Meet Our Team
Meet Our Team
“Our mission is to support all Victorians to live a fulfilling life.
The secret to our success is all about working with the right people”
Avi Leelah
Founder & Director
Avi is the founder and Director of VPS. With a background in Psychology, Philosophy, Maths (and Astrophysics!) Avi continues to lead the team with 15 years backing in the industry.
With a strong intrigue by the human psyche and its motivation, Avi is passionate to make his mark on the world and leave it in a better place to which he found it. Avi created VPS in 2016 and has continued to guide best practice and continuous improvement strategy.
Fun fact: Avi is fluent in French and a huge Led Zeppelin enthusiast!
Katrina Mintoff
Office Manager
Katrina is our Office Manager. Over the last 12 years, she has worked in a range of specialist medical, general practice and allied health management and administration roles.
Katrina is client focused and always strives to create an effective and efficient working environment.
Fun fact: Katrina is a citizen of Malta! She LOVES the island, the people but most importantly LOVES the food!
Kerry
Senior Manager
Kerry is our Senior Manager and began working at VPS as a
support worker. Her background is in education with Bachelor of Education (Hons) and a Master of Education (Hon). As
a dedicated long term educator, Kerry has worked in the primary, tertiary, and Tafe sectors, with a passion for community engagement, and lifelong learning.
Making a difference in the lives of our participants is a key value that is a focus of Kerry’s daily activities.
Fun Fact: Kerry has a deaf cat named Zenda and a rabbit
named Bruce. She loves to travel around South East Asia especially if she can
ride a motor bike.
Ledion Mecollari
Chief Executive Officer
Ledion is our CEO. He has more than 18 years experience in leading teams across Education, Consultancy and business management.
Ledion is passionate about Education and believes that anyone can achieve their goals if they are supported enough.
He holds a MBA, a Master in Finance and a Master in Professional Accounting.
Fun fact: Ledion is fluent in Italian and loves soccer (crazy supporter of Inter Milan).
Lindsay Hume
Disability Operations Manager
Lindsay is our Disability Operations Manager. Lindsay has a background in Social Work and has worked in Disability and Community Care for 15 years.
Lindsay is originally from Scotland and moved to Melbourne 11 years ago, where she has worked for both state and local Government and not-for-profit organisations.
Lindsay has experience working with people with a disability in the Justice system, as well as supporting participants in the community with NDIS funding and other forms of Government funding. Lindsay is passionate about leading teams who have a positive culture, work to organisational values, and work collaboratively to achieve positive outcomes for the people we support.
Fun Fact – Lindsay has 2 dogs (Bruce and Hamish), and 5 cats!
James Harkins
Business Relationship Manager
James is our Business Relationship Manager, bringing a wealth of experience spanning Support Coordination, community disability, adult and youth justice, sales, recruitment, and event coordination.
James is driven by a profound passion for uniting like-minded individuals to uplift the most vulnerable members of our community in a collaborative and positive manner. James' dedication to empowering people to live their fullest lives shines through his unwavering commitment to guiding them in the right direction. With a fondness for multitasking, James relentlessly pursues solutions to any challenge that comes his way.
Fun Fact: James harbors a deep fascination with science and the universe, often regaling his wife with endless facts until she drifts off to sleep from boredom.
Cristina Pinzone
Clinical Operations Manager
Cristina is our Clinical Operations Manager and in-house Behaviour Support Practitioner. She has worked in the field of Behaviour Support for over 6 years and is passionate about improving quality of life through a person-centred approach, giving individuals a voice in their own supports that break the mold of traditional therapy.
Cristina has completed a Master’s Degree in Education, with a specialisation in Behaviour Analysis, and is also a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA).
Cristina has also completed specialist training in sexualised behaviours of concern and is proudly one of only two behavioural sexologists in Australia!
Fun Fact: Cristina LOVES chilli oil and will add some form of chilli to every meal!
Tom Cui
Senior Occupational Therapist
Tom is our Senior Occupational Therapist. Tom has completed a master’s degree in occupational therapy, and he has been working in the field of occupational therapy for 8 years.
Tom likes to think of occupational therapists as puzzle solvers, because they assist clients in solving how to complete tasks that they may or may not have been able to do in the past.
Fun Fact: Tom is a metalhead. He likes a number of bands from the 80s. Tom is good at producing noise at home with his Gibson guitar.