Kay Phillips has lived in the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale for the past 26 years and has a strong connection to the local community. As the parent and carer of a daughter with a disability, she brings valuable lived experience and insight into the challenges faced by individuals and families accessing support and services. Kay has also been a member of this advisory group over the past year, contributing her perspective, experience, and passion for inclusion and community connection. In addition, she runs Open House Mundijong, providing opportunities for people in the community to connect, feel supported, and build stronger social networks.
Kay is passionate about inclusion for all, building stronger communities, and ensuring people who need to be seen and heard are supported and represented. She strongly values fairness, advocacy, and creating opportunities for people of all abilities to connect and access meaningful support. Kay actively organises and supports community initiatives, including coordinating the Disability Expo in Mundijong for the past two years. Through this event, she has brought service providers to the local area, helping connect residents with valuable supports and resources. Through both her community work and Open House Mundijong, Kay has demonstrated a strong commitment to community engagement, advocacy, and inclusion. Her lived experience, leadership, and dedication allow her to make a positive contribution to the group.
Alyssa Miller-McWha is a long-term resident and business owner within the Shire, with strong involvement in local agriculture, food systems, and community-driven initiatives. Through The Natural Circle farm and her role as President of the Serpentine Jarrahdale Food & Farm Alliance, she works closely with local producers, community groups, and the Shire to support resilience, inclusion, and sustainable growth across the region.
She has direct experience in agribusiness, including pasture-raised livestock, local markets, event management, and regenerative land use practices. Alyssa also collaborates with both local and state stakeholders on matters relating to food security, peri-urban agriculture, and community wellbeing. In addition, her professional background in branding and communications provides valuable skills in strategy, advocacy, and community engagement.
Alyssa brings lived experience as a farmer, business operator, and community leader who is passionate about building a resilient, connected, and inclusive future for the Shire. She takes a collaborative approach and is skilled at connecting a diverse range of stakeholders, including producers, small business owners, policymakers, and service providers.
She has a proven track record of delivering projects that combine practical, on-the-ground knowledge with broader strategic outcomes, including the SJ Farmers initiatives and other community-focused programs. Alyssa’s experience in leadership, advocacy, communications, and sustainable development supports informed decision-making and positive contributions to the work of the committee.
Jennifer Maynard
Jeni Maynard is a passionate advocate for disability rights, health equity, legislative reform, and inclusive community development. She is continuing her role on the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale’s Access and Inclusion Advisory Group, bringing both lived experience and extensive advocacy work to support the group’s mission.
Jeni’s personal journey navigating disability herself, while also supporting her child through their own challenges, has shaped her strong commitment to creating accessible and inclusive communities. She actively contributes to advisory and advocacy groups across Western Australia and nationally, addressing complex issues that require collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to deliver fit-for-purpose services, infrastructure, and supports. Her experience provides her with a broad understanding of the barriers people with disability, and their families continue to face within the community.
Jeni believes the rapid growth of Byford and surrounding areas presents an important opportunity to ensure accessibility and inclusion are embedded into planning and infrastructure from the beginning. She strongly advocates for future residential developments, public spaces, and community infrastructure to exceed minimum building standards, ensuring they are practical, accessible, and usable for all members of the community.
She brings a strong understanding of the importance of engaging designers, contractors, and builders early in the planning process and ensuring accountability to higher accessibility standards. Jeni’s advocacy experience, lived experience, and commitment to inclusive design would allow her to make a valuable contribution to the committee and support the Shire in building a more inclusive future for all residents.
Clair Parsons
Clair Parsons represents APM Communities, a partner in the community delivering Local Area Coordination services on behalf of the NDIS. Through this role, APM Communities supports people with disability to understand and navigate the NDIS, build individual capacity, and connect with appropriate community supports and services.
APM Communities also delivers community capacity-building projects that promote access and inclusion across the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale, Armadale, and surrounding areas. These initiatives are co-designed with people with disability and focus on strengthening inclusive practices within local communities. Participation in the Access and Inclusion Advisory Group allows APM Communities to contribute valuable insights gained through both direct service delivery and broader community engagement, supporting inclusive planning and decision-making within the Shire.
Through its extensive work across the community, APM Communities can provide valuable insight into the experiences, challenges, and emerging needs of people with disability, their families, and carers within the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale. The organisation works closely with individuals, service providers, and community stakeholders to support inclusive practices and strengthen community connections.
Clair Parsons and the APM Communities team contribute updates and information relating to the NDIS, identify opportunities for improved collaboration between local services and the Shire, and support initiatives that enhance accessibility and inclusion across the community. As a previous organisational member of the Access and Inclusion Advisory Group, APM Communities has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to supporting inclusive outcomes and collaborative community engagement within the region.
Stuart McLellan has dedicated more than 50 years of professional and volunteer service to improving access, participation, and inclusion for people experiencing disadvantage. His extensive career spans mental health, higher education, community services, and executive leadership, where he has worked alongside people living with disability, mental illness, homelessness, trauma, financial hardship, family violence, social isolation, and age-related challenges. Throughout his career, he has remained focused on removing barriers to participation and promoting dignity, respect, and inclusion for all.
As Chief Executive Officer of Homelessness We Care Serpentine Jarrahdale & Surrounds, Stuart leads a local charity supporting people experiencing homelessness and significant disadvantage across the Shire and surrounding districts. Through this work, he collaborates with WA Police, Shire officers, community organisations, and volunteers to connect vulnerable individuals with housing, health, mental health, employment, and community support services.
Stuart is also undertaking research through Murdoch University exploring belonging, identity, and the lived experience of homelessness. His research and practical experience provide a strong understanding of the importance of ensuring all community members feel valued, connected, and able to participate fully in community life. His longstanding commitment to strengthening the local community was recognised through his receipt of the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale's Citizen of the Year Award.
As a community leader and researcher, Stuart understands the importance of practical, sustainable solutions and the value of listening to voices that are often overlooked. He is passionate about ensuring that people living with disability, older residents, carers, culturally diverse communities, young people, and those experiencing homelessness are able to participate fully in community life. His experience, collaborative approach, and lifelong commitment to inclusion makes him a valuable contribution to the Advisory Group.
Kay Wachekwa
Kay Wachekwa is a Registered Community Clinical Nurse Specialist with a strong commitment to promoting equitable access, inclusion, and wellbeing for all members of the community. Through her professional experience, she has worked closely with people from diverse backgrounds, including older adults, people living with disability, and culturally diverse communities. Her work has provided her with a strong understanding of the barriers that can affect access to services, community participation, and overall quality of life.
Kay is passionate about advocating for person-centred and inclusive approaches that support individuals to live independently and engage fully in their communities. She is committed to ensuring services are accessible, respectful, and responsive to the needs of all residents, particularly those who may be vulnerable or at risk of exclusion.
Kay brings a valuable healthcare perspective to the Access and Inclusion Advisory Group, supported by her extensive experience working directly with community members facing a range of health, disability, ageing, and social challenges.
Her professional knowledge enables her to contribute informed insights into accessibility, service delivery, health equity, and community wellbeing.
Renae Okely is a local Serpentine resident with a strong interest in accessibility, inclusion, and community participation. Her interest in this area is informed by personal and family lived experience, which has given her a deep understanding of the importance of accessible services, early support, and inclusive communities.
Renae is an active member of The Inclusive Movement and is currently undertaking professional development through its training programs. She is also studying towards a Certificate IV in School Based Education Support, further developing her knowledge of disability, neurodiversity, and inclusive practices. She is passionate about ensuring people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds have access to resources, opportunities, and support that enable them to participate fully in community life.
Through her studies and involvement with The Inclusive Movement, she is continuing to develop her knowledge of disability and neurodiversity inclusion in both workplace and community settings. She is passionate about advocating for accessible and welcoming environments where all people feel supported, valued, and connected.
Renae's combination of lived experience, ongoing learning, and dedication to inclusive communities enables her to contribute thoughtful perspectives and practical insights to the Advisory Group's work in supporting a more accessible and inclusive Shire for all residents.
Tracy Jones
Tracy Jones is the Founder of Off The Beaten Track WA and is passionate about creating communities where everyone feels welcome, included, and empowered to participate. Through her business, she has dedicated herself to making nature-based tourism more accessible through initiatives such as the Hike-Ability program, Accessible Adventures hiking experiences, accessible trail audits, and her work as a disability support worker. These experiences have provided her with firsthand insight into the barriers people can face and the practical solutions that support meaningful inclusion.
Under Tracy's leadership, Off The Beaten Track WA became the first tourism business in Western Australia to achieve Accessible Tourism Accreditation across all five disability categories. The organisation's commitment to accessibility has been recognised through the WA Excellence in Accessible Tourism Award, which it won in both 2023 and 2025, along with a Bronze Award in the Excellence in Accessible Tourism category at the 2025 Australian Tourism Awards.
In addition, Tracy uses storytelling through her Trail Tales WA podcast to amplify diverse voices, challenge perceptions, and promote greater awareness and understanding of disability, accessibility, and inclusion. Her advocacy and community engagement work demonstrate a strong commitment to creating more accessible and inclusive experiences for all.
As a member of the Access and Inclusion Advisory Group, Tracy brings a practical, solutions-focused perspective informed by extensive experience in accessible tourism, recreation, community engagement, and disability support. Tracy is known for her creative and innovative approach to problem-solving and her ability to identify opportunities that go beyond minimum compliance requirements. She advocates for designing spaces, services, and experiences that are welcoming, empowering, and enjoyable for everyone.
Nicole Steadman
Nicole Steadman is an experienced education professional who has worked in education support for more than 20 years, including the past six years as Program Coordinator of the Education Support Program at Byford Secondary College. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to supporting young people with disabilities to achieve their goals and participate meaningfully in all aspects of school and community life.
Nicole is passionate about ensuring young people with disabilities have opportunities to access and engage with their local community through social, recreational, educational, and employment-related activities. Through her role in education, she has developed a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by students with diverse needs, as well as the importance of creating accessible and inclusive environments that support participation and independence.
As the Education Representative and a current member of the Access and Inclusion Advisory Group, Nicole brings extensive experience working directly with young people with disabilities and their families. Her professional background provides valuable insight into the barriers that can impact community access, participation, and inclusion for young people with diverse abilities.