Our Team

Jump to: Staff | Board

 

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Amelia Telford

Acting Co-Executive Director

Amelia (Millie) Telford is a Bundjalung and South Sea Islander woman. As First Nations Justice Director at Australian Progress, her role aims to build capacity of First Nations-led movements and advocacy across the country. Prior to joining Australian Progress, Millie co-founded and led Seed, Australia’s first Indigenous Youth Climate Network. Since Seed’s launch in 2014, the organisation expanded rapidly, becoming a national grassroots network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to protect country, culture and communities from the causes and impacts of climate change.

 
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Elise Dalley

Acting Co-Executive Director

Elise brings 14+ years experience leading strategic communications and advocacy capacity building to her role as Acting Co-Executive Director at Australian Progress. In her substantive role as Impact Director, Elise oversees the strategy and impact of our cross-sector work, including persuasive messaging, collaborative initiatives to strengthen democracy, Progress Labs, and the Economic Media Centre. Prior to joining Australian Progress, Elise worked in electoral politics in Australia and Scotland, and as a journalist for Sydney Morning Herald, CHOICE and The Jakarta Post. Elise holds a Bachelor of Law and Journalism from the University of Technology Sydney.

 
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Kirsty Albion

Executive Director (Parental leave)

At the helm of Australian Progress since the pandemic began, Kirsty has led her team to train thousands of social changemakers, convene hundreds of nonprofits and deliver groundbreaking collaborations. Previously, Kirsty served for five years as National Director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, running high-impact campaigns to protect the reef, grow renewable energy and keep fossil fuels in the ground. She grew the organisation three-fold to the largest team focused on climate campaigning in the country. Kirsty has trained more than 10,000 young people in campaigning, communication, organising, and supported the growth of the Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network. Kirsty is the recipient of numerous awards including Young Tasmanian of the Year 2010 and the Prime Minister’s Young Environmentalist of the Year.

 

LIZ SUTHERLAND

Chief Operating Officer

Liz leads all aspects of Australian Progress’ finances, people and culture, policies, processes, and logistics to facilitate the achievement of our high impact work. They have experience across a range of not for profit sectors including HIV, Aboriginal health, and domestic violence focusing on organisational development, management, policy, and advocacy. They hold a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) through Curtin University and are completing their Masters of Arts (Writing) through the University of New England.

 
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Anita Tang

Organising Director

Anita Tang is passionate about building people power to secure public policies that benefit the community. During her career, she’s explored many ways to make a difference – through direct service, policy development, consumer protection bodies, and Parliamentary Committees, and non-government policy advocacy. During her 12 years at Cancer Council NSW, she led the development of the grassroots advocacy approach that led to significant campaign wins on smoke-free legislation, cost of chemotherapy, access to treatment, and policies to protect people from known cancer risks. Currently, Anita is focused on increasing the impact of the advocacy work of NGOs by helping them unlock the potential of their grassroots supporters.

 
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cathy kirwan

Philanthropy Director

Cathy has an extensive career in the not-for-profit sector spanning 25 years. Initially trained as a youth worker, she spent the early part of her career working in direct service in the homelessness and family violence sectors, providing case management to young people, women and families. Over the last 15 years Cathy’s work has focused exclusively on the areas of fundraising, marketing and communications for a diverse range of organisations including Safe and Equal, SisterWorks, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Strategic Grants and in her own consultancy practice.

 

ALEX KELLY

Communications & Strategic Projects Director

Alex joins Australian Progress to lead our communications strategy and our new Strengthening Democracy project. Alex has a background in arts, strategic communications, organising and documentary filmmaking with expertise in impact producing. Alex was impact producer on The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone, In My Blood it Runs and Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything. Alex is on the board of Original Power and is a founding member of the Unquiet Collective.

 
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Jess Herne

Strategic Projects and Operations Manager

Jess leads Australian Progress' major events and conferences, messaging roll-out, and other capacity building initiatives, alongside managing our internal operations. Jess was previously National President of UN Youth Australia, leading the organisation in its delivery of educational programs for thousands of young Australians. Jess also has a background in theatre and live production, primarily working with young people in high school and university.

 
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Phong Trinh

Training and Digital Manager

Phong leads, connects and builds the Australian Progress community and drives engagement across our events, trainings and programs. Through a decade in organising and campaigning, Phong has worked across numerous organisations including leading roles at Oaktree, Road to Refuge, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and UN Youth. He specialises in digital communications, strategy development and visual design. He currently sits on the board of the Commons Library.

 
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ERICA RANSLEY

Community Manager

Erica brings her passion for social justice and systems change to her role as the Community Manager. She has previously worked on divestment campaigns to shift money out of the fossil fuel industry, has coordinated and supported the growth of climate justice organising in Victorian schools, and supported young organisers through numerous campaigns, conferences, and training. Most recently, Erica has been studying Social Work and Human Services.

 
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NICK CASSELLA

Strategic Communications Manager

Nick is a political communications professional who has worked for progressive campaigns and organisations in the US and Australia. Nick is in charge of formulating a new strategy for Australian Progress' external communications while also managing the development of the Economic Media Centre's Spokesperson Network. Nick specialises in digital campaigning and holds an International Relations degree from the University of St Andrews, Scotland.

 
 

Our Board

 
 
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DINAH ARNDT (CHAIR)

Head of Strategic Communications, Climate Council

Dinah Arndt is a reformed journalist with 13 years’ experience in the Australian media industry. Most recently, as chief political reporter and columnist at Tasmania’s daily Northern newspaper The Examiner. Since joining the not-for-profit sector she has leant on that experience in managing the day-to-day media, communications and advocacy affairs of both large and small enterprises. In 2015, she joined the Climate Council to set up an entirely new project called the Climate Media Centre. The Centre localises and personalises climate change impacts and solutions for Australians by connecting journalists to powerful stories about people and places effected now, as well as inspiring tales of those taking action.

 
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El Gibbs

Director — Policy and Advocacy, Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA)

El Gibbs is an award-winning writer with a focus on disability and social issues. She was previously the Director, Media and Communications for People with Disability Australia, and is a member of both PWDA and Women with Disabilities Australia. Currently, El is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA). El is a member of the Disability Leadership Institute. Each of these organisations are run by, led by and work for disabled people.

 
 

KAREN KANDUR (Treasurer)

Chief Operating Officer, Environmental Leadership Australia

Karen is currently COO at Environmental Leadership Australia. Karen has 15 years financial and operational experience in international development and her previous role was Chief Operating Officer of ActionAid Australia - a global women’s rights organisation focused on climate justice, economic justice and women’s rights in disasters and emergencies. She is a Chartered Accountant and has a Masters in International Development and an Executive Masters in Business Administration.

 
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ANDREW HUDSON

CEO, Centre for Policy Development

Andrew is a dynamic leader in the international human rights movement with 25 years of experience in advocacy, campaigns and senior leadership, working with NGOs, the UN, the private sector and government. Previously, Andrew was the CEO of Crisis Action in New York, and was a lawyer in Australia representing disadvantaged clients and refugees and spearheading major law reform projects. He has also worked with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Ecuador and the UN Regional Commission in Thailand. He was Australia's first Youth Representative to the UN.

 

RACHEL BALL

CEO, Reichstein Foundation

Rachel is a not-for-profit leader and human rights advocate with twenty years’ experience working in Australia and overseas to progress social and environmental justice. She’s the CEO of the Reichstein Foundation and has previously held senior leadership roles at the Human Rights Law Centre, Oxfam Australia and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria. Rachel has expertise working with diverse stakeholders to design and deliver strategies that challenge unfair distributions of wealth and power, including through rights-based advocacy and campaigns, strategic litigation, political engagement and corporate accountability.