Our Board & Management Team
Board members
RALAC is an incorporated Association and is governed by an unpaid skills-based Board. Our Directors are:
Eliza Armstrong
Eliza is an experienced Registered Nurse, intensive care / clinical nursing specialist, and hospital administrator, and currently manages the Voluntary Assistant Dying program for Eastern Health and Epworth.
Eliza was appointed to the RALAC board in February 2025 and holds a Degree in Nursing, and a Graduate Diploma in Advanced Nursing -Critical care, Project Management.
Clive Mullett (Chairman)
Clive is a retired management consultant, project manager and team leader with senior management experience across the mining, IT, Health Insurance and government sectors.
Clive was appointed to the RALAC board in August 2017 and is our Board Chairman. He has formal qualifications in Civil Engineering and IT, and has completed a variety of in-house management courses during his career, covering Project Management, Risk Management and People Management.
Ray Noble (Treasurer)
Ray is a semi-retired accountant with substantial experience across various sectors including aged care, retirement living and community housing, operating in both for-profit and not-for-profit organisations.
Ray was appointed to the RALAC board in May 2020 and is Chair of our Finance Audit & Risk Management Committee. He is a qualified accountant and a Fellow member of the Governance Institute of Australia.
Loreta Siciarz (Secretary)
Loreta is a retired IT professional with over 30 years’ experience in delivery and management roles and, a former Director of a Superannuation Trustee Board. During this time Loreta was also involved with several community groups and continues to be involved with Neighbourhood Watch and VIEW (Voice, Interests and Education of Women fundraising to sponsor The Smith Family Learning for Life students).
Loreta joined the RALAC board in September 2019 and has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Science and Chemistry.
Stacey Swindon
Stacey is currently a senior program manager for a national homecare provider and brings recent management experience with a national aged care consultancy firm. Stacey is also a registered Occupational Therapist with a clinical background in hospital and community health sectors.
Stacey was appointed to the RALAC board in February 2025.
Phil Turner
Phil is a recently retired senior executive with the Maroondah City Council and brings a wealth of experience in community service delivery, asset management, planning and development, and stakeholder engagement.
Phil was appointed to the RALAC board in February 2025 and has a degree in applied science (planning), and post graduate qualifications in urban research & policy and business administration.
Jen Walsh
Jenny is an experienced (recently retired) Registered Nurse and recognised leader in Infection Prevention and Control across both the Acute and Aged Care sectors over the last 40 years.
Jenny was appointed to the RALAC board in December 2022. Her qualifications include B.Sc, RN, IPC certificate, and Registered Nurse Immuniser.
Carolyn West
Carolyn is an executive in the aged care, retirement living and health sectors and brings a wealth of experience in business management, financial control and risk management.
Carolyn is a member of the Governance Institute of Australia and brings qualifications in accounting, finance derivatives, and Individual Support (Ageing, Home and Community.) Carolyn was appointed to the RALAC board in July 2018
The Board has two committees as part of its governance structure, being (a) the Finance Audit and Risk Management (FARM) Committee, and (b) the Quality & Clinical Governance Committee (Q&CGC).
Executive team and staff
RALAC has a professional management team and employs about 100 staff. We value our staff and recognise that our high standard of care and service is only achieved through a committed and engaged workforce.
Our executive team comprises:
Chris Reside (CEO)
Chris joined RALAC as CEO in August 2017 and leads our executive team and staff to achieve the Board’s strategic plan. He is passionate about our mission to serve the elderly and most vulnerable in our community, and together with our executive team has created a welcoming organisation where our staff feel valued and enjoy coming to work to do great things for our residents and tenants.
Prior to joining RALAC Chris worked extensively across the community and government sectors including CEO of Abbeyfield Australia Ltd (a nationally registered community housing provider for vulnerable older people or younger people living with a disability); principal of a corporate communication & good governance consultancy supporting smaller NFP’s and local government, and senior leadership roles across Victorian and Tasmanian local government.
Chris also serves on the board of the Mayflower Group, a residential aged care provider based in Brighton, Reservoir and Pascoe Vale.
Chris’ leadership style is professional yet informal. He has a business degree from RMIT and grew up in Bairnsdale where his ironic nick name at the mighty West Bairnsdale Football Club was ‘True boot.’
Mal Taylor (Residential Services Manager)
Mal joined Lionsbrae in December 2020. He is a Registered Nurse with 35+ years of experience and around 25 in senior roles including:
– Community Nurse / Educator / Manager with the Royal District Nursing Service and was involved in many community initiatives. These included palliative care and working with the Homeless Persons Program and patients from low socio-economic backgrounds.
– Senior Assessor / Decision Maker with the Aged Care Standards Agency (forerunner to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.)
Mal is an avid reader who loves classic cars, antique restoration and a good single malt whisky. He’s also a computer nerd and a passable ‘gamer’.
Cathy Hallett (GM Operations)
Cathy joined RALAC in 2006 as our Village Coordinator supporting our vulnerable community housing residents in RALAC’s two community housing sites. Cathy subsequently achieved promotion through the organization to her current executive level role as our GM-Operations.
Cathy brings 20+ years of nursing experience including 15 years at the Peter James Centre. Cathy also holds a Diploma in Community Services.
Cathy is a Maroondah local with a passion for cooking, family and bush walking.
Lyn Kleehammer (Quality & Governance Manager)
Lyn is an experienced registered nurse (30+ years) and aged care Facility Manager / Director of Nursing as well as having qualifications in management and training. Lyn drives our quality and governance program which keeps us focussed on quality outcomes, resident and staff satisfaction and a high standard of resident care and services.
Lyn enjoys travelling around our wonderful country, camping and relaxing with a good book! Lyn joined our team in February 2021.
Allan Tribe (Corporate Services Manager)
Allan joined our exec team in November 2019 and brings a wealth of leadership experience in commercial accounting, aged care and human services. Allan is Charted Accountant and heads-up our finance, accounting, human resources, and reception functions, amongst countless other perplexing ad-hoc demands which frequently make their way to his desk.
Outside of working hours Allan likes to spend his time on a golf course or at his beach side caravan.
