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’.
Lisa – Family Support Services Manager
Lisa oversees the Family Support Program and Young Parents Program.
With a passion for supporting families to recognise their own capabilities, Lisa is dedicated to delivering effective and professional programs that are responsive to families’ needs.
With a Bachelor and Post Graduate degree in Psychology and a career spanning over 13 years in the community sector, Lisa has worked across multiple not for profit organisations primarily in the area of Family Support.
This experience has centred on providing support to families and individuals in the context of multiple issues including child protection, mental health, family conflict, and trauma.
These roles have provided extensive experience working with people from varied backgrounds to build capacity to bring about change in their lives. Further, these roles have provided a platform for the supervision and development of staff and the provision of quality service delivery in the local community.
Lisa’s passion to see children and families thrive is the core value that drives and sustains her work within the community.
Louise Skidmore – Principal Solicitor
Louise is the Principal Solicitor and Manager of the Pine Rivers Community Legal Service (PRCLS).
Louise has worked in private practice, corporate practice and in community law. Louise commenced her legal career in the private sector in South Africa, including ten years as a manager of legal services.
Since 2010 Louise has worked as a Solicitor at PRCLS, and was appointed Principal Solicitor in 2016.
Louise is a member of the Encircle Executive Team. She is a Nationally Accredited Mediator and a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.
‘I see the real difference that early access to quality legal advice, information and support makes in the community. People, particularly those experiencing disadvantage, need to be able to obtain legal assistance and participate effectively in the legal system.’
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.