ACT Council of Social Service Inc.

Justice | Equity | Social Inclusion | Reconciliation

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Staff

The ACTCOSS team is keen to meet you. Check out our profiles below and contact us if you'd like to chat about our areas of work.

Management Team

CEO:
Dr Emma Campbell

Dr Emma Campbell.Dr Emma Campbell joined ACTCOSS as Chief Executive Officer in January 2020.

Dr Campbell is a former CEO of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), Australia’s peak representative body advocating on behalf of Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. 

Dr Campbell brings with her a dynamic and diverse work portfolio and a wealth of experience ranging across academia, the community sector, international crisis responses, business and government sectors.

She has a strong commitment to social justice and the community sector.

[email protected]
02 6202 7200
Contact about:
ACTCOSS priorities and strategic direction; public statements and commentary; membership; sponsor relationships and collaboration

Policy Manager:
Craig Wallace

Craig joined ACTCOSS in 2015 as the Housing Campaign Manager and became Advocacy Manager in October 2016. Craig has led work on a joint campaign with ACT Shelter to put housing and homelessness issues at the centre of the ACT election.

With a background in the Australian Public Service including in housing policy, leading a community housing association and as the President of a national peak disability rights body, Craig is passionate about social justice, human rights and the importance of affordable and accessible housing for all Canberrans.

[email protected]
02 6202 7208
Contact about:
Campaigns; advocacy; housing; transport; infrastructure; planning

Operations Manager:
Carmen Byrne

Carmen joined ACTCOSS in July 2020 as the Operations Manager (maternity leave placement).

Carmen is an experienced business leader, spending most of her career in the health care manufacturing sector. Her corporate career spans a diverse range of roles from clinical research, quality management, sales, marketing, general management, industry association board member and an international assignment. Carmen is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has completed a Bachelor of Applied Science, Masters of Business Administration and Post Graduate Certificate in Health Policy.

More recently, Carmen has embarked on a career and tree change, moving from Sydney to the Canberra region and dividing her time between work with ACTCOSS and leadership-related coaching and facilitation work.

[email protected]
02 6202 7234
Contact about:
Administration; finance; governance

Policy & Development Team

Senior Policy Officer (Research and Data):
Geoff Buchanan

Geoff joined ACTCOSS in 2015 as a Policy and Research Officer, became the Policy Analyst and Research Manager in October 2016, then on to Senior Policy Officer (Research and Data) in 2018. This position was initially created to support sector engagement in the development of an industry plan for the community services sector in the ACT. His responsibilities are sector policy and homelessness. 

Geoff has over a decade of policy research experience, having worked at the Australian National University and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies before joining ACTCOSS. He has a multidisciplinary social science background with a focus on social policy and economics and has completed a Master of Geographical Science at the ANU. He has a longstanding research interest in the relationships between the community, government and market sectors.

[email protected]
02 6202 7222
Contact about:
Community sector policy; homelessness

Senior Policy Officer:
Gemma Killen

Gemma joined ACTCOSS in early 2021 as a Senior Policy Officer. Her policy responsibilities include justice, drugs and alcohol, gender, families and young people, and education.

Gemma recently completed a PhD in Sociology at the Australian National University, specialising in gender, sexuality and community making and has extensive experience in social advocacy in Canberra. She is also a freelance writer, educator and engagement consultant on issues relating to gender and sexuality.

[email protected]
02 6202 7223
Contact about:
Justice; drugs and alcohol; gender; families and young people; education

Capability Officer:
Ryan Joseph

Ryan joined ACTCOSS in May 2017 as Capability Officer. Ryan undertakes a range of work to ensure that ACTCOSS training, forums, and peer networks are facilitated smoothly and remain relevant,while working to identify emerging capability and community sector development needs for the ACT.  

Before joining ACTCOSS, Ryan was a Research Assistant at the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University (ANU), prior to which he worked in the social enterprise tech start-up space and as an Ambulance Medic in Singapore. Ryan has a Master of International Relations (Advanced) from the ANU and a Bachelor of Social Science from the Singapore Management University.  

[email protected]
02 6202 7230
Contact about:
Learning and development; peer networks; tailored support; tools and resource needs.

CASP Development Officer:
Bianca Williams

Bianca joined ACTCOSS in 2020 and works on the coordination and development of the Community Assistance and Support Program (CASP) Network and policy related to health, disability and ageing. Bianca has over a decade’s experience working in the ACT community sector and has served on various ACT boards, including two years as the President of Brindabella Women’s Group. She has project managed, and contributed to a number of women’s community art projects. Additionally, she was a regular host of the Yes She Can multicultural women’s radio show.

Bianca is a final year PhD Candidate in Gender, Sexuality and Culture at the Australian National University. Her research interests include feminist history, intersectionality, maternal wellbeing, Reconciliation and disability rights.

[email protected]
02 6202 7234
Contact about:
CASP, health, disability, ageing

Gulanga Program Team

Gulanga Program Officer:
Julie Butler

Julie joined ACTCOSS in 2007 as a part-time Sector Development Officer in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program, now known as the Gulanga Program. Julie contributes to program activities such as cultural awareness training, the development of resources, various work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and community, and with agencies and their staff in the ACT community sector.

Julie's family are from North Queensland (Bandjin) and North Western Queensland (Kalkadoon). She has worked in various government and non-government agencies in areas such as education, youth, domestic violence, housing, health and aged care.

[email protected]
02 6202 7262
Contact about:
Gulanga Program

Gulanga Program Officer:
Kim Peters

Kim joined the Gulanga team in 2018 as a Gulanga Program Officer. Kim works three days a week and focuses on building cultural awareness and competence in services funded through the Community Services Directorate's Child, Youth and Family Services Program (CYFSP).

Kim is a proud Wiradjuri woman from Wellington, NSW. Kim and her family have lived in Canberra for the past 18 years where she began working with Lowana Youth Services. Kim has also worked at the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre. Kim shares with us the knowledge and experience she acquired from working in the community youth sector and she has extensive networks within the local community.

[email protected]
02 6202 7202
Contact about:
Gulanga Program; cultural awareness for CYFSP funded organisations; ACT Nannies Group

Organisational Services Team

Media and Communication Adviser:
Ada Fitzgerald-Cherry

Ada moved into the position of Media and Communication Adviser in early 2021 after joining ACTCOSS in 2020 as Administration Support Officer.

Before joining ACTCOSS, Ada worked in high-end hospitality management and event logistics. She is pleased to bring her attention to detail and passion for service to the community sector.  

[email protected]
02 6202 7200
Contact about:
Media, ACTCOSS journal, CommsNet, communications

Administration Support Officer:
Tashi Choden

Tashi Choden joined ACTCOSS in February 2021 as the Administration Support Officer. She is responsible for supporting the smooth operation of the office, events, administration and management of the membership database, and finance and payroll.

Tashi’s previous experience has been in the media and her interest has been in covering social issues, highlighting the plight of socially disadvantaged people. Through her reports, she has provided a voice to those who were socially disadvantaged and helped to bring the attention of policy makers on the issues.

[email protected]
02 6202 7200
Contact about:
Office admin; membership; accounts; general inquiries

Information and Events Support Officer:
Holly Zhang

Holly joined the ACTCOSS team in 2018 as the Information and Events Support Officer. She collates the Weekly Community Sector eNotices, manages events planning and administration, and provides information support to the staff team.

Holly has been studying moral philosophy at the Australian National University, and previously advocated for women-identifying and women-aligned undergraduate students at the ANU Student’s Association as head of the ANU Women’s Department in 2017.

[email protected]
02 6202 7277
Contact about:
Weekly eNotices; events; communications; social media

Publications & ICT Officer:
Suzanne Richardson

Suzanne joined ACTCOSS in 2008 as the Communications and Membership Officer, and in 2019 became the Publications and ICT Officer. Suzanne is the first point for office ICT support and manages the website. She collates the quarterly journal, and performs desktop publishing and graphic design for our publications and communications. Suzanne also assists in developing ICT policies, procedures and strategies. She also acts as ACTCOSS' Privacy Officer.

With a Bachelor degree in graphic design and new media, and a certificate II in IT, Suzanne enjoys using her skills to assist organisations who support our community's most vulnerable, and to advocate for positive social change.

[email protected]
02 6202 7235
Contact about:
Communications; website; publications; ICT