Board & Staff

Board

Catherine Clark

President
president@deafvictoria.org.au

Catherine Clark is the current President of Deaf Victoria, having taken up the role in February 2019. She has a long personal and professional career in the Deaf sector for over 30 years, taking on leadership roles in both as a volunteer, manager and leader within her community. Her most recent appointment was a member of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council (VDAC) and a Board member of Deaf Children Australia. She has extensive experience in project management, community development, strategic planning and maintains a highly ethical and personal approach to her work. With lived experience as a Deaf person, Catherine looks forward to achieve the objectives set out in Deaf Victoria’s strategic plan, 2018-2023.

Preferred pronouns: she/her

A man in a blue suit smiles for the camera.

Simon Andersson

Treasurer

Simon Andersson brings a wealth of experience working in the financial and Deaf sectors. A qualified actuary, he has an indepth understanding of finance and risk management. He has also worked for a number of Deaf organisations in Australia and overseas. He is passionate about the outdoors and sports.

Preferred pronouns: he/him

A woman with mid-length dark hair in a white and cream pattern shirt. Red lipstick and smiling straight into the camera.

Mary Koutzamanis

Board Member

Mary brings almost ten years of diverse experience in the human services sector, focusing on supporting Deaf and LGBTQIA+ communities and people with disabilities. She began her career at Expression Australia, where as the Manager of Employment, she supported deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people in the federally funded Disability Employment Services program. Following this, Mary served as the Advocacy, Policy, and Research Manager at Deaf Connect where she collaborated with the executive leadership team on a range of advocacy issues and policy submissions. Mary was a longstanding board member at Switchboard Victoria, a peer driven support service for the LGBTQIA+ community. Currently, she applies her extensive knowledge and skills as a management consultant at KPMG, specialising in human services.

Preferred pronouns: she/her

Kim Kavanagh

Secretary

Kim comes with diverse experience in the human services and sporting sectors. She worked for several Deaf organisations and met many amazing people along the way. Kim looks forward to joining Deaf Victoria Board, in support of the vital work this organisation and their staff do for the Victorian Deaf community as integrity, social justice and human rights underpins her beliefs. .

Preferred pronouns: she/her

Staff

Philip Waters

General Manager

Philip Waters was a Senior Consultant at the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, and before that a Senior Policy Officer in the Office for Disability in the Department of Health and Human Services (now Department of Families, Fairness and Housing). Philip was a Board member of Deaf Victoria in 1999 and he is delighted to return to Deaf Victoria in a management role. Additionally, Philip has supported many organisations over the last 15 years in a voluntary capacity. He served on boards and advised various Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO’s), both in Australia and internationally. He brings with him a passion to make a difference in the lives of Deaf people and their families.

Preferred pronouns: he/him

Brent Rogers

Individual Advocacy Officer

Brent has a strong passion for accessibility and equality for the Deaf and HoH community. He brings enthusiasm into his role, advocating for individuals, empower all Deaf and HoH people with essential information, building allies and breaking through barriers.

Brent welcomes all to say hello at our office, and he is always here to lend a hand or advocate on your behalf! He likes the quote by Jim Rohn, "Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by CHANGE." which is something he believe in, so contact Brent for anything related to our community.

Preferred pronouns: he/him

Kim Hungerford

Deaf Mental Health Project Officer

Kim worked as an art therapist intern at one of American’s Deaf universities and schools in New York while completing her creative arts therapy degree. She served on some boards on states and regional levels when coordinating the interpreter training program for 14 years in the Midwest of America. She has now completed her third degree interning at the Alfred Health hospital, Melbourne. Her role at the hospital was to analyse the gaps between hearing healthcare professionals and Deaf patients in the healthcare system. Her past experience enables her to make positive changes in the lives of Deaf people and in the workplaces of key stakeholders. She feels inspired after reading Simon Sinek’s quote, “a community is a group of people who agree to grow together.” Kim enjoys making her floral Auslan artwork and walks in nature and on the beach daily.

Preferred pronouns: she/her

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