Chris Staines – Chief Executive Officer
Chris provides strategic and operational leadership to the Encircle team, focusing on building community and delivering a range of relevant services supporting communities in the Moreton Bay and Brisbane North areas.
Chris joined Encircle in March 2021, bringing extensive leadership experience developed in the humanitarian, community services and government sectors.
Chris worked in the international humanitarian field with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) from 2009 until 2019, in various roles, including heading operations in the Philippines and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), in IFRC’s Geneva headquarters and Malaysia.
From 2005 until 2009, Chris was General Manager for the Australian Red Cross response to the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. Prior to joining the Red Cross in Brisbane in 2000, Chris was employed in various Queensland State Government departments.
As a member of the Encircle Executive Team, Chris has a track record of leading complex operations in periods of change, adversity and disaster, and growth and expansion. He has extensive experience guiding multicultural and multilingual teams.
He has a deep appreciation and respect for community service volunteers and staff contributions to our society.
As the world adapts to COVID and looks for a path to a new normal, Chris is excited to join the Encircle team. He is committed to contributing his passion, energy and experience to the team’s efforts in delivering Encircle’s vision of ‘connected, vibrant, resilient communities’.
Robyn – Counselling and Families Manager
Robyn oversees the Counselling, Family Support Program and Young Parents Program.
Robyn has extensive experience as a Senior Manager in the Not-for-Profit sector particularly across community and counselling related services. Starting work in the community sector as a volunteer and moving into paid roles she has been a leader in many settings.
Working in different sectors has provided Robyn with an understanding of a range of service delivery models.
With the personal belief that “we are all in this together” Robyn is passionate about leading the Counselling and Families team as they provide support to the Moreton Bay and Brisbane North communities.
Latha Elenkovan – Community Legal Services Manager
Latha is the Principal Solicitor and Manager of the Pine Rivers Community Legal Service (PRCLS)
Latha is an experienced Solicitor with a demonstrated history of working in various capacities in the legal industry in Queensland, South Australia and Singapore.
PRCLS is a generalist community legal service providing free information, legal assistance and referral, support with representation and casework, community education, and advocacy for vulnerable clients in the Moreton Bay and North Brisbane regions who are facing legal problems.
Stephen Hawkins – Housing and Neighbourhoods Manager
Stephen oversees Encircle’s community development, neighbourhood centres and housing and homelessness programs.
Since 2008, Stephen has embraced the opportunity to host a number of roles across non-government and government domains. With demonstrated experience in designing and implementing a number of integrative service delivery programs across housing, homelessness and mental health settings, Stephen’s vision is to see a creative and dynamic service system united in responding to the needs of community’s most vulnerable.
Prior to Encircle, Stephen was heavily involved in driving the design and implementation of a place-based, integrative framework aimed at supporting households presenting with a range of exceptional and enduring needs, in addition to facing housing or homelessness uncertainty. Stephen also provided backbone support to the nine regions across Queensland involved in the initiative, whilst also contributing to the development of an innovative Client Management System, evaluation and governance framework.
Stephen has a keen interest in workforce development, investing time as a university field supervisor, hosting placements for social work, psychology, counselling and human service students. In addition to Management, Psychology and Counselling qualifications, Stephen is also an ‘Agile’ project manager.