Staff

Susan joined ACTCOSS in February 2013. Susan is committed to working with leaders across Canberra to build a more just and inclusive community, where everyone lives with dignity.

Susan's career has focused on making a difference - as a social worker, in policy roles in ACT and Commonwealth governments and as the leader of services development advocacy work for UnitingCare Australia. Susan's direct practice included working in community health, mental health and disability employment. Her social policy work included service development and policy reform across the lifespan. She supports development of the social work profession with the Australian Catholic University.

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.

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.

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.