• 1300 787 247
Lisa Sampson – Board Member

Lisa Sampson – Chair

Lisa was appointed to the Frontier Services Board in 2016. She held the role of Deputy Chair for three years prior to being appointed Chair in 2021. She has been actively involved with the Uniting Church since 2015 where she held the position of Media Relations and Fundraising Consultant for the Synod of NSW & ACT for five years. Over her career Lisa has held senior executive roles in the Australian media sector and the not-for-profit sector in public relations, marketing, communications and philanthropy as well as a non-executive directorship within the education sector for seven years. Lisa graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) Degree from the University of NSW.

Rev. Heather den Houting – Board Member

Rev. Heather den Houting – Deputy Chair

Heather was appointed as the General Secretary of the Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod in June 2016. Heather serves across a range of Church Boards and commissions with the Uniting Church at national, state and local levels. Heather has a background in law including government, community, and private practice. She is a Graduate of the Australia Institute of Company Directors and holds degrees in Economics, Law, and Theology and postgraduate qualifications in Management.

Colleen Geyer

Colleen Geyer – Board Member

Colleen is the current General Secretary of the Uniting Church in Australia Assembly and has held a number of other senior roles in the Church including Associate Director of UnitingCare Australia, Director of Mission at BlueCare, and National Consultant for the Assembly Gospel and Gender Unit. She brings a wealth of experience, extensive leadership knowledge, and a range of Uniting Church perspectives to the Board. Colleen has also been a member of the Queensland Churches Together Indigenous People’s Partnership.

Aunty Dianne Torrens

Aunty Dianne Torrens – Board Member

Aunty Dianne Torrens is a Widjabal woman and Githabul woman of the Bundjalung nation from the Northern Rivers. She was a founding member of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) in NSW and one of the first five Aboriginal women to be made a Uniting Church in Australia Elder. Aunty Dianne and her husband Tim Torrens initiated the “Walking on Bundjalung Country”, inviting non-Aboriginal people to join them for a time of learning, connection, and sharing.

Dorothy Creek – Board Member

Dorothy Creek – Board Member

Dorothy has served on the Frontier Services Board since 2016. As a farmer living in rural NSW all her life, Dorothy brings a valuable grassroots perspective to the Board. She knows only too well the reality of living on the land. Dorothy is also a lay preacher and a foundation member of the Uniting Church in Australia Riverina Presbytery. Attending school at Narrandera in southern NSW, Dorothy completed her studies at the University of Sydney before returning to the Riverina region.

Mark Kickett

Mark Kickett – Board Member

Mark is a Noongar man from the south west of Western Australia and the Interim National Chair of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC). He served on the Frontier Services Board as Aunty Dianne Torrens’ liaison until June 2021, when he was formally appointed as a member. Mark has worked in Government, Community Services, and congregations, and has served as a minister in churches in Brisbane, Perth, Broken Hill, and Kalparrin.

Ben Cohen

Ben Cohen – Board Member

Ben has over 60 years of experience in investment banking, accounting, information technology and strategic development. A member of Toorak Uniting Congregation, Ben has been serving the Uniting Church in an official capacity since 1989, contributing to numerous boards and committees including a 10-year membership of The Assembly Finance Risk and Audit Committee. He is a past Director of CPA Australia and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from UNSW.

Tim Ford

Tim Ford – Board Member

Tim was appointed to the Frontier Services Board in 2021, carrying forward a family legacy of involvement within the organisation. He operates a leadership advisory practice serving Boards and Executive Teams in a range of areas encompassing succession planning, developmental assessments, team optimisation, and executive coaching. Tim graduated with high honours in Organisational Psychology from Harvard University and has a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.