OUR TEAM

OUR PATRON

DENNIS ALTMAN AM

Dennis Altman is a Professorial Fellow in the Institute for Human Security at La Trobe University, Melbourne. He remains active as an author and commentator on politics, gay rights and global HIV AIDS issues amongst many other topics. He was listed by The Bulletin as one of the 100 most influential Australians ever in 2006 and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2008.

OUR BOARD

Pride Foundation Australia is a voluntary organisation governed by a Board of Directors, comprising leaders from around Australia.  Directors bring a wealth of knowledge, passion and experience in LGBTQIA+ communities in Australia, and in corporate governance.

DR RUTH MCNAIR AM

Chair - Melbourne

Ruth is a general practitioner specialising in LBTQ health and women’s health. She is also an Honorary Associate Professor at the Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne; where she conducts LGBT research and develops training.

Ruth has advised the Victorian Government on LGBTI issues since 2000. She was the founding Convener of the Fertility Access Rights Lobby from 1999 to 2004, formed the Rainbow Families Council in 2005, and was Convener of the Australian Lesbian Medical Association from 2002 to 2005.

In 2007, she was made a life member of the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights lobby, and in 2017 a life member of the Victorian AIDS Council. She was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2017 for her academic, clinical and advocacy work, and made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019.

Steven Myrteza

Treasurer - Melbourne

Steven’s career in Finance and IT with BHP started in Newcastle and later in a range of locations around the world.  Steven was one of the founding members of BHP’s LGBTIQA+ group called “Jasper”.

Since then he has volunteered for a range of organisations including the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, The Grattan Institute, Beyond Zero Emissions, The Greens, Bush Heritage and is Treasurer and board member of Speak Australia.

DAMIAN DOUGLAS-MEYER

Perth
Damian is a senior IT professional in Perth. Damian was convenor of Gay and Lesbian Equality WA (GALE) from the late 90s to 2004 and was a key public face for the gay community in WA during that time as WA was amending its laws to remove discrimination for gays and lesbians.
Damian was on the WA Attorney General’s Ministerial Advisory Committee into Lesbian and Gay Law Reform. He was a board member of LGBTQIA+ Retirement Association Inc. (GRAI), an advocacy group for LGBTQIA+ retirement and aged care issues. He has also previously been on the boards of Australian Marriage Equality, and of Human Rights WA Inc.

CATHERINE FITZGERALD

Adelaide
Living in Adelaide, Catherine trained as an actor at Flinders University Drama Centre (1979 -1982) and has worked as an actor, director and writer working in alternative, community and main stage theatre as well as in film and TV. She was Artistic Director of Feast Festival, Adelaide Queer Cultural Festival (2013 – 2015), Associate Director at State Theatre Company of South Australia (2011-12), Artistic Director of Vitalstatistix National Women’s Theatre (1996-2002), Artistic Director of Mainstreet Theatre based in the South East of South Australia in early 1990s.  Catherine is currently a free- lance artist and spreads her time between directing and writing gigs around the country. She recently developed, dramaturged and directed Say No More – a multi-arts, multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-lateral 3 country collaboration for Tutti Arts, The Georgetown Festival and OzAsia Festival. In 2003 she was awarded The Centenary Medal for ‘the development of women artists in South Australia through Vitalstatistix’.   Catherine has been a member of the Management Committee of International Women’s Playwrights (2009-15) and was appointed as a Governor of the Board for State Theatre Company of South Australia (1996-2011), she is currently a Port Adelaide Arts Forum Board Member.

ALISON KING

New South Wales

Alison is a governance professional specialising in corporate governance, compliance and risk management in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

She is currently the CEO of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine, as well as having held governance roles at Myer Family Investments, David Jones and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

She has been an active volunteer in the LGBTQIA community, having been involved with the Ankali Project, ACON, Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, Mardi Gras, Chillout Festival, and the Aurora Group, where she was Chair from 2015 to 2018 and awarded life membership.

SARINA JACKSON

Public Officer - Sydney
Sarina is a partner of a law firm based in Sydney and Melbourne. When living in Melbourne, she was on various boards of the ALSO Foundation including a time as President. She has been involved with Joy 94.9, HIV/AIDS Legal Centre and Victorian AIDS Council. Sarina is aware of the issues relating to same sex attracted individuals and couples in Australia and feels strongly and passionately about changing those issues. Sarina’s experience in her legal practice and her knowledge of the community compliment that of the other trustees of PFA.

Olivia Hogarth

Tasmania
Olivia is currently combining her background in education, and her passion for connection and belonging for LGBTIQA+ people, in her role as Community Engagement and Learning Coordinator at Working It Out, Tasmania’s gender, sexuality and intersex status support and education service. Olivia is also the project officer for the Aged Care Navigator Trial’s Tasmanian LGBTI Community Hub, and LGBTIQ+ Inclusion in Sport. Olivia has previously volunteered on the TasPride committee, and continues to co-ordinate their annual Pride Parade and Party in the Park. She currently sits on the Tasmanian Whole of Government Reference Group and the board of Equality Tasmania.

Peter Waters

New South Wales

Peter is widely recognised internationally as one of the world’s leading telecommunications lawyers. 

Prior to joining Gilbert+Tobin, Peter worked in a Washington DC law firm on international trade and tax issues, as a consultant to the Commonwealth Minister for Social Security on the design of child support scheme, as a law reform officer at the Australian Law Reform Commission, as a clinical education tutor at the University of New South Wales and as Associate to Justice Elizabeth Evatt, Chief Judge of the Family Court of Australia.

Peter was the sponsor of Gilbert+Tobin’s LGBTIQ+ group.  He organised the marriage equality campaign in his home town Murwillumbah, and featured in a program run by the Tweed Museum Small Town Queer.

Peter chairs the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation and is a director of the Asylum Seeker Centre.  He is co-chair of a working group established by the Federal Government to review promoting digital technologies in Australia agriculture.

Isaac Hohaia

Queensland

Isaac is a rural generalist, general practitioner, anaesthetist, medical administrator and is the Director of Medical Services for several Queensland Hospitals.

Isaac’s special interests include improving healthcare and healthcare delivery to LGBTIQ Australians living in rural and remote areas and to Australia’s Indigenous peoples.

Isaac has previously spent several years as a general practitioner in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and with the Royal Flying Doctor service based in Alice Springs. Isaac has served on the board of the Gay Auckland Business Association and formed the Derby (Kimberley, WA) rainbow youth mentoring group.

Isaac and his husband live with their two children in Kingaroy Queensland.

Mollie Hewitt

Perth

Mollie Hewitt is experienced in strategic management, arts leadership, cultural project management and community development. She is co-founder and director of Walk Through Walls, a company that helps individuals and organisations overcome the financial, logistical and bureaucratic barriers they face in delivering projects with powerful positive outcomes. As a fundraiser, producer, and strategic adviser she assists communities across Australia with wide-ranging projects.

At FORM as Regional Manager (2010-2018) she negotiated corporate partnerships, delivered extensive community consultations, managed arts spaces, visitor centre services and a major Aboriginal art centre in the Pilbara. As a Curator she has delivered creative programming, residencies and exhibitions across regional WA. 

As General Manager of Western Australian Youth Theatre Company (2018-2021) she delivered major projects with young people, Aboriginal communities, the queer community, and people living with disability. She continues to support WAYTCo through Board membership and on supporting committees. 

Ayan Dasvarma

Victoria

Ayan Dasvarma is a proud gay man, second-generation migrant and person of colour, currently working as a senior manager and leader in the tertiary education and medical research sectors. He has held various roles managing and leading academic units and coordinating corporate and administrative services across two major Victorian universities for over 20 years, building on previous training and work as a medical researcher in Australia and the UK.

Alongside his work in the tertiary education and medical research sectors, Ayan has nearly 20 years of experience in community service, advocacy and development, specifically in Melbourne’s LGBTQIA+ community, across organisations including the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Gay and Lesbian Switchboard, ThorneHarbour Health, Midsumma and the ALSO Foundation before its closure. He has also held roles in several arts organisations, including the Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne Fringe, the Melbourne Comedy Festival and the Melbourne Writers’ Festival.

Ayan undertakes capacity-building in both professional and community spheres through active roles on multiple committees and groups. He carries out his work, service and advocacy with respect and accountability, striving for equity, inclusion and agency for diverse groups and individuals, including those impacted by structural inequalities and discrimination.

OUR STAFF

Pride Foundation Australia comprises two part-time paid staff members to support the ongoing function of the organisation.

RUBY MOUNTFORD

Administration Officer
Ruby Mountford is a passionate LGBTIQA+ community advocate and currently work s as Administration Officer for Pride Foundation Australia. They also serve as as Project Coordinator of Disability Inclusion at Thorne Harbour Health, Education Officer of Melbourne Bisexual Network, and sit on Autism Spectrum Australia’s (ASPECT) LGBTIQA+ advisory committee. An alumni of the 2018 Leadership Victoria’s LGBTI Emerging Leaders and Autism CRC’s Future Leaders programs, Ruby has a passion for building resilience through community and connection, and is committed to creating a future that values and respects diversity, collaboration, empathy and compassion.

PENELOPE WILSON

Marketing Officer
Penny is a Melbourne-based freelance digital marketer, working under the business name Twopence Social. After earning her chops in creative spaces like The Jacky Winter Group, Gorman and Spotlight, she now works predominantly with small local businesses, non-for-profits and charitable organisations, with a particular interest in queer and refugee and asylum seeker spaces. Penny’s work for Pride Foundation Australia aims to increase the organisation’s overall reach and reputation through social media management, website management and other related marketing tasks.

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