Sheena is an Economist and Policy Analyst at Department Treasury and Finance. They joined Flat Out’s board after admiring the staunch advocacy of Flat Out from afar. Sheena supports and contributes to the work of Flat Out through their role as Chair, having been a board member since 2021.

Outside of work, pottery, poetry and footy are their main loves!

Bio to come.

Amanda has worked as a community lawyer, activist and writer around prison issues. She has been involved in and helped lead protests and campaigns around conditions at Fairlea women's prison, Pentridge, prison privatisation, strip searches and the exposure of and dismantling of the prison industrial complex. 

Amanda is a founding member of Flat Out’s collective (now board), she is the repository of Flat Out’s meandering organisational her-story, antics and the politics behind why we have done things the way we do, and knowledge of the prison system in Victoria since the 70s.

She enjoys cooking, gardening and watching the inspirational, powerful and creative work of the next generations of activists and thinkers.

(Secretary)

Rachael’s professional leadership experience spans advocacy, grant-making, fundraising, communications and events management. She has operated a consultancy practice for nearly eight years, where she supports for-purpose organisations in developing and implementing strategies relating to their advocacy, fundraising and grant-making efforts.

Rachael has led the Victorian Women’s Benevolent Trust, the grant-making arm of the Victorian Women’s Trust, and served as Co-Convenor (Co-Chair) of the Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby (now known as Victorian Pride Lobby). She has worked with and served on the boards of a range of organisations, including: the Law & Justice Funders Network, Reichstein Foundation, Human Rights Law Centre, Justice Connect, Refugee Legal, Lawyers For Animals, and Reprieve Australia (now known as Capital Punishment Justice Project).

Having experienced parental incarceration throughout her childhood and the loss of her father after a police-initiated contact, Rachael spent more than four years advocating for her father during the coronial inquiry into his death, ultimately without success. These experiences have left her with a deep understanding of systemic failures and their far-reaching impacts, reinforcing her belief that lived expertise and self-determination is essential to achieving meaningful, lasting change.

Naomi is a proud Wakka Wakka Irish woman. She is a cultural mentor, lived-experience public speaker, social justice advocate, Aboriginal cultural dance teacher and meditation facilitator. She works in her Aboriginal communities across the country.

Naomi is also the Chair of Woor-Dungin, an Aboriginal-led organisation based in Naarm that links Aboriginal communities across Victoria with philanthropic funding and offers governance training and reports to Aboriginal community groups.

Back in Queensland, Naomi works with Aboriginal youth coming out of or in the justice and child protection systems. She also works in the community through her meditation and movement practice.

Elly Taylor brings more than a decade of experience working in women’s health, gender equality and the primary prevention of violence against women.  

For the past three years, Elly has worked as the Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Health East, the regional women’s health service for Melbourne’s eastern region. She has held several executive positions, including Director of Strategy, Advocacy and Community Engagement at GenWest and Director of Prevention of Violence Against Women at The Royal Women’s Hospital. 

Elly has a strong background in stakeholder and community engagement, strategy and planning, advocacy, diversity and inclusion, and research and evaluation.  

Elly holds a Master of Women’s Health and Post-Graduate Diploma of Gender Studies from The University of Melbourne. Elly is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course, with a passion for governance and has served on the Board of several small not-for-profit organisations, including Gender Equity Victoria. 

Hui is a lawyer who has worked in the areas of criminal law and rights for imprisoned people, with a focus on women’s criminalisation, for over 15 years. She currently works at Victoria Legal Aid.

Nikita is a member of the FIGJAM collective. In her role as advocate, she has spoken from a lived experience of incarceration at events organised by organisations such as Fitzroy Legal Service and the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council. She is also involved in an arts project through Melbourne Uni, and currently part of a grant to be a chief investigator for a project designed to find better AOD services for women in and out of prison with the Burnet institute.

When Nikita isn’t advocating for the rights of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, she spends time with her 4 children and her cat.

Bio to come.