The Braille House Management Committee is made up of experienced professionals that want to enhance the lives of people who are blind or have low vision.
Jacqueline Parker (Chair)
BCom, DipFP & Cert IV TAE
A results driven and self motivated individual with proven leadership and organisational skills and a strong track record in business development.
Committed to the highest levels of professional and personal excellence with a strong focus on strategic decision-making, corporate governance, compliance and quality systems. Jacqueline has 13 years Manager Director experience with her own financial planning firm from start up to sale followed by 2 years transition experience.
Jacqueline is a member of Disaster Relief Australia which (DRA) unites the skills and experiences of Australian Defence Force veterans, emergency responders and civilians to rapidly deploy disaster relief teams domestically and around the globe.
Jacqueline joined the Braille House Board in 2020 as a way of giving back to the community in a Board capacity.
Associate Professor Barry Oliver (Treasurer)
Barry is a Discipline Head of Finance in the UQ Business School and well known in Brisbane having moved here from Canberra nearly a decade ago.
He lives in Yeronga. He has had various interviews in the local media on his research, especially on overconfident CEOs and their impact on companies.
He has over 20 years’ experience as a researcher and consultant in finance working for various universities and organisations.
Prior to his current position he was Reader in Finance at the ANU and worked for the Commonwealth Department of Finance. He has published in major academic journals including Journal of Banking and Finance, International Review of Finance, Pacific Basin Finance Journal, Australian Journal of Management and Accounting and Finance as well as being quoted in the Australian Financial Review many times.
After completing his PhD in 2001 he returned to study psychology completing this in 2008. From then his research has been strongly influenced by psychology.
He brings to Braille House considerable finance expertise and an understanding of the work of Braille House from his mother who was blind.
James Grant (Secretary)
MFP, Adv Dip Financial Services
James is a senior member of KPMG’s Compliance & Conduct practice and leads its Brisbane team.
James has worked within the financial service industry for more than 20 years and has held a number of executive level roles leading both large teams and business units.
James is an advocate of strong governance and professional conduct and has joined the Braille House Management Committee through a desire to utilise his skills to give back to the community.
When not at work James is a devoted family man and dedicated Manchester United supporter!
Nigel Harris
MBA, CFRE, GAICD
Nigel is Managing Director of Nigel Harris & Associates, an advisory and consulting practice specialising in philanthropy and fundraising leadership. He is also Founding Partner of Giving Architects Australia, a fundraising campaign and impact investment consultancy.
In a career spanning almost 40 years, Nigel has held executive leadership roles in non-profit organisations for all that time, most notably serving as Chief Executive Officer of Mater Foundation (Queensland) for 24 years.
Currently a director and Deputy Chair of Act for Kids, Nigel also serves on the Board of Leukaemia Foundation Australia, and the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy.
Nigel is a Fellow of Fundraising Institute Australia and the Institute of Managers and Leaders and a Certified CEO with the CEO Institute. He is also a Past President of the Rotary Club of Albany Creek and has been active in community and sporting organisations for over 40 years.
Married to Lee-Anne, they have two adult children, and Brisbane has been home since moving from Adelaide in 1994.
Heidi Monsour
Heidi is the Director of Marketing and Admission at Griffith College (Navitas Pty Ltd). Heidi has worked in marketing for over 25 years, but also have extensive experience in fundraising including leading a team to raise over $6m to build a women’s shelter in Brisbane.
Going deep into understanding the consumer experience, the value a brand can bring, and the best way to play in the digital world, is where Heidi feels most passionate about.
Heidi aims to enrich an organisations view of how to really tap into what customers are feeling and thinking at every stage of their journey… balance with respecting and growing the brand and stakeholder relationships.
Partnerships, or what I like to call ‘brand buddies’ is also something Heidi drives through different marketing and communications initiatives, and not only ones with those within the industry, but more-so surprise and delight across different industries who are capturing the attention of the same markets.
Most of all – Heidi’s greatest buddy and passion – is her rescue dog, Allie, a Maltese Cross.
Amanda Acutt
BA (Hons) LLB (Hons) PhD
Amanda is an experienced policy practitioner and analyst in the Queensland Public Service. She works with her team to improve outcomes for young people and communities in a fair and balanced youth justice system, through leading legislation, strategy and policy direction.
Blind since birth, Amanda is an avid reader with a thirst for knowledge and love of learning. The privilege of a braille-based education has been, and continues to be, fundamental to Amanda’s personal and academic achievements. She joins the Braille House Management Committee with a genuine dedication to raising the profile of braille, to ensure that people who are blind or have low vision can fulfil their potential, and thrive.
Vickie Anderson
BS in Orientation & Mobility
MS in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy
Vickie Anderson has over 20 years’ experience working with people living with blindness or a vision impairment (BVI). This experience, her passion for the work and her determination to learn new skills and techniques has taken her to 3 different countries to work with people in the BVI community.
Vickie was trained in the USA as a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist and is an internationally Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS). She prides herself in being able to work with people of all ages, yet, has solidified herself as an expert working with children around QLD. It is her mission to ensure everyone gets a timely and excellent service regardless of the request.
Her passion for the BVI community has also led her down the path of training family members and other professionals. She believes that this is equally as important as training people living with vision loss. Vickie loves doing professional development for individuals and companies! She truly believes she can help the world understand vision loss one presentation at a time.
When Vickie isn’t doing the job she loves, it’s time to hang out with her little family: husband Dave and their 4 dogs. This crazy family keeps all of her free time full and she wouldn’t have it any other way.