Jason Kara

CEO of Catholic Health Australia

Jason Kara has a strong commitment to the social justice mission of our Catholic health and aged care providers, building on his considerable experience in the public and not-for-profit sectors over the past 20 years.

Jason has worked as a senior executive in the public service focusing on housing and homelessness outcomes; has volunteered as an advisor building capacity in the disability sector in Vanuatu; and has served as a senior advisor in the Office of the NSW Premier. He has also served as a Board Director for the Community Restorative Centre, which aims to break entrenched cycles of disadvantage, offending and imprisonment.

Since joining Catholic Health Australia as the Director Aged Care, he has built strong relationships across the CHA membership while advocating for a quality and sustainable aged care system.

As CEO, he brings his compassionate advocacy to the broader health, aged and community care portfolios, and will continue to support our members nationally to make a real difference to the lives of all in the community, but especially the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised.

Pat Garcia

CEO of Catholic Health Australia

Pat Garcia is the CEO of Catholic Health Australia, the largest not for profit grouping of health and aged care services in Australia. He is a lawyer, policy expert and political strategist who has worked in all three levels of government including as the Director of Policy to the NSW Premier, as a Senior Adviser in the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, and as Chair of a local government planning committee.

Pat is an experienced board director whose experience spans the boards of the St Vincent de Paul Society National Council, the Law Council of Australia, the Law Society of New South Wales, Shine for Kids, Surf Life Saving Sydney and Youth Action. He is a former Club Captain of Coogee Surf Life Saving Club and former Army Reserves Officer.

Pat has degrees in Law, Finance & Marketing, Public Policy, International Law and Security

Brigid Meney

Director of Strategy & Mission

Brigid is a policy and advocacy expert who has more than a decade’s experience in the public and not-for-profit sectors. She has worked as a ministerial adviser for both Federal and State Coalition Ministers and Assistant Ministers in a range of portfolios including health, aged care, multicultural affairs, and resources and energy. Brigid started her career as a nurse in aged care and is passionate about building a society that reflects the intrinsic value of all people and promotes the dignity of the human person through the health care system. Brigid has both an Arts degree and a Masters in Nursing from the University of Sydney and is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Leadership and Policy at the University of New South Wales. Brigid represented the Catholic Women’s League at the 2015 UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York. Brigid is a regular panellist on ABC, Sky News and Seven..

Adrian Kerr

Director of Communications, Media & Governance

Adrian Kerr joined CHA in June 2023 as the Director of Communications, Media & Governance.

As a former radio and television journalist, Adrian has worked in newsrooms in Sydney, Melbourne and regional Victoria, including the ABC, SBS and Nine Network. He has also worked extensively in media and communications across the NSW public service, including as Group Media Director at NSW Education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He brings his broad experience in public affairs to CHA and the social justice and care economy.

Alex Lynch

Director of Public Health and In Home Support Policy

Alex has worked across government, clinician education and aged care. He has extensive health policy experience both in and out of government, including most recently with the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority. Prior to IHPA, Alex worked with leading clinicians on paediatric and disability policy at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Beginning his career working in aged care homes and community-based aged care services, Alex is passionate about delivering policy solutions that ensure high quality health and aged care is available to the most vulnerable members of our community.

Laura Haylen

Director Aged Care Policy

Laura brings nearly a decade of aged care, social and health policy experience to the position of Director Aged Care Policy, including roles at Commonwealth and State level. She has a deep understanding of the policy settings within the aged care sector, including six years' experience with consultancy firm KPMG, and has worked extensively with governments and providers nationally and internationally in the aged care, health and human services sectors. Laura holds a Bachelor of International and Global Studies from the University of Sydney and is currently undertaking her Masters in Public Health and Health Management and Leadership at the University of New South Wales. Laura joined CHA in January 2024.

Deborah Reynolds

Office & Membership Manager

As Office & Membership Manager, Deborah is the friendly, welcoming face of CHA for all members and guests and she maintains the smooth running of the CHA office. She manages client and provider relationships, office technology and administration and provides day-to-day support to CHA staff. Deborah is also Program Support Officer for CHA’s Ministry Leadership Program. In this role she provides hospitality and administrative support to participants and their organisations so that they have a positive experience of the program from registration, session attendance and interaction with the program’s learning management system.
She also provides a support role to CHA events, oversees national awards and registrations, and liaises with external conference organisers.
If you need to know who to contact at CHA on a particular matter, kindly contact Deborah who will happily re-direct you to the appropriate person.

Shona McQueen

Senior Advisor Aged Care

Shona McQueen joined CHA as our Senior Advisor Aged Care in 2018. Before retiring from the Public Service, Shona was the Assistant Secretary of Home Care Reform Branch in the Ageing and Aged Care Stream. She has had over a decade of working in aged care policy at senior levels in the Department of Health and Ageing and previously the Department of Social Services.