Our People
We have a dedicated team of people behind CatholicCare Tasmania.
Board of Directors
Anita Cunningham - Chair
With a career spanning more than 30 years in Catholic Education within Victoria and Tasmania, Anita has extensive leadership experience. In recent years, she has held the role of principal at St Anthony’s School, member of the Catholic Education Leadership Team as Director of Learning and Teaching, Manager Employee/Workforce for Catholic Education Tasmania and is currently working in schools as an Instructional Leader for Religious Education.
Anita has worked in partnership with CatholicCare Tasmania at a school and system level. This has led to an understanding of the range of services provided by CatholicCare Tasmania to improve individual, family, and community wellbeing within Tasmania.
Her work in schools and within the education system means she has a sound practical knowledge of the realities faced by schools and families within Tasmania. Varied experience within the education sector has offered her opportunities to develop her skills in coaching, communicating, strategic thinking and risk awareness.
Anita lives her life centred on the Catholic mission, particularly by recognising the intrinsic value and potential of every human person, as a child of God. As a result of this, she holds herself to high standards of integrity, equity, fairness and solidarity.
Anita values faith, truth, justice and the development of both communities and individuals.
Chris Ryan - Director
With over 30 years’ management experience Chris has consistently brought his focused and pragmatic business leadership to the catholic community in Tasmania.
He currently holds the position of Executive Director, Catholic Archdiocese of Hobart where he is accountable for the sound financial and administrative management of the temporal goods of the Archdiocese as required by Canon Law. He provides strategic leadership and planning, and the effective management and advocacy for the Diocese especially in matters of finance, investments, property, governance, risk, compliance, human resources, information technology, media and communications. He is the principle support to the Archbishop representing his interests as an ex-officio member on many Diocesan Boards. He holds a Masters Degree in both Business Administration and Accounting along with tertiary qualifications in Canon Law.
Kristi Foale - Director
Qualifications
B.Com (Accounting), Bachelor of Laws, Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice
Experience
Lawyer with over 25 years’ experience.
Owner and Director at Simmons Wolfhagen Lawyers, with extensive experience in leadership, governance and strategic oversight within a leading Tasmanian legal practice.
Experience includes roles with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), Miller Harris Lawyers (Cairns) in, and Howard Kennedy Lawyers (London).
Current Board Director of CatholicCare Tasmania and an experienced Chair across community organisations, including North Hobart Junior Football Club Inc. and Cripps Waratah Netball Club Inc., with a strong focus on governance, stakeholder engagement, and community leadership. Former Director of Netball Tasmania.
Passionate about sport and community involvement.
Brings a genuine commitment to ethical practice, mentoring and supporting others, and contributing to strong, inclusive community organisations, with a focus on strategic oversight, leadership and delivering positive community outcomes.
Peter White - Director
Peter is a Principal Consultant with LeftField Project Solutions, a consultancy business he operates with his wife, Sharyn.
Peter has over 25 years’ experience in the social and affordable housing system. This included a period of 10 years where he was the Chief Executive of the former Housing Tasmania and then, from December 2022, Homes Tasmania.
Peter has extensive experience in the Tasmanian government and has represented Tasmania on national committees. He previously chaired the Housing Senior Officials Network which comprised members from all states and territories.
Peter holds a Bachelor of Business (Property) from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and Bachelor of Economics and Master of Business Administration from the University of Tasmania. Peter is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Peter sits on the board of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, where he was appointed on the basis of his housing experience and knowledge. He also holds a position as the Finance Director for the North Hobart Football Club.
Fr Fidelis Udousoro- Director
iBTheol and MTS
Born in Nigeria, Fr Fidelis arrived in Australia in 2014 and was assigned to the west coast parish of Burnie–Wynyard, which became his home parish through to his ordination. During this time, he was actively involved in pastoral ministry, including serving in nursing homes, schools, and engaging with young people in the community.
He studied theology at Catholic Theological College in Melbourne, where he also participated in prison and homeless ministries. Ordained a deacon in 2017, he served at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, and Our Lady’s Help of Christians in Narre Warren.
In Tasmania, he has served as Assistant Priest at Corpus Christi, Bellerive, and St Mary’s Cathedral, Hobart; as Administrator at St Francis of Assisi, Riverside; and currently serves as Parish Priest at St John’s, Richmond.
Executive Leadership Team
Julia Mangan - Chief Executive Officer
Julia Mangan, CEO of CatholicCare Tasmania, is an accomplished leader with a wealth of experience across the legal, government, and social service sectors. Holding both a law degree and an arts degree, majoring in politics, from the University of Adelaide, Julia’s career has been shaped by her commitment to addressing housing and homelessness, as well as her dedication to social justice.
Julia’s early years, attending a Catholic school in Adelaide were instrumental in fostering her passion for social service, influenced further by her mother’s long-standing work in public housing. Julia has built a diverse career, having held senior roles in both government and the private sector. Her time in government gave her strategic insight into public policy governance and risk, while her work in the private sector allowed her to understand the broader commercial impacts of policy decisions, particularly in relation to housing services.
Julia has a proven track record of leading teams to deliver mission-driven outcomes. Under her leadership, CatholicCare Tasmania continues to provide essential services to communities across the state, focusing on collaboration and impactful, community-based solutions. Julia’s background positions her as a leader who advocates for positive social change by simultaneously driving continuous improvement through internal review and reform, as well as working with private and government stakeholders through a partnership approach. Julia is committed to advancing CatholicCare’s mission and driving sustainable, long-term impact and meaningful contribution to the Tasmanian community.
Andrea Witt - Executive Manager, Family and Community Services
Andrea Witt is Executive Manager, Family and Community Services at CatholicCare Tasmania, leading a diverse portfolio supporting children, young people, and families across the state. Since 1997, Andrea has worked in the for-purpose sector, bringing expertise across housing and homelessness, out-of-home care, youth justice, family violence, and multicultural programs. A qualified social worker with a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and extensive sector and Harvard Business School executive education, Andrea’s leadership is trauma informed, grounded in social justice, unconditional positive regard, and a strengths-based, capability-focused approach. Andrea is committed to amplifying the voices and lived experiences of clients in service design, informing policy and strategy, and fostering healthy, connected, and engaged communities.
Kirsten Free - Executive Manager, Quality and Impact
Kirsten Free is Executive Manager Quality and Impact at CatholicCare Tasmania, where she leads organisational quality, governance, practice, outcomes and performance as part of the Executive Leadership Team. With a background in social work, she is deeply committed to upholding good governance and ensuring services are grounded in high-quality, ethical and person-centred practice. Kirsten drives outcomes measurement and data strategy to support informed decision-making and demonstrate meaningful impact. She also leads strategic partnerships and grant funding initiatives that strengthen sustainability and extend support to those most in need. Guided by a strong commitment to compassion and social justice, she is passionate about enabling teams to deliver services that create lasting, positive change for individuals, families and communities.
Daniel Lane - Executive Manager, Early Learning and Care
Daniel serves as Executive Manager, Early Learning & Care at CatholicCare Tasmania, providing strategic oversight of the organisation’s Early Learning and Care portfolio across Tasmania. With more than 15 years of experience in senior leadership roles, he brings a strong focus on financial sustainability, operational excellence, and the delivery of a distinctive and high-quality experience for children and families. Daniel is passionate about building capable, high performing teams and creating environments where people are supported to achieve meaningful success. His leadership approach combines strategic thinking with a commitment to community impact, innovation, and positive outcomes across the sector.
Liz Rodda - Executive Manager, Therapeutic and Counselling Services
Liz Rodda is the Executive Manager of Therapeutic and Counselling Services at CatholicCare Tasmania, providing strategic and operational leadership across a diverse portfolio of counselling, mental health, education, family law and family support programs.
With over 10 years’ leadership experience across government, education, and community sectors, she specialises in multidisciplinary team leadership, service design, and change management in complex environments.
Liz is passionate about delivering accessible, client-centred, and evidence-based services, with a strong commitment to building teams who are then best placed to support vulnerable individuals and communities. Her leadership is grounded in collaboration, innovation, integrity and values of compassion, dignity, and social justice.
Christina Augustine - Executive Manager, Child and Youth Services
Christina Augustine is an Executive Manager in Child and Youth Services, leading complex service delivery with a strong focus on cultural change, innovation, and systems transformation. She oversees multidisciplinary teams and drives strategic initiatives that enhance therapeutic outcomes for children, young people, and families. Christina brings deep expertise in service design, workforce development, and practice leadership, underpinned by a strong sense of hope, courage, and authenticity, with a passion for embedding innovative, evidence-informed approaches in high-risk environments. Committed to continuous improvement, she champions collaboration and adaptive thinking to strengthen systems, enabling more responsive, sustainable support for vulnerable communities.