A practitioner of the ‘psy’ variety once told Kayla, “The way you grew up, you ought to have ended up an addict or in jail”.
In her personal life (that irrevocably impacted her career trajectory), Kayla has experienced challenges with complex trauma; domestic violence, sexual violence, and the criminal justice system; housing insecurity and transitional homelessness; a raft of mental health challenges; and neurodiversity. Accordingly, after spending the majority of her life in survival mode, Kayla is a fierce advocate for elevating lived experience voices. Also an accomplished martial artist, who graded for her black belt in Japanese ju jitsu with a broken arm, Kayla accredits much of her mental and spiritual recovery to her continuing martial arts journey, as well as leaning on the discipline in her professional life.
Fast-forwarding to 2024, Kayla continues as the Chairperson of the Board for Consumers of Mental Health Western Australia Inc. and holds several other governance portfolio roles. Kayla also launched “The Governance Millennial” in 2023 with a view to disrupting conventional leadership paradigms by making space at the table for deliberate leaders, especially those who don’t fit traditional, outdated moulds. Known for her ‘zest’ and intensity, Kayla is reputationally a high performer and an emerging leader to watch.
The recorded webinar from 10 May 2024, which was presented to during the Perspectives 2024 Mental Health Symposium, is available here.
