Volunteer Community Group
Melville City Climate Action Network Inc
Meet your MCCAN committee - locals trying to make a difference.
Dr Jillian Horton - Chairperson
Jillian Horton is a retired Clinical Psychologist who ran a private practice for over twenty years and also worked within university, hospital and community settings.
She has a strong background in research, completing a Master of Clinical Psychology from UWA and a PhD in Medical Psychology from the Ludwig-Maximillion University in Munich, Germany. She speaks fluent German.
Her strong focus on climate change and concerns for nature moved her to help found MCCAN and work to get the City of Melville to declare a climate emergency. She then worked within Council for 18 months to set up and run the Community Climate Action Reference Group, which underpinned the writing ofthe Community Climate Action Plan.
Currently she is the Chairperson of MCCAN and is very involved in assisting the organisation with planning and running community events.
Damian Hart - Deputy Chairperson
I grew up in the City of Melville and have lived in it for over 50 years. I have personally witnessed the reduction in Perth's rainfall as winters when I was a kid were so much wetter.
Action is the antidote to depression. Almost every problem facing us here in Perth and across the world will be made much worse as our climate deteriorates. However, depression about the climate, while seductive, is giving up and makes us feel worse.
MCCAN has given me energy to take practical local action and I've made friends along the way!
I have been amazed that all of us in MCCAN have personally experienced significant savings going all electric.
The case is clear - save the planet and save our bank balance!
Paula Samson - Secretary
Paula Samson is a retired community pharmacist, business owner and was a founding Member of Melville City Climate Action Network Inc. (MCCAN)
Paula was born in the wheatbelt town of Kununoppin, Western Australia, had her early years on a farm playing in the natural bush and developing an understanding of the land and of ecosystems. Life was shared between going to school in Perth and working on the farm during school holidays.
Participating in a student exchange to Los Angeles during its peak smog years in the ‘70s resulted experiencing the personal affects of air pollution and how government regulation was able to improve air quality.
Currently, she is the secretary of MCCAN and enjoys the volunteers that participate in all the events organised throughout the year.
John Gherardi - Treasurer
John has had a major involvement in the climate change space since 2017, a major part of which has been in the political domain bringing policies and strategies to reduce emissions to members of parliament, Federal and State; Always as part of a team.
He has tertiary qualifications in science, economics and theology.
He has been appointed or elected to multiple governance roles including the Board of the State Housing Commission, and chief executive of several not-for-profit organisations in mental health, housing and homelessness fields.
His community activity over many years has always been working with local citizen groups. Recently he was a member of a group of citizens concerned with the juvenile justice system in WA and the detention of young people (some 10 years of age) at Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre.
His MCCAN membership is a continuation of climate change activity begun many years ago.
Elaine Hart - Ordinary Member
Elaine moved from England to Perth in 1990 and has called it home ever since. As her family became more independent, she devoted more time to developing her artistic practice, much of which reflects her love of nature.
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Elaine has long been passionate about sustainability and environmental responsibility. After completing the Living Smart Course, she became an active member of the Melville Smarties for several years, encouraging individual practical actions.
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Wanting to contribute to broader community change, Elaine joined MCCAN. She finds hope working with others on local initiatives, and being part of the solution. Through the committee, she has learned alot, including developing website management skills and hopes to combine art and activism in the future.
Grant Loveday - Ordinary Member
Grant is an engineer with a theoretical and practical understanding of the problems and solutions in sustainability and climate action.
He has undertaken all of the electrification steps espoused by MCCAN - and many other actions - and is keen to share his knowledge with Melville residents and the business sector.