Who we are

NASCA provides wrap-around support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, so they can thrive and succeed at school

Alison Bentick
CEO

Alison Bentick

Alison is a Torres Strait Islander woman with Scottish heritage. Alison worked in the Federal Government for 19 years in a variety of portfolios including Indigenous Education, Employment, Disability, and Economic Development. More recently she led initiatives in the National Indigenous Australians Agency to build genuine partnerships with communities to improve the lives of Indigenous people. Alison has worked closely with the development of Regional Governance Bodies in remote communities across Western NSW, creating a narrative and a voice for Indigenous people to achieve social change in employment, education, health, and well-being. In 2019 Alison completed the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (AFSE) Fellowship, a life-changing Fellowship for Indigenous social equity in Australia, Aotearoa, and the Pacific region. Alison is a part of the Senior Fellowship Cohort of lifelong global community change-makers across seven international Atlantic Fellows Hubs. Since joining NASCA in 2022 Alison has been able to elevate her passion for supporting the next generation of Indigenous leaders, embedding social change with lasting impact, and building up our young people to flourish in all aspects of their lives and to be the change for the future.

Charles O’Leary
Deputy CEO

Charles O’Leary

Charles O'Leary is a Gamilaroi man from northern NSW. He has an extensive background in Indigenous Australian policy, programming and service delivery in the non-profit sector, Australian Public Service, Victorian Public Service and Indigenous Higher Education and Research that spans over 20 years. Charles holds a diploma of Public Administration, a Graduate Certificate in Education, a Bachelor of Aboriginal Communication Studies and a Master of Philosophy by Research from the University of Melbourne. Most recently Charles was the Director of the Stolen Generations Reparations which he established and led for the Department of Justice and Community Services. Previous to this position, he was the Director of the Aboriginal Culture and Healing Division, Bushfire Recovery Victoria and Director of Murrup Barak, Melbourne Institute for Indigenous Development at the University of Melbourne. Charles is also a founding Director and Chairperson of Wangal United Aboriginal Corporation in Victoria. Charles secures outcomes for the Aboriginal communities he serves by delivering evidence-based strategy and policy throughout his career, achieving tangible outcomes through co-designing institutional-wide ownership, accountability, and performance.

Chloe Wighton
Chairperson

Chloe Wighton

Chloe is a NASCA alumnus. She attended NASCA Dubbo Academy as a student from 2008 until her graduation in 2011 and has been a Board member of NASCA since 2014. She is a Wiradjuri (Galari) woman from Gilgandra, New South Wales, and is currently the Managing Director of Bila Group, servicing the infrastructure industry with a multidisciplinary approach to heritage advice led by Indigenous knowledges. Chloe has worked across Indigenous strategy in higher education, media, and for the national campaign calling for constitutional reform. She also works alongside her family in running Chemrose, supplying the first Indigenous GECA-approved cleaning range. She is passionate about the continuation of Wiradjuri culture, particularly the preservation of cultural materials and knowledge. Chloe’s strong advocacy in the community led to her being awarded the Sister Alison Bush Medal University of Sydney’s Alumni.

Mark Heiss
Board Member

Mark Heiss

Mark Heiss is a Wiradjuri man, born and raised on Gadigal land in Sydney. Chairperson of the NASCA Board, he is an advocate for Indigenous young people reaching their potential and taking their place in the world. Mark has worked in education as a teacher and in the not-for-profit space for almost two decades, with a special focus on physical activity and leadership. Before taking on his directorship, Mark volunteered at NASCA for many years, having some of the most memorable times of his life with NASCA students across numerous communities in the remote Northern Territory, as well as in Sydney. Mark is currently Head of Scholarships at the GO Foundation and stays involved in his local community through his other passion – coaching.

Tracey Dennis
Board Member

Tracey Dennis

Tracey Dennis is an immensely proud Biripi woman, who has achieved many firsts in her family. She continually strives for those changes that are needed to become a successful woman and role model for her children, family, and community. For the past 35 years, she has dedicated her life and leadership capabilities to the education, employment, training, and economic development arenas, to understand and develop best practice models when providing guidance, advice, and support to Traditional Owners, their families, and communities. Tracey’s career has been built on ‘a hands-on’ experience as a CEO, Senior Executive, and Program Manager, leading many Aboriginal Affairs Policies and programs across Governments, corporate, and NGO sectors.

Carlos Barrios
Board Member

Carlos Barrios

Carlos is a proud Torres Strait Islander and Filipino man, passionate about securing education and economic opportunities that lead to positive intergenerational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. He is currently a Senior Product Manager at Macquarie Bank and sits on the Macquarie RAP Working Group and the Macquarie Sports Advisory Committee. Carlos has a Bachelor of Business Accounting Major and Laws (first class honours) is a graduate of the University of Technology in Sydney and is a Chartered Accountant (CA).

Lachlan McDaniel
Board Member

Lachlan McDaniel

Lachlan McDaniel belongs to the Galari Clan of the Wiradjuri Nation. He is currently the Indigenous Higher Degree by Research Coordinator at the University of Technology Sydney, where he is also undertaking a PhD. Lachlan’s Ph.D. explores his passion - the revitalisation of Wiradjuri Cultural practices and their significance. Lachlan has studied at a range of tertiary education institutions in Australia and abroad. He completed a Bachelor of Arts/Laws (BA/LLB) at Macquarie University in 2010. This degree included an international exchange to study 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 in 2013. Lachlan completed his Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language, Culture, and Heritage from Charles Sturt University in 2024.

Barbie-Lee Kirby
Board Member

Barbie-Lee Kirby

Barbie-Lee Kirby is a Ngiyambaa, Wailwan, Baakindji-Maraura, Gamilaraay, and Yuwaalaraay woman from Brewarrina, NSW. She was the first Indigenous candidate to complete the Finance Graduate program at Qantas, where she became manager of Corporate Governance. Currently, she is a Responsible Business Executive at Herbert Smith Freehills, and having studied Business, Accounting, and Law, Barbie-Lee is passionate about First Nations economic success. Barbie-Lee was also a NASCA scholarship recipient.

Related information

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About NASCA

NASCA is a 100% Indigenous-governed and led non-profit organisation, connecting our young people to Culture, and providing intensive, wrap-around support, so they can thrive at school and beyond.

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Our 100% model

NASCA is proud to be a 100% Indigenous-governed and led organisation.

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Careers

A career at NASCA is rewarding and fulfilling. We look for motivated and dedicated people with diverse knowledge and skills to help empower our young people to thrive at school and beyond.