Chief executive officer
Our former CEO Louise Glanville was recently appointed as the commissioner of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Quality and Safeguards Commission by the Federal Government. We congratulate Louise on this appointment, which will see her continue advocating for the rights of people with disability, as well as a sustainable NDIS.
Louise’s last day with us was 20 September 2024.
Our Board has met to start the process of recruiting a new CEO and settled interim acting arrangements as follows:
- Peter Noble will act as CEO from 21 September to 21 November 2024
- Rowan McRae will act as CEO from 22 November 2024 to 22 January 2025.
Executive Director Ashley Morris
First Nations Services
Ashley is a Gunditjmara man, born in Traralgon. Prior to joining Victoria Legal Aid in October 2023, he was manager of Koori services and programs at the Children’s Court of Victoria, where he led the development and delivery of the court’s self-determination plan and effective delivery and expansion of Koori services and programs. Prior to that, he was Koori services coordinator at the Broadmeadows Children’s Court where he led the development and implementation of the Marram-Ngala Ganbu (Koori Family Hearing Day). Ashley has also held several positions across the Koori justice sector, including in youth justice, corrections, family violence and criminal law.
Chief Operating Officer Cameron Hume
Community Legal Information and Corporate Services
Cameron was appointed Director of Research and Communications in October 2013. In December 2014 he became Victoria Legal Aid's first Director of Corporate Affairs and in October 2021 he was appointed Chief Operating Officer. He has worked at the Victorian Department of Justice in project, policy and operations management roles relating to law reform and administration of the justice system. He also spent several years as a management consultant working across research and evaluation, strategic planning, and organisational and operational reviews. This work spanned a range of social policy and operational portfolios including justice, human services and the community sector. Cameron holds a Masters of Public Policy and Management.
Executive Director Joanna Fletcher
Family, Youth and Children’s Law
Joanna commenced as Executive Director of Family, Youth and Children’s Law in March 2021. Prior to joining our organisation, Joanna was the CEO of Women’s Legal Service Victoria, a position she held for 11 years. Joanna has previously held roles in government and the community legal sector in policy and law reform.
Executive Director Kate Bundrock
Criminal Law
Kate was appointed as Executive Director of Criminal Law in September 2024. She started at Victoria Legal Aid in 2004 and has worked in a range of locations, including Shepparton, Preston and as manager of our Dandenong office. She has worked in Legal Practice and as director of Summary Crime and Therapeutic Justice. As the program manager of Summary Crime she delivered important initiatives. These included establishing Help Before Court and Bail and Remand Court services. Kate has worked at the Victorian Bar, Mallesons and the Supreme Court of Victoria as associate to Justice Osborn.
Executive Director Peter Noble
Regions and Service Delivery
Peter was appointed Executive Director of Services and Innovation in August 2016 and in October 2021 he became Victoria Legal Aid’s Executive Director of Regions and Service Delivery. Peter is based in Bendigo. While commencing in private legal practice, Peter’s career has been predominantly in the community legal sector, establishing Bendigo’s Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre and Shepparton’s Goulburn Valley Community Legal Centre, and championing Australia’s Health Justice Partnership movement. Peter now manages Victoria’s $51 million Community Legal Services Program and oversees our regional office network. Peter sponsors our Aboriginal Services Program and leads a service design team focused on data-driven planning, user experience and addressing postcode disadvantage. Peter joined the Board of the Victoria Law Foundation in 2018.
Executive Director Rowan McRae
Legal Practice, Civil Justice, Access and Equity
Rowan joined the Equality Law Program at Victoria Legal Aid in 2016. Prior to joining Victoria Legal Aid, she worked at the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, in the Offices of International Law and Constitutional Law at the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, and as associate to Justice Hayne of the High Court. She has also practised in the private profession and on legal development projects in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. She holds a Masters of Law.
Director Daniella Calkoen
People and Workplace Services
Daniella joined Victoria Legal Aid as a human resources business partner in 2012 and has since held various roles in our People and Workplace Services team, most recently as Associate Director, Advisory and Operations. She is an experienced business leader and human resources practitioner, having managed human resource, customer service and operational teams in public sector organisations including in the health, financial services and community services industries. Daniella holds a Bachelor degree in sociology and postgraduate qualifications in human resources, industrial relations, sociology and social work.
Director Eila Pourasgheri
Families
Eila commenced as Director of Families in February 2023. Prior to joining Victoria Legal Aid, Eila was Director of Education and Engagement at Women’s Legal Service Victoria and had worked at the Victorian Department of Justice. She has also practised in private practice and worked in Vanuatu and Cambodia in areas of access to justice and human rights. Eila is a recipient of the Law Institute of Victoria Distinguished Service Award and holds a Masters of Law.
Acting Director Elanor Peattie
Summary Crime and Therapeutic Justice
Before acting as director, Elanor was the associate director of Therapeutic Justice. She brings extensive experience working in criminal law as a prosecutor, before coming to Victoria Legal Aid and working in both indictable and summary crime, at regional offices and in therapeutic court roles. She has managed Judicial College of Victoria education programs for judicial officers and multidisciplinary teams working in therapeutic courts.
Director Jon Cina
Access and Equity
Jon joined Victoria Legal Aid in March 2016 as Associate Director, Access and Equity before his role was elevated to an executive position in 2024. He oversees our Legal Help service, a major entry point to the legal assistance sector and deals with 200,000 requests for assistance each year. The service operates 15 telephone and webchat helplines that identify people’s legal and related needs, and connects them to further support. After studying law in Scotland, Jon spent five years with United Nations war crimes tribunals responding to human rights abuses in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and East Timor. Since moving to Australia, he has worked with the Victorian Parliament Law Reform Committee, Department of Justice and Regulation and the Victorian Mental Health Complaints Commissioner, among other roles.
Chief Counsel Julia Munster
Chambers
Julia commenced as Chief Counsel in October 2020. Before this, Julia was in our Chambers for 10 years – initially as public defender, then senior public defender, also acting as chief counsel and the associate director in Chambers. She is an experienced trial advocate, an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law and is co-chair of the Law Institute of Victoria’s Accredited Specialisation Criminal Law Advisory Committee. Prior to joining us, Julia was a solicitor advocate in the Alice Springs office of the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission. Before that, she worked on land and native title rights and heritage protection projects for the Central Land Council. She holds qualifications in law and anthropology, and is currently studying a Master of Laws.
Director Lucy Adams
Civil Justice
Lucy started as the director of Civil Justice in December 2021. She joined Victoria Legal Aid in 2018 as the Strategic Advocacy and Policy manager of Civil Justice. Prior to this, Lucy was the head of Homeless Law and Advocacy at Justice Connect. She has also worked in private practice and on human rights issues locally and internationally. Lucy has undertaken a Churchill Fellowship on enforcement-based approaches to homelessness. She is on the board of the Council to Homeless Persons.
Chief Information and Digital Officer Martin Edwards
Digital Transformation and Technology
Martin commenced at Victoria Legal Aid as Chief Information Officer in March 2016. Since then, he has overseen different portfolios including information and communication technology (ICT), records management, built environment, business resilience and digital transformation. In December 2023, Martin was appointed as Chief Information and Digital Officer. He previously worked in the Victorian public sector in health and justice in chief information officer and senior ICT related roles. Martin is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds qualifications in Management and ICT.
Chief Financial Officer Matthew Dale
Finance, Planning and Projects
Matthew joined Victoria Legal Aid as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in July 2019. Before joining us, he worked at the Environment Protection Authority as the CFO where he was responsible for the financial, procurement, risk management, compliance and infrastructure operations, including financial reporting and strategic advice to the executive and Board. Matthew has extensive experience in financial management and leadership in a number of previous roles within the government sector at both state and federal level. Matthew has been a Certified Practising Accountant since 2006.
General Counsel Sarah Nieuwenhuysen
Office of the Chief Executive Officer
Sarah started at Victoria Legal Aid in 2012 as executive manager in the Office of the Chief Executive Officer and became general counsel in 2016. Before this, she worked in legal, governance, administration and policy roles in the Victorian public service, including at the Department of Education and Training, Department of Premier and Cabinet and Department of Justice. Sarah is admitted to practise as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and began her career in private practice.
Director Sonia Law
Legal Practice
Sonia Law began as our Director of Legal Practice in October 2024. From 2022 to 2024 she was deputy public advocate, responsible for the Office of the Public Advocate’s operations, including guardianship, advice, volunteer programs, quality assurance, complaints and legal functions. Prior to this, Sonia was program manager of our Mental Health and Disability Advocacy program and Corporate Counsel at Forensicare. She has also worked as a lawyer with the Australian Government Solicitor and Victorian Department of Human Services. Sonia was a non-executive director at Neami National, including three years as Board Chair.
Director Zione Walker-Nthenda
Client Services and Sector Engagement
Zione commenced as Director, Client Services and Sector Engagement in June 2022. Prior to this, she was the Director, Community Engagement with the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing and had held other senior roles in government including as a principal advisor with the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Manager, Human Rights with Victoria Police. She has also worked in legal education and policy roles with Women’s Legal Service Victoria and at Victoria Legal Aid as a lawyer in 2005. Zione was recently recognised by IPAA Victoria, receiving an award as one of the public sector’s emerging women leaders.
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