Our Board is 100% Aboriginal and we use trained staff and volunteers to drive the NASCA vision of a proud prosperous and healthy Australia for all.
TO ACHIEVE OUR VISION of transforming the lives of Aboriginal young people, we harness the skills of professionals and volunteers from various backgrounds and with diverse experiences.
The NASCA Board, CEO and staff have a wide range of skills and experience that underpins our work. Our people have one thing in common and that’s passion and determination to achieve social equity for Aboriginal Australians.
Our board
Mark Heiss, Chairperson
Mark is a Wiradjuri man from Sydney who is the Head of Scholarships at the GO Foundation. Mark volunteered for NASCA over many years prior to taking on his NASCA Directorship.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Education, a Masters in Educational Leadership and is an ACEL New Voice Scholarship recipient.
He was the first Aboriginal person to be named Team Captain for the University of Sydney at the Australian University Games.
He is passionate about young indigenous people reaching their potential and taking their place in the world.
Chloe Wighton
Chloe is a Wiradjuri (Galari) woman from Gilgandra, New South Wales. Chloe is currently the Senior Cultural Impact Advisor at the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia. She previously worked on the campaign for constitutional reform to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and was employed in the Indigenous strategy at the University of Sydney. Chloe is passionate about the continuation of Wiradjuri culture, particularly the preservation of language. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Archaeology) and is completing a Masters in Museum & Heritage Studies. Chloe is also a proud graduate of NASCA’s Academy Program, Dubbo region.
She has been recognised for her strong advocacy in the community being awarded the Sister Alison Bush Medal University of Sydney’s Alumni.
Lachlan McDaniel
Lachlan McDaniel belongs to the Kilari Clan of the Wiradjuri Nation. He has been engaged by a range of sectors to assist organisations to improve their engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. His experience extends to political campaigning and improving organisations Indigenous Engagement in the not-for-profit and corporate business sector.
He completed a Bachelor of Arts/Laws at Macquarie University. Pursuing his passion for empowering Indigenous people through self-determination, Lachlan also studied Canadian First Nations history, law, and politics at the University of Calgary.
He completed a Continuing Education Certificate in Indigenous Governance at the Native Nations Institute of the University of Arizona.
He is currently undertaking his PhD, researching Wiradjuri cultural revitalisation.
Barbie-Lee Kirby
Barbie-Lee Kirby is a Ngiyambaa, Wailwan, Baakindji-Maraura, Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay woman from Brewarrina, North West NSW. As a high school student, Barbie-Lee was a NASCA participant whilst playing representative netball where she was selected into the NSW emerging athletes program. She has a Bachelor of Business with majors in Accounting and Law from The University of Technology, Sydney, where she is currently studying an MBA in entrepreneurship. She was the first Indigenous candidate to complete the Finance Graduate Program at Qantas, and was promoted to Manager of Corporate Governance.
After six years at Qantas, Barbie-Lee has since joined the law firm, Herbert Smith Freehills as Citizenship Executive. She is a strong ambassador for education and successful First Nations people in business. As such, was an external advisor on the National RAP Committee at DLA Piper and was President of the CareerTrackers Alumni Association. She has since began her journey into the entrepreneurial space and hopes to support the First Nations start-up ecosystem.
Carlos Barrios
Carlos is a proud Torres Strait Islander and Filipino passionate about securing education and economic opportunities leading to positive intergenerational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. He is currently a Product Manager at Macquarie Bank and is an active member of the Macquarie RAP working group, Macquarie Sports Advisory Committee, and their First Nations Employee Network Group. He holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting major) and Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and a CA qualification with the Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand. Carlos brings with him his knowledge within the corporate business, education and not for profit sectors, and his experiences in amplifying First nations excellence, business and entrepreneurship.
Our Staff
Our staff works hard to drive the vision of NASCA and strengthen the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people from many language groups, cultural backgrounds and locations in Australia.
Chief Executive Officer
Alison Bentick
Alison is a Torres Strait Islander woman with Scottish heritage. Prior to taking on the NASCA leadership in 2022, Alison worked in the Federal Government for 17 years in a variety of portfolios including Indigenous Education, Employment and Disability.
At the NIAA she built genuine partnerships with community to improve the lives of Indigenous people, working closely with the development of Regional Governance Bodies to create a narrative and a voice for Indigenous people to achieve social change in areas including employment, education, health and wellbeing.
Alison is passionate about supporting the next Indigenous young leaders in this space to work on embedding social change with lasting impact for the betterment of their communities.
Deputy CEO
Shannan Dodson
Shannan is a Yawuru woman who is passionate about the rights of First Nations people and understanding mental health issues, particularly intergenerational trauma for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
She has worked in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs for over 17 years and is an experienced strategic communications and engagement specialist.
She worked on the Australian Marriage Equality Campaign and the national campaign for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
She is the Co-Chair of the National NAIDOC Committee.
