Board Members

Katherine Boyle, Chair

Katherine Boyle joined the Welfare Rights Centre in 2016 as Coordinator/Principal Solicitor and was appointed Executive Director in 2019. She also volunteered at the Welfare Rights Centre during 1996. Her 25-year career in the community legal sector, private practice, public service and trade union movement has focussed on defending and promoting the rights of vulnerable, marginalised and disadvantaged people. Katherine is committed to ensuring that all people in Australia have an adequate standard of living and to advocating for a fair social security system. Katherine has first class honours in both Political Economy and Law. Katherine joined the Board in 2019. She is committed to advancing EJA’s funding strategy and further developing EJA’s media and communications strategy.

Catherine Eagle, Deputy Chair

Catherine is the principal solicitor at Welfare Rights & Advocacy Service (WRAS) in Western Australia – a role she has held for over 20 years. Catherine assists clients with their Centrelink and tenancy issues on a daily basis. The clients she assists are often experiencing severe financial hardship, FDV, ill-health and significant stress.

During the ‘Robodebt’ scheme, Catherine worked tirelessly to assist clients to appeal their debts, and to draw attention to the problems with the automated debt system, appearing regularly before various Senate Inquiries between 2017 and 2021.

In collaboration with EJA, she was invited to appear before the Royal Commission into Robodebt. To operationalise one of the Robodebt Royal Commission’s recommendations, she has worked closely with Services Australia to establish an Advocate’s Channel to assist with communication between lawyers/advocates in welfare rights centres and Services Australia to resolve customer issues and raise systemic problems.

Catherine is passionate about improving access to justice for everyone including those living in regional and remote parts of Australia. She is committed to working with government agencies to improve legislative, administrative, service delivery and policy outcomes.

‘Sam’ Simon Tracy, Ordinary Board Member

As Practice Director at community legal centre Basic Rights Queensland, ‘Sam’ Simon Tracy has over seven years experience representing and overseeing Centrelink appeals in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Sam has presented at Economic Justice Australia Conference 2022/24 and Community Legal Centres Australia Conference Masterclasses in 2023. He has appeared in social security inquiries for the Joint Committee on Human Rights, the Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services and the Senate Community Affairs References Committee. Sam’s work in Regional, Remote and First Nation’s Communities, and his contributions to mental health justice initiatives, was recently recognised in being a finalist in the QCOSS Community Impact Awards 2024.

Rachael Bowker, Ordinary Board Member

Rachael Bowker is the CEO of Darwin Community Legal Service, where she leads the strategic and operational functions of a community legal and advocacy service focused on delivering client-centered, holistic care. With over a decade of experience in the community services sector, Rachael has been instrumental in ensuring accessible legal services and advocacy for vulnerable communities, particularly in remote and regional areas of the Northern Territory.

Rachael has spearheaded initiatives in disability advocacy, NDIS service delivery, and systemic legal reforms, including submissions to the Disability Royal Commission and national legal assistance programs. Her leadership prioritises a collaborative, client-focused approach that aims to address the complex needs of individuals through integrated services.

In addition to her role at DCLS, Rachael serves on several boards, including NTCOSS and the National Volunteering Strategy. She is passionate about social justice and community empowerment and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the board. Rachael holds qualifications in leadership, governance, and financial counselling, and is committed to advancing the rights and well-being of disadvantaged individuals and communities in the Northern Territory.

Emma Cvitak, Secretary

Emma is Practice Manager of the Generalist Team at Barwon Community Legal Service. Emma has been a board member of EJA since 2019. She is driven by a passion for social justice, connecting communities and holistic legal services. As part of the EJA Board, Emma appeared and provided submissions on behalf of our members at Parliament for their inquiry into sustainable employment for disadvantaged jobseekers and in 2020 was a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly ’30 under 30’ awards.

Christine Guy, Ordinary Board Member

Christine is a new member of the EJA Board and is a solicitor at the Uniting Communities Law Centre (UCLC) in South Australia. For the past 7 years, Christine has practiced in the area of Social Security Law. Christine has worked in the Community Legal Centre sector for more than 17 years, previously practising in the area of Criminal Law with the Children’s and Youth Legal Service of SA. Christine has previous committee experience on a Special Interest Committee with the Law Society of SA. Prior to joining UCLC, Christine worked in private practice.

Bettina Cooper, Independent Board Member

Bettina Cooper is an Aboriginal woman of the Boandik (Bo-Ann-Dik)  works in Mob Strong Debt Help, a First Nations driven program within Financial Rights Legal Centre, as a Financial Counsellor and Strategy Lead. Bettina successfully led the Save Sorry Business Coalition fighting for the victims of Youpla/ACBF to receive a fair and culturally appropriate and timely resolution.  Bettina has extensive experience advocating for people who are disadvantaged as a result of language, literacy skills, geographical isolation, low income, disability, trauma or related factors. Bettina also serves as the Chair of the FCAN Yarning Circle as a member of Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) Consumer Consultative Panel and on the Australian Banking Association (ABA) Consumer Outcomes Group.

Mitra Khakbaz, Independent Board Member

Mitra Khakbaz has over 20 years’ experience working in human services. In her current role as deputy CEO of HOST International she leads program design and service delivery across Asia Pacific including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. Her track record includes developing and leading projects across humanitarian settlement, employment, regional development, community wellbeing, youth engagement, child protection and women economic empowerment. Mitra currently is a board member of Nationality for All and is excited to join board of EJA. 

Gillian Wilks, Ordinary Board Member

Gillian Wilks is the Chief Executive Officer at Social Security Rights Victoria, and has been in this role for eight years. Gillian has a long career working in the legal assistance sector with previous positions as the Deputy CEO at Peninsula Community Legal Centre, in the leadership position at the Federation of Community Legal Centres and as a community legal education worker. In these roles she has had the opportunity to work at local, state and national levels and to take on a wide range of responsibilities. Gillian is the author of resources relating to design and delivery of community legal education and of volunteer programs. Gillian is an experienced community sector board member, with a strong commitment to good governance and to purpose driven action.

Staff

Kate Allingham, Chief Executive Officer

Kate has worked as a manager, advisor, community advocate and strategist across a range of government and non-government organisations. She is passionate about tackling complex issues, in a collaborative environment, to better empower all members of our communities. Kate recently worked as  senior advisor to an independent member of federal parliament, and previously worked in housing and Aboriginal and community legal services. Kate lives and works in Hobart, Tasmania.

Tori Edwards, Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Veronica Williams, Senior Lawyer

Veronica joined EJA as senior lawyer in June 2024, after working with Social Security Rights Victoria in a number of roles since 2017. While she is interested in all the intersecting aspects of Australia’s social security system, Veronica is particularly passionate about the Disability Support Pension and other issues people living with disability and mental illness face. Veronica is currently based in Naarm (Melbourne).”

Dr Simone Casey, Senior Project Officer

Sally Cameron, Senior Law Reform Officer

Sally has worked for community sector organisations, state government, international community organisations and UN agencies for more than 30 years. That work has included numerous stints in community legal centres including Women’s Legal Service (Qld), Kingsford Legal Centre, and Welfare Rights Centre, where she worked as a caseworker and later as the communications and community engagement lead. Sally has strong policy analysis skills, and is the author of numerous reports used to campaign for law reform. Her Masters in Women’s Studies included a focus on social security policy.

Taylah Bell, Project Officer – Remote Women’s Access Project

Taylah is an advocate and lawyer. She joined EJA in October 2023 after working as a community lawyer in regional and metropolitan Australia specialising in housing, social security, and family violence matters. Taylah is deeply passionate about advocating for regional Australians’ access to justice, human rights, and equity. At EJA, Taylah will focus on access to social security for women living in regional and remote Australia. Taylah lives and works in regional Western Australia.

Lucia Mai, Project Officer

Lucia joined EJA in March 2020 as a volunteer Communications Intern as part of the Brennan Justice and Leadership Program. She is in her final year of Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Communications (Creative Writing) combined degree at the University of Technology Sydney. Lucia is passionate about access to justice and ending State-sanctioned violence against people with disabilities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Kirsty Sier, Communications, Engagement & Media Officer 

Kirsty has worked in the media and communications sector for just over a decade. Prior to joining Economic Justice Australia, she held senior editorial roles within organisations including Hardie Grant Media, Google, AAP and AAP FactCheck, and contributed writing to a broad range of publications, including Broadsheet, VAULT, Habitus, Indesign and Art Collector. Kirsty is deeply passionate about the human rights and not-for-profit sector, with a particular interest in translating complex policy matters into communications that are understood by a broad range of audiences. She currently lives and works on Gadigal Country (Sydney).