ACOSS Staff
- Dr Cassandra Goldie | CEO
Cassandra has an extensive career in the community sector in Australia and internationally working in human rights and law and justice. Cassandra joined ACOSS in July 2010 from the Australian Human Rights Commission where as Director of the Sex and Age Discrimination Unit she played a pivotal role in the inquiry into pay equity and paid parental leave.
She has previously been the Director of the Homelessness Legal Rights Project at UNSW, a consultant to UN Habitat, Solicitor in Charge of Client Services with Legal Aid in Western Australia and Executive Officer of the Darwin Community Legal Service.
Cassandra has also been President of NTCOSS and Board Member of ACOSS (2001-2002) and was an ACOSS Law and Justice Policy Advisor (2000-2006).
- Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine | Senior Policy Officer | Community Services, Health, Social Inclusion and Sector Development
With a background in criminology and human rights, Tessa's previous work includes the impact of the UK's Human Rights Act 1998; corporate social responsibility; anti-terrorism laws in the Commonwealth of Nations (for the CHOGM, Uganda, 2007); forensic mental health in NSW; and public education about criminology. Tessa joined ACOSS in 2009. She has a PhD from the London School of Economics, examining the public protection agenda and the release of mentally disordered offenders. Her book on this subject will be published in 2010.
- Craig Bulley | Personal Assistant to the CEO
Craig is the first point of contact for Clare Martin, (including to book meetings and speaking engagements) and Board administration. Craig joined ACOSS from the Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agency. He has a background in university administration, has been a board member of community organisation Radio Skid Row, and involved in community radion stations Workers Radio and 2NCR. He has many years experience in print production, NGO administration and events coordination.
- Peter Davidson | Senior Policy Officer - Employment, Economics & Tax, Social Security
A recognised expert in social security , employment and tax policy, Peter 's research and policy interests include employment assistance, the labour market and unemployment, income support, poverty research, taxation and superannuation policy. He has served on a number of Government advisory bodies and contributed to major reform efforts in these areas. ACOSS publications prepared by Peter cover such topics as reform of the personal income tax system, an analysis of tax concessions for superannuation and proposals to make them fairer, and reform of employment assistance for long term unemployed people. He is currently undertaking a Masters in social policy at the UNSW Social Policy Research Centre.
- Penny Dorsch | Librarian/Researcher
Penny is responsible for the ACOSS research library, which contains around 10,000 items, both electronic and print. She also undertakes varied research tasks. Before she joined ACOSS, Penny worked in Information Services at Fairfax Media and as a consultant for the National Parks Association. She has an MA (Information Management) from the University of Technology in Sydney, and is an Associate of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).
- Emily Hamilton - Project Officer - Emergency Relief Handbook
Emily is working with ACOSS to produce a new edition of the Emergency Relief Handbook, last published in 2003. With a background in direct social work practice, human rights and advocacy and research, Emily has worked for The Asylum Seekers Centre of NSW, Amnesty International Australia and the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse. She has a Social Work (Hons) Degree from the University of NSW.
- Al Parmeter | Memberships, Events and Office Manager
Al manages membership relations and events, including the ACOSS National Conference. He also oversees the general coordination of the office. Al completed a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in sociology and politics in 2005 and after taking some time off to travel he began working at ACOSS in 2007.
- Ray Pedley | Accounts Officer
- Tony Westmore | Senior Policy Officer - Energy and Climate Change
Tony's work at ACOSS is focused on issues affecting low income households in the national energy markets, including regulation of retail customer matters, affordability, energy efficiency and amenity, the roll-out of smart meters and climate change and related policy responses. Tony has worked for non-government, not-for-profit organisations for twenty-five years, mostly in legal services, public policy and research.
