Our Board

Wendy Prowse – Chair

CEO, ADACAS, ACT

Wendy joined the Board of DANA in 2021. Wendy has been the CEO of ADACAS since 2020, an organisation that provides advocacy and information services to people with disability, people experiencing mental ill-health, older people, and their carers. ADACAS provides these services in Canberra and on the South Coast of NSW. 

Prior to working at ADACAS, Wendy held various senior management positions in the finance, health, and community sectors, working for national as well as local Canberra organisations. She has experience working in the commercial and not for profit sector. 

Wendy’s passion and dedication to social justice and human rights has underpinned all her working and volunteer roles.  Wendy has held various non-executive board director positions and is currently a Board Director for the Australian Red Cross. 

Wendy is a member of the ACT Government’s Inclusion Council, a member of the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders.

David Petherick – Deputy Chair  

Executive Officer, Barwin Disability Resource Council Inc, Vic

David was re-elected to the Board in 2022. Having previously been a member of the DANA Board from 2017-2021, is passionate about collective action and is committed to the work of DANA, believing it is critical to the ongoing success of advocacy in Australia.

David started as Executive Officer of the BDRC in June 2021 and is excited to continue on with the great advocacy work that the BDRC has been doing in Geelong since 1975. With a commitment to learning from everyone in the disability advocacy community, David has worked in the disability sector for over 30 years with 18 years of that in advocacy.

He has had leadership roles in several disability organisations, including VALID, the Australian Camps Association People Outdoors and the Office of the Public Advocate and I is passionate about full inclusion for all.

As a member of the Geelong Accessible City Taskforce, David is excited about Geelong becoming the most accessible city in Australia. He is also a member of the Victorian Rural Advocacy Network which includes advocacy services covering all Regional and Rural Victoria and they endorse my nomination for the DANA Board. 

Geoff Southwell – Treasurer

CEO, Leadership Plus, VIC

Geoff is the Treasurer of DANA and the Chair of the Finance and Risk Committee. Geoff has been on the DANA Board since 2018. 

Geoff is the CEO of Leadership Plus, an organisation which supports and promotes social justice and human rights for people with disability through individual advocacy and systemic advocacy in Victoria. 

Geoff also sits on the Board of the Victorian Disability Worker Commission and the Mental Health Legal Centre.

Denise Boyd – Secretary

Executive Officer, STAR Victoria

Denise was elected to the DANA Board in 2022. She has almost three decades experience in the not-for-profit sector, specialising in effective campaigns and strategic planning. Denise began her campaign career with Greenpeace Australia in the early ‘90s, and has extensive experience of political advocacy representing people, animals, and places both here in Australia, and on government and non-governmental delegations to several international forums.

Denise joined STAR Victoria in September 2019 and has worked with the Committee of Management to refresh the organisation’s operations and set a new direction with the publication of the current Strategic Plan. She has a passion for fairness, change for good, and good governance in the charitable sector.

Brendan Cullinan – Director

CEO, People with Disabilities WA 

Brendan joined the DANA Board in 2022, is married, has two children, and recently became a grandparent. He has held several senior management positions in his 23 years’ experience in working in and with the not-for-profit sector across WA in roles with the State government and community member-based organisations.

Brendan has volunteered in the disability sector since 2012 on Board positions, and has been actively engaged in a range of social inclusion projects. Brendan has been CEO of People with Disabilities WA since August 2020.

Kim Roots – Director

Executive Officer, Side By Side Advocacy

Kim joined the Board of DANA in 2022. She is the Executive Officer of Side By Side Advocacy, a not-for-profit advocacy organisation which promotes and upholds the rights, needs and interests of people with disability to enable full and meaningful participation in the community. The organisation specialises in providing advocacy for people with intellectual disability. Kim has held this position since 2020.   

Kim has a long history in the advocacy sector and as a lawyer. Kim has been a member of numerous advisory groups and has provided feedback to government about matters that impact on the lives of people with disability.

Kim believes that good communities are made up of all people and that advocacy can play a critical role in exposing abuse and neglect and in ensuring that people with disability have access to the ordinary good things in life.

David McGinlay – Director

CEO, Disability Rights Advocacy Service

David joined the Board of DANA in 2023. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Disability Rights Advocacy Service in South Australia. With two years of dedicated leadership in this capacity, he brings a wealth of experience from his prior role at the Darwin Community Legal Service.

David’s professional trajectory is firmly rooted in his ardent commitment to equal rights for individuals with disabilities, and his career is defined by his unwavering advocacy for disability rights.

During his tenure at the Darwin Community Legal Service, David played a pivotal role in championing the interests of individuals with disabilities within the NDIS Appeals domain. His impactful efforts reverberated across East Arnhem and Katherine, where he fervently advocated for Aboriginal clients navigating the intricate landscape of NDIS legislation. Recognising the skewed balance of decision-making power positioned far away from local contexts, David ardently campaigned for the empowerment of local decision-making authority.

David’s legal background is a cornerstone of his expertise. He is admitted to practice in both the Northern Territory and South Australia. His multifaceted journey, combined with his unyielding commitment, underscores his aspiration to uplift marginalised communities. Through his dedicated efforts, he actively cultivates positive change and strives for equitable outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Jenny Karavolos – Director

CEO, Disability Advocacy & Complaints Service of South Australia Inc (DACSSA) 

Jenny joined the Board of DANA in 2023. She has 20 years of leadership experience in disability, defence, transport, and energy, and is highly skilled in systemic advocacy, stakeholder relationships, collaboration, strategic planning, governance, and financial sustainability. 

Currently CEO of DACSSA and Co-Chair of NDIA’s Fraud Reform group, Jenny is actively involved in various roles including Co-Chair of the Australian Autism Alliance, member of the National Health and Mental Health Roadmap for Autism, and the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council. She is also the Chair-Elect for the Augmented Ability CRC, focusing on enhancing human capacity.

Jenny has a track record of securing commitments from both state and federal governments for autism strategies and roadmaps. Previously, she held roles as CEO of Autism SA and Commercial Adviser at Saab Australia.

She has also held Chair and Non-Executive Director positions in defence and disability for over 15 years. Her most important role is a parent of a gorgeous Autistic child. 

Christopher Ouizeman – Non-Executive Director & Member of the Finance & Risk Committee

Executive Officer, ADHD Foundation

Christopher joined the Board of DANA in 2023. He is currently Executive Director of the ADHD Foundation and consults to other organisations on leadership, culture, risk management and performance improvement.

With a background in private and ASX-listed companies, Christopher previously sat on the United Nations Association of Australia Environment & Sustainability Committee and lectured at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT). He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the CEO Institute, holding a Master of Commerce and MBA. Christopher also obtained a Pathology qualification while at the Drug Detection Agency.

Passionate about social justice, Christopher strongly supports DANA’s work, aiming to give a voice to those in need and prevent exploitation, injustice, and discrimination.

Stephen Ellis – Non-Executive Director 

General Manager, Clue 

Stephen joined the Board of DANA in 2023 as an independent director. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and passionate about disability advocacy. 

Specialising in marketing and communications, Stephen has 15 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector. He has been involved in developing strategies and directing campaigns in major markets around the world as Global Digital Director at World Vision International, and more recently as a consultant.

Based in Perth, Stephen is General Manager at Clue, a digital agency that helps ambitious organisations have greater impact and grow. Clients include many of Australia’s most well-known charitable organisations, as well as health, tourism, and retail focused brands.

He is a committee member for the Australian Institute of Marketing (AMI) and Fundraising Institute of Australia (FIA), State Chair of the AMI Emerging Marketers program, and guest lecturer at the University of Western Australia (UWA) Business School.