Our Staff

Jeff Smith

Chief Executive Officer

With a background as a senior executive, Jeff has 15 years of experience, including serving as the longstanding CEO of Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) NSW and People with Disability Australia (PWDA).

Jeff is a person with a disability, has transitioned into the disability sector while maintaining involvement in the environment sector, seeking to identify linkages between the two. A solicitor by profession, Jeff has a lifelong commitment to social justice and the environment.

With 50 years of cumulative experience at the Board level, Jeff brings a wealth of governance experience. He has served on the boards of the Leadership Coalition of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), Climate Action Network International, Haymarket Foundation, the Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law, EDO NSW, the Total Environment Centre, the Environmental Planning and Law Association, and the Climate Institute.

El Gibbs

Deputy CEO

El Gibbs joined DANA in May 2023 in the newly created role of Director, Policy and Advocacy. In July 2024, El was promote to the role of Deputy CEO to allow her to play a greater role in the strategic direction of DANA. This promotion reflects her extraordinary impact on DANA and the disability advocacy sector.

With over fifteen years of experience in policy, strategy, and advocacy for the rights of people with disability, El is a seasoned advocate, communications expert, and NDIS specialist. As a disabled person, she has worked as a sought-after consultant in policy, communications, and strategy, and has held senior roles at various national disability peak organisations. Additionally, El is an award-winning writer, regularly published on NDIS and disability issues in leading publications.

Dr Cherry Baylosis

Policy Coordination Manager

Cherry joined DANA in April, 2024 as our Policy Coordination Manager. She is responsible for managing the NDIA DRCO Secretariat Function and the National Coordination Function. She has extensive experience working in community services with 20 years of service in government and not for profit sectors. Her career focus is on disability policy research, and communications and she has previously worked in roles where she managed systemic advocacy programs and disability campaigns. She has also led and supported research projects on disability and psychosocial disability and has published a range of academic articles.

Cherry holds a PhD in media and communications and is an honorary lecturer at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Disability Policy and Research. Her research specialises in giving voice to people with psychosocial disability. From this, she brings strong research and practice principles that adopt the mantra, ‘nothing about us, without us’, and elevates lived experience in policy development. Having personal experience caring for family with psychosocial disability, she is passionate about using storytelling and research as way of challenging systemic injustice.

Siobhan Clair

Policy Officer 

Siobhan is our Disability Royal Commission (DRC) Policy Officer. She is responsible for liaising between advocacy organisations, the DRC and other relevant bodies; working to support advocacy and community engagement activities around Australia; and contributing to coordination and communications strategies that improve the effectiveness of the DRC advocacy effort. 

Since 2013, she has worked in policy and project roles in disability rights and representation, including at DANA from 2013 to 2015, and at Advocacy for Inclusion, People with Disabilities ACT and the ACT Government’s Office for Disability.  

Working in small organisations and understaffed teams, Siobhan has developed varied skills in systemic advocacy, community engagement, projects, events, and communications.  

Liam Thatcher

Advocacy and Policy Officer

Liam joined DANA In October 2023 to support the team’s ongoing policy and systemic advocacy efforts.

Liam has a background as a NDIS Appeals advocate, having supported many clients with cases before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in his previous role with Brain Injury SA as well as in research assistance for the Adelaide Law School during his undergraduate studies in Law and Political Science. His research interests are around administrative law and the NDIS, economic justice and welfare more generally, and the practical experience of people asked to navigate these systems.

He is also a carer and is a passionate advocate for the rights of people with a disability to participate in all aspects of society and the community

Caitlin Clair

Policy Officer

Caitlin commenced her role as NDIS Review Project Officer in June 2023, after providing communications services to DANA since July 2022. After living in Canada for six years, Caitlin is excited to reacquaint herself with Australian systems of law and policy. In her new role, she strives to meaningfully contribute to and engage with the disability advocacy sector and community to maximise DANA’s impact on the NDIS Review. 

Caitlin has a decade of experience working in diverse positions across the legal, insurance and health industries, which has been informed by her Bachelor of Law and Fine Arts in Creative and Professional Writing.  

Caitlin has lived experience of mental illness and identifies as a person with psychosocial disability. She is passionate about systemic advocacy and intersectional equality, and greatly values the opportunity to apply her skills and knowledge to working with the disability advocacy sector. 

Mel Lawrence

Policy Officer

Mel joined DANA in November 2024 as a DRCO Secretariat Policy Officer. She brings over 7 years of experience from the community service and social justice sectors, where she has supported diverse communities in the areas of Disability Advocacy and Youth Homelessness. Mel is a strong advocate for empowering peoples’ decision-making rights, access to information, and building capacity and self-determination.

Currently completing a Bachelor of Social Work, Mel is particularly interested in neurodiversity and invisible disability research, policy, advocacy, knowledge sharing and development of inclusive systems. A highlight of her advocacy and policy work was presenting at the parliamentary inquiry on ADHD assessments and supports. Mel’s personal journey with late-diagnosed neurodiversity, learning difficulties, and chronic health conditions has deepened her understanding of the barriers faced by others, inspiring her commitment in using her lived experience and knowledge to create meaningful and accessible change.

Alana Starr

Project Coordinator

Alana is a Project Coordinator at DANA. Alana joined the team in March 2024 after working with the DANA team since mid-2023 as a policy and project consultant. She is a proud disabled person and brings her lived and systems experience to her role.

Alana has a decade of experience in the disability sector, working across service delivery organisations, ILC Grant-funded organisations, and systemic advocacy. This has also included consulting on projects and working as an inclusive facilitator. Her work in the sector has included policy writing, project management, storytelling, running co-design and advisory groups, facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and resource development. Alana really enjoys DANA’s work and is excited to be part of such a strongly member-focused organisation.

Martin Butcher

Manager, NCDA  

Martin is leading up the National Centre for Disability Advocacy. This is a resource centre supporting the independent advocacy sector across Australia. Martin has had over 30 years experience in community and service development across the local government and not for profit sectors.

Before joining DANA Martin spent 12 ½ years as Executive Officer of Regional Disability Advocacy Service in North East Victoria and Southern parts of NSW. Martin has also worked for 5 local governments across the northern region of Sydney. His experience includes facilitating disability and aged care service networks, access advisory committees and organising senior weeks festivals. 

Born with cerebral palsy, Martin has first-hand experience of community prejudice that is experienced by many people with disability. Throughout his career, Martin has been advocating for improved access and inclusion of people with disability in the community.

Kim Tyson

Education and Engagement Officer, NCDA 

Kim is one of our Education and Engagement Officers at the National Centre for Disability Advocacy. Kim has over 15 years’ experience in the disability sector in a range of roles, from direct care to projects and case management.  

For the past seven years, Kim has worked in the Disability Advocacy sector as an advocate and training officer on the Northern Rivers of NSW. Kim has a history of working in the Community sector in non-government organisations (NGOs) and believes the best outcomes occur when people are truly engaged and work collaboratively towards a common goal. Kim has experience in the engagement and education of organisations, individuals and community groups focussed on making society more inclusive for all people. 

Kim also has a lived experience of disability, where he has been married to Bethany, who is a T9 paraplegic for over 15 years. 

James O’Brien

E-Learning Officer, NCDA 

James is the E-learning Officer at the National Centre for Disability Advocacy (NCDA). With ten years of broad experience in vocational education, James brings expertise in training, content development, communications, and operations management, with a focus on vocational e-learning for the past four years.

In addition to his vocational education experience, James has a strong background in integrative counselling practice and counsellor education, including lecturing and writing course material.

James is passionate about achieving just social outcomes for people with disability, and about education as a tool for individual and community empowerment. He believes in the power of collaboration and information exchange to strengthen the sector.

Elicia Ford

Operations Manager

Elicia joined DANA in October 2023. Elicia brings substantial experience in community sector, and education sector roles at both practitioner and senior management levels, most recently as National Disability Coordination Officer, South-East NSW for 9 years, and previously as Program Implementation Manager for a large national not-for-profit organisation.

Elicia is passionate about cultivating flourishing, healthy, inclusive communities which encourage and celebrate the contributions of all people and empower all people to achieve their potential. She values creativity, collaboration, and connectedness, is values driven with a strong commitment to social justice and advocating for human rights, and takes a strengths-based, person-centred approach to her work.

Elicia has experience volunteering on boards, executive committees, advisory and expert reference groups relevant to disability access and inclusion, women’s issues, education and employment, and children and families. She has a chronic health condition, vision impairment, and has supported family members with mental health conditions.

Aisnlie Whitburn

Membership Officer

Ainslie joined DANA as Member Engagement Officer in September 2024. With over 20 years of experience in the community and disability inclusion sector, she has worked with businesses, community organisations, and government to formulate policy and planning for a more accessible and inclusive community.

In recent years Ainslie has worked with not-for-profit organisations such as Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW and Community Disability Alliance Hunter to successfully manage a range of funded projects and partner with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders.

Ainslie also developed and implemented disability inclusion plans in local government, while leading community and cultural initiatives. As a wheelchair user, she is a passionate advocate for meaningful participation of people with disability.

Jessica Schulz

Senior Communications Officer

Jess joined DANA in 2023 as Communications Officer. With a decade of experience in NFP communications, Jessica is passionate about working in the advocacy space. Previously working for organisations who advocate for policy and cultural changes to improve the health and wellbeing of others, Jessica is dedicated to ensuring everyone has a voice.  

Jess joins the DANA team to help enhance the values of our organisation through strategic communications support and messaging.

Jess has worked in various national peak organisations, including indigenous health, and is a volunteer advocate for Still Aware, an advocacy organisation dedicated to stillbirth prevention in Australia. 

Barnaby Lund

Administration Support Officer

Barnaby joined DANA in September 2024. Barnaby has over twenty years of experience working in policy and project implementation, business development, and operations management roles in the public and private sectors. He is also actively involved in lived experience and community advisory panels for organisations operating in the disability sector. 
 
Barnaby has lived experience of deafness, neurodiversity and other disabilities in his family. Being profoundly deaf, he is an advocate for inclusion and accessibility in education, the workplace and the community.  

Lesley Porroj

Finance Officer

Lesley is DANA’s Finance Officer.  She started working with DANA more than ten years ago as a contracted bookkeeper and in 2023 continues her service provision as an employee.

Lesley has over 30 years of experience working within the community sector across a broad range of areas. This includes working in youth, disability, mental health, the arts, multicultural, men, families and women services.

Lesley’s passion and commitment is specifically to the not-for-profit sector.  She recognises the unique requirements to acquit grant funded programs aiming for no profit/surplus, whilst striving to secure the organisations on-going viability.  Lesley takes pride in supporting DANA to meet all its financial and reporting requirements.