Karen is a skilled advocate, researcher and educator who has worked across a diverse range of public and private employment settings. In all these settings, the primary focus of Karen’s work has been advancing equality, diversity and decent working and community environments through activism, education and policy development. Karen has extensive experience dealing with vulnerable people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and has strong connections with the LGBTI community.

Karen’s research interests include union organising, worker voice especially through trade unions, trade union renewal in Australia and internationally, gender pay equity, decent work and examining how different forms of structural power impact the experiences of diverse workers. Karen’s doctoral studies examined how trade unions can organise workers in devalued, precarious and labour-intensive workforces with a focus on disability support workers.

Jarrod Allen is a communications specialist who has experience in working directly with key decision makers in defining their strategic priorities and policy orientation across a variety of disciplines. His background in running public advocacy and political campaigns for major political parties, public health organisations and the United Nations has allowed Jarrod to develop an advanced understanding of public relations and a capacity to ensure the realisation of organisations and governments long-term goals and objectives. Jarrod’s previous experience within government has additionally informed his ability to articulate effective public policy solutions, produce high quality briefing documents and outline policy analysis for executive members of government.

Gavin has worked in leadership roles in not-for-profit, private enterprise and Government, working for Ministers in both State and Federal Governments in Australia. Gavin has sat on various business and community boards, among them community health providers, running community campaigns to build positive outcomes and drive change in healthcare provision. This work has included stints in countries such as Timor-Leste and Fiji from 2006 onwards around community development and provision of basic healthcare, and Gavin continues to work with communities in Timor. Previously Gavin served on the board of the North Richmond Community Health Centre in Melbourne for several years, successfully raising over $20M to have new premises built for the Centre and working as part of the Yarra Drug and Health Forum toward drug harm reduction across Melbourne.

Glenn Donahoo comes to PPHA after successfully managing a year long political campaign and involvement in a number of other community and political movements. In these roles he has been proactive in ensuring administrative needs, particularly relating to financial disclosures and budgeting, have been met and aims to bring these skills and knowledge to PPHA.

Since taking a role in the public health space, Glenn has focused on policies that can reduce the harm caused to many of societies most vulnerable people due to existing laws that focus on criminal justice outcomes rather than health outcomes.