About Us
Our Values
Accepting and embracing ‘the stranger’
Recognising and encouraging the best in one another
Sharing strengths and resources to support each other in spiritual, practical, material and emotional ways
Building genuine connections for long term community transformation
Honouring God and growing in relationship with Him
Our People
Mark Matthews
National Manager
Empowered Faith Communities
Mark has worked in the social welfare sector of Melbourne for 30 years. He holds Diplomas in Social Science and Business and is trained in providing professional supervision and counselling and is experienced in community development.
Mark’s work has involved providing direct casework to clients, leading teams of Social Work and Health professionals in service provision, and being instrumental in designing, developing and managing major crisis accommodation centres and housing programs across Melbourne.Since 2007, Mark has been responsible for the ongoing development of the COACH Community Mentoring program. Mark has developed the frameworks of Empowered Faith Communities (EFC). He team leads an EFC in Rosebud (Victoria) that is offered to people who don’t feel they could easily fit within a mainstream church, empowering them to become agents of influence and change in their own social space.
Megan Micalizzi
Relationships Manager
Empowered Faith Communities
Megan has worked in a vast array of community sectors over the last 35 years. Megan’s love of people from all walks of life is evident in all she does. Megan has the ability to be ‘all things to all people’ and can relate to professionals through to people facing immense hardship.
Her heart is to empower people in their environment and to see them thrive. Megan previously worked as a Local COACH Coordinator and then as the South East Queensland Manager for the COACH network.
During the last 12 years, Megan has worked as an accredited Pastor for the Nexus Church group in Brisbane. At Nexus, Megan worked as the Head of Pastoral Care for all three campuses and led a flourishing group as the Seniors Pastor. Megan’s love of people is contagious and she excels in casting vision and galvanising teams and leaders to identify and empower the community to live with purpose, confidence and meaning.
Sam Hearn
National Director
COACH Network
Sam is back at COACH after taking a sabbatical year to be the Mayor of the Mornington Peninsula Shire, and recently finished five years serving as National Director of SURRENDER Australia – an organisation that creates partnerships and hosts events across Australia to engage Christians in local and global mission and justice activity. Prior to this he served for four years as a Mission and Ministry Coordinator with New Peninsula Baptist Church. He has also worked as a lecturer and consultant around organisational vision and strategy development.
He is one of the leaders of Jigsaw, a missional community shaped church that is based in his neighbourhood of Tanti Park. He is also the Chair of Tanti Park Social Enterprises, an organisation he co-founded to operate the HomeGround café and provide vocational training and placemaking alongside disadvantaged youth.
Celyn Yan
Operations Managerr
EFC & COACH Network
Celyn has over 20 years’ international experience in business development, asset management, investments & event management within corporate real estate & not-for-profit organizations. Celyn joined COACH Network in June 2023 & is responsible for the Admin & Operations function within COACH Network.
Celyn holds a Bachelor of Science (Real Estate) with Honours from the National University of Singapore, along with post-graduate studies in Finance.
Annette Brown
Marketing & Comms Manager
EFC & COACH Network
Annette joined the COACH Network Team in early 2019 after a career as a Marketing & Communications Specialist in the IT industry.
In her role Annette manages all aspects of COACH Marketing & Communications including email communications, social media channels, the website, developing new collateral, the COACH App and other projects.
Annettes qualifications include a Bachelor of Business (Marketing & Management) along with post-graduate studies in Multimedia and Digital Marketing.
