IMPACT leader named finalist in national disability employment awards

It’s rare to be recognised for your work on a national stage, but that’s exactly what IMPACT Community Services’ Felicity Hill experienced as a finalist at last month’s Disability Employment Australia (DEA) Awards.

Having been promoted to Regional Manager of Employment Services in December 2025 after only three months at IMPACT, Felicity was an obvious nomination choice for the Prime Super Emerging Leader Award.

The award celebrates a leader early in their management career who has demonstrated exceptional initiative, innovation and influence.

This is precisely what Felicity has done in her role overseeing IMPACT’s Inclusive Employment Australia and Workforce Australia teams across the organisation’s regional Queensland network, spanning from the Fraser Coast to Central Queensland.

Felicity clearly recalls the moment she learned she was one of the three finalists. At the time, she was tackling her emails after a month-long family holiday to Japan.

“It was the first email that I saw in my inbox,” Felicity said. “I was really excited. I was proud of myself.

“It's so nice to be recognised for your efforts in the sector, and I think it's something that doesn't happen enough on that scale.”

Felicity travelled to Adelaide to attend the DEA’s Gala Dinner, where the winners across four categories were announced.

While Felicity didn’t take home the win, she knows that being named a finalist is an honour in itself. Felicity said it was surreal to hear people screaming for her.

“It was nice to feel known in that space because it’s not something that happens very often,” Felicity said.

“People that I didn't know were congratulating me, which made my anxiety so much better.”

In addition to representatives from partner organisation CoAct, one of Felicity’s cheerleaders on the night was IMPACT’s General Manager of Disability, Employment and Training, Jenna Morrish.

As an experienced leader, Jenna saw Felicity’s leadership potential from the get-go and has been nurturing it ever since.

Her support hasn’t gone unnoticed. Felicity said she loves working under Jenna, whose mentorship and transparent, upfront leadership style suit the emerging leader well.  

“I appreciate her as a human,” Felicity said.

“She gives me opportunities to learn and grow and do things that I haven't done yet, and she supports me in that.

“Her brain works the same as mine. She understands me. When I go on tangents, she can keep up.”

The feeling is mutual. Jenna said that she’s witnessed incredible professional and personal growth in Felicity over the years they’ve known one another, and this development has accelerated over the last eight months.

“Since starting at IMPACT, I’ve seen Felicity step confidently into her leadership, continuing to evolve, challenge herself and lift others along the way,” Jenna said.

“What truly sets her apart is how deeply she cares about her people.

“She has a natural ability to hold accountability while building trust, which makes her not only respected, but genuinely valued by her team.”

Helping to shape Felicity’s empathetic approach is her firsthand knowledge of the employment challenges faced by those living with disability. Felicity’s mum, who has lived with disability for Felicity’s entire life, inspired her to join the disability employment sector.

“I watched her struggle all through high school just wanting to work, not for money, but to give her a sense of purpose,” Felicity said.

“When she did finally get a job after I finished high school, it changed her.

“She became brighter and happier. It made her feel like she was contributing to society in a meaningful way.”

Since launching her career in the industry in 2018, Felicity has supported many people in similar shoes to her mum find this same sense of fulfillment through employment.

She began as a consultant in the open employment space before finding her home in the Disability Employment Services (DES) program, now known as Inclusive Employment Australia. She also tried her hand as a claims officer and a regional manager at a not-for-profit, laying the groundwork for her current role at IMPACT.

Felicity said that the considerable time she spent working on the ground has made her a better leader.

“I knew what it was like to have that pressure of KPIs and placements and money,” Felicity said.

“I think that helped shape me to be the manager that I am because I have a good understanding of all facets of the role.”

This is only the beginning for Felicity, who hopes to continue to grow as a leader while helping more people experience the same sense of purpose and belonging that meaningful employment can bring.

To learn more about IMPACT’s Inclusive Employment Australia and Workforce Australia services, visit www.impact.org.au

IMPACT Community Services was thrilled to take home the Strong Start Award at CoAct’s ConnectUp event earlier this month in recognition of the team’s early excellence in delivering the Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA) contract.

IEA, delivered by CoAct Australia-wide, is the Australian Government’s new specialist disability employment program that replaced Disability Employment Services (DES) in November 2025.

Serving Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Gladstone, Biloela and Agnes Water, the IMPACT IEA team’s innovative implementation of employment support across these communities and commitment to person-centred service delivery sealed the win for the organisation.

Four IMPACT staff members attended the Sunshine Coast awards evening in their tropical-themed finest to claim the trophy, including General Manager of Training and Employment Jenna Morrish and IEA Regional Manager Felicity Hill.

Jenna said the national award is one of the best outcomes the team could hope for, and it was the carefully selected, values-driven staff driving the program that got IMPACT across the line.

“Finding the right people to deliver services across regional areas was a challenge, but the passion we saw across our footprint made it clear who we needed,” Jenna said.

“Every person we hired brought heart, purpose, and a belief in what IMPACT stands for.”

CoAct commended the organisation on its collaborative and proactive approach and strong partnerships with local employers, community organisations and support services.

Laying this groundwork enabled MPACT to efficiently transition clients into the program, progressing them from the initial consultation phase to hands-on support delivery. By the deadline of 27 January 2026, the team had already commenced 66% of its caseload, surpassing the 60% target.

IMPACT also took centre stage for its impressive client employment outcomes. Less than three weeks into the program, the team had already anchored its first employment placement, with the tally now sitting at 14 placements.

Regional Manager Felicity said it was a team effort, with their outstanding early performance coming down to strong communication, relationships and systems.

“I’m proud of them because it wasn’t easy. When we were having hard days, we would jump on Teams and have a laugh to keep that team morale going,” Felicity said.

“Everyone’s ability to be adaptable, learn on their feet and work together was what got us to where we are now.”

CoAct’s strong onboarding and training before the IEA program’s launch and its ongoing support throughout the rollout was also invaluable, empowering the IMPACT team to put their best foot forward under the new delivery model. 

Award-winning or not, Jenna said the team’s dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed.

She stated, “You earned this. Your compassion, resilience, and commitment to doing what’s right for participants is what sets IMPACT apart.”

“This win is a celebration of your hard work and the difference you make in people’s lives.”

By putting people at the centre of decision making and building a values-driven team, IMPACT Community Services is creating pathways toward meaningful employment and ultimately doing what it does best: improving lives.

IMPACT Community Services’ footprint in the Fraser Coast community is growing in response to community need, with two new sites opening in a matter of weeks.

In Hervey Bay and beyond, IMPACT is working with CoAct Connect to deliver the Australian Government’s new specialist disability employment program, Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA).

Expansion is also taking shape for IMPACT’s health and support programs on the Fraser Coast, with Intensive Family Support; Hope, Empower, Resilience and Enable (HERE); Family Mental Health Support Services; and Group Based Peer Recovery Support moving to a new premises recently.

Jenna Morrish, IMPACT’s General Manager of Disability, Employment and Training, said that the IEA program’s Fraser Coast launch on 1 November marked a crucial expansion milestone for IMPACT.

“We haven’t been in the Fraser Coast in this industry yet,” she said.

“It’s incredibly exciting for us because we can have a footprint in employment services with wraparound support for people living with disabilities.

“It’s all about what we can do in community. We’re there to uplift people with disabilities and support them to achieve their goals.”

Ms Morrish congratulated and thanked the Fraser Coast team for going above and beyond expectations in the early weeks of the program.

“Our team in Fraser have placed four people living with disability already after only two and half weeks, so that’s a fantastic achievement,” she said.

“They’re already doing, for example, payments for bikes to get them to employment.”

The IEA program operates out of The Signature Building, 21 Torquay Rd, Pialba. The building also hosts WorkFit, which is IMPACT’s employability support program.

Meanwhile, IMPACT’s health and support programs are now housed at 3/381 Esplanade, Torquay.

Nancy Oosterhof, IMPACT’s General Manager of Health and Support, said establishing an accessible space that accommodates the team while serving community needs is essential.

“The move for us is really timely to be able to deliver supports and expand our service offering,” she said.

“We were unable to deliver some group programs on-site and we’ve had to forego some other opportunities because of limited infrastructure.

“With the new premises, it enables us to create workstations for staff, provide spaces for group programs, and accommodate even more programs in future.”

The team is now operational at the new site. The premises features child-safe infrastructure, free on-street and off-street parking, and neighbouring parkland, with amenities and transport only a stone’s throw away.

Ms Oosterhof expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre for housing IMPACT’s Live programs over the past three years.

“We really appreciate the Neighbourhood Centre for supporting us for this time.

“It’s been fantastic being able to develop the programs alongside other community service offerings.”

For more information on these programs, visit our website.