ABOUT US
The Trellis Oceania Foundation Ltd is a not for profit organisation made up of people of Christian faith from around Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Our programs particularly serve the new migrant, First Nations, and Pacific Islands communities of the Oceania Region. Our teams are passionate about seeing individuals and families in healthy relationship with each other, healthy understanding of self, healthy connection with the world around them, and a good relationship with God, their creator.
You will notice our programs are very diverse....everything from a driving school for refugees, garden therapy for trauma survivors to leadership development in the Pacific Islands! We are about wellbeing in all of life!
Board of Directors
Ashley Seaton
CEO
Hayson Lo
Director
After serving 9 years with the NSW Police Force, Ash moved with his family to Indonesia for 10 years. In Indonesia, Ash was the founder and director of the community development charity Access Life Bali that still functions today. Ash continues to serve as part of a global Christian organisation overseeing Christian development efforts in different parts of the Oceania Region. In 2018, Ash was involved in the implementation of programs reaching out to the refugee community in Western Sydney. These programs formed the catalyst for the establishment of Trellis Oceania.
Hayson is one of the founding directors of Trellis Oceania. He brings his financial expertise to Trellis having begun his
professional career at Ernst & Young and later working in the commercial sector managing the finances of business units within large corporations. He currently serves on the leadership team at Chester Hill Anglican Church managing finances and ensuring funding decisions are in line with the church's vision and values.
Rodney White
Director
Rebecca Hadfield
Director
Rod worked in business development previous to becoming a commercial pilot and manager with MAF in Papua New Guinea. On return to Australia he worked in management roles in mission mobilization, and established a farming business.
Rebecca currently works in a non-for-profit organisation which provides legal services to those in her local community who are most vulnerable. Previously she has worked in various policy roles in Government, predominantly in the environmental management space and brings her strategic policy and legal lens to Trellis.
Peter Nelson
Director
Peter is from Victoria with long experience in manufacturing engineering and management, Christian school leadership, and leadership within various Christian communities and programs. Now retired from formal employment, Peter and his wife enjoy relating more with family and friends while pursuing voluntary service in a variety of areas locally and in the Solomon Islands.
Support Staff
Kate Pocklington
Training & Leadership Development
Kate oversees leadership development within the programs and projects of Trellis. She brings with her a background in community development within the urban slums of India, training and development experience within a faith-based not-for-profit organisation.
Area Directors
Phil Malone
Diaspora Programs
Phil worked as economist for 22 years in both the private and public sector. After leaving the Public Service, Phil served for 13 years with an international mission organisation in South East Asia leading community development projects in urban slum communities and isolated rural communities. Phil works in a volunteering capacity for Trellis as an Area Manager in community development among new migrant communities across Australia.
Netani Bolatolu
First Nations Programs
Netani trained as an architect in Fiji and after working for the local government he went on to work as a youth pastor. Netani has worked in prison chaplaincy and more recently with YWAM and their discipleship training for youth in Australia. Netani and his family live in Queensland and he works in a volunteering capacity for Trellis as an Area Manager in community development and discipleship training among new migrant First Nations communities across Australia.
Program Directors
Beth Powell
Sherpa Team
Cameron Blair
SUMMIT Youth
Beth has a background in Business & Marketing and over 20 years experience working in faith-based not-for-profit organisations in Australia and Asia, particularly in organisational leadership and program management. She lived with her family for over a decade in East and South-East Asia before recently returning to Australia. Beth now brings her passion and experience to the role of Program Director for the Sherpa Team, having a particular heart to serve those who have been forcibly displaced and now find themselves navigating a new culture, language and way of life.
Cameron trained and worked as an architect before re-training to be a university chaplain. He now co-directs Summit Youth with his wife Lara, mentoring refugee youth in their transition to Australia, and helping them process any trauma they've suffered. He has spent time living overseas, learning language and culture and so understands some of the challenges of adjusting to a foreign culture.
Lara Blair
SUMMIT Youth
Lara is a registered and practising counsellor with Hope Counselling. She co-directs SUMMIT Youth mentoring refugee youth recently arrived in Australia, and helps them process any trauma they've suffered. She understands the difficulties associated with transition to another culture having lived with her family in Cambodia. Lara considers it a privilege to walk alongside people of all nationalities seeking change and authenticity in relationships.
Angela Ngiam
Freedom to Flourish
Angela is a registered qualified counsellor and garden therapist with Beauty from Ashes Counselling. She is also the co-founder of Freedom to Flourish. She combines her counselling skills, faith, desire for people to find freedom from trauma, and her business knowledge, to create and give direction to the activities within Freedom to Flourish. She is a migrant herself and understands what it is like to learn a new language, a new culture, the stresses of living in a new country, and the joys of adapting and contributing to Australia.