system's story, and how to shift the paradigm.

 

Heather has applied her skills in various challenging contexts, such as:

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//​​ Strategising with international student support teams through escalating rates of suicide and mental health incidents;

// Supporting schools in the process of reinventing mission statements and action plans;

// Leading faith-based communities recovering from abuse by past leaders;

// Guiding non-profit organisations facing liquidation; and

// Facilitating a legal support service for socially disadvantaged clients unable to access Legal Aid.

 

She holds degrees in Law, Theology, Education, and Leadership Studies, and has recently submitted her PhD, in which she developed a pedagogy for systems change inspired by Franciscan social reform. She was ordained an Anglican priest in 2010 and is licensed as a missional priest to Systemic Renewal in the Anglican diocese of Melbourne.

 

Like her namesake, 'Heather,' she has learned to flourish in harsh conditions. As a survivor of abuse in the church, Heather is sensitive to the inherent dangers of religion, especially when it is forced or coerced. Her programs are academically grounded and accessible to people of all faiths and none.