About The Lisa Harnum Foundation
Lisa Harnum Foundation:
A voice for women experiencing domestic abuse
Our Vision
Lisa Harnum Foundation’s vision is for all women and children to live safely and flourish – free from fear and from domestic abuse.
We strive to prevent family violence and end the cycle of abuse through education and social change. We do this by supporting those in need and providing safe and secure spaces to respect those who have lived in fear and help restore their dignity. Through advocacy, we endeavour to live in a community in which family violence is eradicated for everyone, by everyone.
We are inspired by the need to help others living in fear and violence and passionate about helping them find the freedom to flourish and feel empowered.
We are ethical, compassionate and honest – operating with integrity in our mission to eradicate the impact that family violence has on individuals, families and communities.
We exceed expectations in all that we do – from the safe spaces we deliver, to the advocacy we undertake – we do what’s right by the women and children we represent and hold our head high in the pursuit of excellence and innovative change.
We put people first, listen to their experiences and embrace their situations so that we can help them identify a solution that respectfully supports them finding their way to freedom.
Who is Lisa Harnum?
Lisa Harnum was thirty years old when she died, having been thrown from the 15th floor balcony in Sydney City, by her fiancé Simon Gittany. In the lead up to her death, Lisa had been intimidated and controlled by this man she feared. When Lisa tried to escape, Gittany became aggressive, dragged her back in to their apartment and ended her life.
Lisa represents every person who has been directly or indirectly affected by some kind of violence or abuse – whether it is physical, mental, emotional or financial. Yet, we tend to believe it will get better, so we ignore it or turn away instead of facing it. In truth, it will never be eradicated unless we face it head on and take a stand. Unless we make it STOP.
Making it stop means intervening. Making it stop means reporting it. Making it stop means saying something or doing something if the situation safely allows it. A few seconds can mean the difference between life and death.
The loss of Lisa is devastating, and the pain is endless. The Lisa Harnum Foundation is the voice for those who need it. Through education, support and the provision of safe spaces, the Foundation is the light in the darkness, and a helping hand when you need it most.
Joan Harnum, Lisa’s Mother
Founder and Board of Directors
Aileen Mountifield, Founder & CEO
Aileen is the Founder and Executive Director of the Lisa Harnum Foundation. Her passion for supporting women and families in domestic violence situations led Aileen to establish a foundation that supports and educates women and families in the Hills Shire of NSW, where support services are limited.
Aileen brings years of senior management experience, along with extensive community work and the establishment of pioneering programmes for vulnerable people and abused women.
At a crossroad, Aileen trained and worked as a community based chaplain for ten years, facilitating programmes for women who had experienced some form of abuse. It was then that Aileen vowed to do more to bring an end to domestic and family violence.
Frank Sedmak, Chairperson
Frank is the General Manager, People and Culture at Cerebral Palsy Alliance. Over the past 13 years he has led the P&C team in providing strategic and operational advice and services to the CPA Board, managers and staff in the areas of employee relations, recruitment, workplace health, safety and injury management, volunteers and corporate engagement and payroll.
Prior to CPA, Frank had over 20 years of experience in senior and executive management roles, where he had developed and implemented effective operating, financial, accounting and human resources systems and key strategies in the transport, manufacturing, IT and aged care sectors.
Julianna Creswell, Board Member
Julianna is a solicitor with Papantoniou Blake Lawyers in Toongabbie and has been a criminal law solicitor since her admission to the Supreme Court in 2002. A former regional Law Society President and former Rotary President, Julianna has dedicated her life to improving access to the justice system and bettering society.
Throughout her career she has helped countless victims of crime through the Court process and to obtain compensation, also leading offenders down the path of rehabilitation and restitution.
In addition to helping adults Julianna has also represented many children and as part of that process has been involved in many programs to help disadvantaged adults and children, such as Breakfast Club which provides transport to school and free breakfast to children in regional New South Wales. In addition to her criminal practice, she also has experience in a range of other legal areas including care and protection, litigation, family law and wills and estates.
Simone Murad, Board Member
As a director of businessDEPOT Sydney, Simone provides financial advice and accounting solutions to individuals and businesses throughout Australia, in addition to business, tax and financial planning advice with a focus on wealth creation, risk management and retirement planning.
Simone’s strengths allow her to apply her knowledge to assess both her clients’ business and personal situations and provide wholistic tailored solutions that encompass both their needs now and into the future.
As a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Financial Planning Association, she knows the value of continuous education and knowledge and is passionate about using that knowledge to give back to the community. This spirit has seen her involved with various charities and pro bono efforts over her career.
