On 7 July 2009 LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (formerly the National LGBTI Health Alliance) became a not-for-profit public company, governed by a constitution and a Board of Governance.

The Board includes one Director elected from each state and territory.

Full Members of LGBTIQ+ Health Australia are able to nominate and vote for these Directors. They serve for 2 year terms, with at least half of the positions being re-elected each year and the new Directors appointed at the AGM.

Other Directors may be co-opted according to their specialist knowledge or lived experience. These co-opted directors serve terms of one year.

CAROLYN GILLESPIE

Director for Victoria / Chair

Carolyn is a social worker, intersectional feminist and human rights advocate with more than 20 years’ experience in healthcare and social justice. She is the Director of Services at Thorne Harbour Health, Victoria’s largest community-based and community-controlled LGBTI organisation, with responsibility for both HIV and LGBTI service portfolios. Carolyn has worked in a range of senior leadership roles in both paediatric and adult health services, and is passionate about addressing the health, social and structural inequities that impact on people’s capacity to fully participate in the communities in which they live, love, learn and play.

Carolyn possesses significant expertise in sexual assault, both as Convenor/Member of the Victorian peak organisation for sexual assault services (CASA Forum), and in leading a major sexual assault service during a period of significant state and national reform. Carolyn has also worked internationally, establishing the first community-based sexual assault service in Cambodia.

Carolyn has provided expert advice on a range of health-related issues to numerous government inquiries, health service reviews and special interest panels, and regularly participates in a broader advocacy platform that addresses stigma and discrimination through her involvement in a variety of key working groups. Carolyn is committed to excellence in evidence-based service delivery and she is also an active advocate for strategic and systemic change that better supports the health and well-being of the entire LGBTI community.

DESMOND FORD

Director for South Australia / Acting Deputy Chair

Desmond joined the Alliance Board in 2018 and is the current Deputy Chair and Chair of the Governance Committee. Desmond has a long history of working in social services for both NGO’s and Government, having held a range of Senior Management positions. He also has significant experience in project management having established LGBTI projects in both metropolitan and regional centres across South Australia. For many years he worked at the Bfriend project, supporting newly identifying LGBTI people and their families. He has also run training for a range of professional bodies on LGBTI Inclusion, including teachers, mental health workers, allied health workers and aged care workers.

Most recently Desmond was the Project Manager at COTA SA where he led the LGBTIQ People Ageing Well Project. Following that role, as the Head of Programs and Business Development at COTA SA, he was responsible for setting up the COTA SA Rainbow Hub, which provides a range of support services for LGBTI elders and delivers the Silver Rainbow training to aged care services in South Australia.

SUZANNE CASTELLAS

Co-opted Director

Suzanne Castellas is the Principal Lawyer of Castell Lawyers, and previously the Director and Senior Human Rights Lawyer for the HIV/AIDS Legal Centre a, as well as a Lawyer at Legal Aid and the Inner City Legal
Centre working closely with LGBTIQ communities and the national BBV and STI health sectors. She has had the privilege of providing legal services to vulnerable and disadvantaged clients with complex legal and non-legal needs, a focus she continues to have in her private practice. Suzanne drives law reform through litigation to address the stigma and discrimination that continues to affect LGBTIQ communities and those with BBVs.

Suzanne passionately contributes to community initiatives on a wide range of topics from the abuse of Police powers at LGBTIQ events to ‘gay hate crimes’, and the ‘expungement of homosexual crimes’. She is an
advocate for community education and has provided lectures and workshops to health care professionals and medical students on their legal and ethical responsibilities. In addition to acting on not-for-profit boards, she provides pro bono support on many community and law reform initiatives.

Before practising law for the community sector, Suzanne had an extensive career overseas as a corporate legal professional. Her worked focused on merges & acquisitions, crisis management, rehabilitation, liquidation,
and integration.

EVAN O’ROURKE

Co-opted Director

Evan has 15 years’ experience as an accountant and 10 years as a Chartered Accountant in public practice. Subsequent to finishing his CA, he completed a Masters in Applied Taxation at UNSW. He is currently the managing partner at ESN Partners, an accounting firm he founded in 2011. Before founding ESN Partners, Evan worked at PKF (now BDO) which at the time was the fifth largest accounting firm in Australia. In his role at PKF, Evan was responsible for multiple audits of not-for-profit entities. Evan has continued to use this experience in his relationships as an accountant for not-for-profit entities. Evan (through ESN Partners) was previously the external accountant for the National LGBTI Health Alliance for 5 years from 2014 to 2019 and as such, has a detailed knowledge and understanding of the Alliance’s finances.

Dr LYNN JARVIS

Director for Tasmania

Dr Lynn Jarvis is the Chief Executive Officer for Working It Out, Tasmania’s diverse gender, sex and sexuality support service and education provider. Lynn has worked in a variety of management and executive level positions across government, adult and higher education and the not-for-profit sector, and while a born and bred Tasmanian, Lynn has also lived and worked in Japan, Malaysia and Cambodia. A key theme of Lynn’s work is supporting those marginalized from opportunity to live full and inclusive lives in whatever way that means for them. Her focus is on leading from a values-based position and on working towards a more just society for all. Lynn has a BA (Hons) from the University of Tasmania, a Bachelor of Education from Edith Cowan University and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Wollongong.

SAM EDWARDS

Director for Australian Capital Territory

Samantha Edwards has a long history of political and social activism. She has a deep commitment to the LGTBQIA+ community and its social, emotional, and political well-being. Since the 1980s she has filled a
number of diverse roles coordinating and working on projects, festivals, boards, community radio, supporting rainbow families, FB support groups and with HIV/AIDS organisations. Samantha Edwards took this commitment to her 22-year career in the public service in senior management positions working on major LGTBQIA+ policies in the areas of HIV/AIDS, LGTBQIA+ ageing research grants and programs, and sexual health and family planning. She has a track record in delivering to her community.

Alastair Lawrie

Director for New South Wales (he/him)

Alastair Lawrie (he/him) is the Senior Policy Officer at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Sydney. He has a background in public policy, having previously served as Policy and Engagement Manager at Hepatitis NSW, and as a ministerial adviser to the Commonwealth Government (2008-2012), as well as holding positions with Victoria Legal Aid and the Victorian public service.

Alastair has a long history of involvement in LGBTIQ community organisations. He has been Policy Working Group Chair of both the NSW and Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobbies, and is currently a Mentor with the Pinnacle Foundation, a volunteer with Pride Foundation Australia and on the LGBTI Rights Subcommittee of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights.

Alastair’s interests include LGBTIQ mental health, the health impacts of discrimination, and health education in schools. In 2017, he was a finalist for the Tony Fitzgerald Memorial Community Individual Award at the national Human Rights Awards.

Sarah Bowman

Director for New South Wales

Sarah Bowman is a clinical psychologist (registrar), doctoral researcher, and mental health advocate for the transgender and gender diverse community. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Psychology) (First Class Honours) and a Master of Clinical Psychology degrees. Sarah primarily practices in the young adult and adult sectors.

Her research and clinical work with transgender and gender diverse clients focuses on the assessment of gender dysphoria and helping clients to develop resilience and an authentic sense of self. Public speaking and education roles include lecturing to both the education and corporate sectors on gender diversity and inclusion and the provision of peer training and continuing professional development for psychologists working with gender diverse populations. Recent community engagements include participation in the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Transgender and Intersex Taskforce. In addition to her clinical work, Sarah has worked previously in the corporate sector delivering business innovation strategies with a focus on corporate governance and risk management.

Sarah is a member of the Australian Psychological Society, Australia Professional Association of Transgender Health (research committee member) and World Professional Association of Transgender Health.

Sandra Norman 

Director for Western Australia

Sandra has been working in LGBTI services in Western Australia for over 20 years. She works for Living Proud, the WA partner for QLife, where she trains the peer support volunteers. She also coordinates and delivers LGBTI inclusion training to service providers throughout the state.

Sandra’s background in the community sector includes the areas of youth homelessness, family and domestic violence, aged care, sexual health and mental health. In addition to Living Proud her other current work is for a disability organisation. She is a also a registered LivingWorks trainer and provides ASIST suicide intervention workshops.