Our Team

Brodie is currently the Business Manager for Great Southern Community Legal Services, and has been working in the Community Legal sector for the last five years. Like many of our CLCs, Great Southern Community Legal Services provides community focused services beyond only legal advice, with a range of advocacy services assisting tenants, as well as people with disabilities and mental health issues. Brodie has worked with a range of non-profit organisations assisting with digital transformation, governance and policy development.

The Community legal sector exists to help the marginalised in our communities. It is our sense of place that underpins the passion, resourcefulness and commitment of our people – staff, volunteers and our various boards. Community Legal WA is our collected expression of this passion and commitment. I am excited to be able to contribute to Community Legal WA in this role.

“I am consistently surprised by the amazing work that this sector can achieve with minimal resources, skeleton staff, and consistent uncertainty around viability and sustainability. But we do. In fact we thrive! I believe that our success is due to the passion and commitment of our members, and strong, committed governance that supports the sector to implement best practice models, work collaboratively, and leverage new opportunities for growth and success.

I am currently the Chief Executive Officer of Gosnells Community Legal Centre and hold undergraduate degrees in Communication and Culture, and a Master’s Degree in Business Leadership. I have specialised in strategic planning, governance, and organisational culture and am excited to share these skills and experience with the other members of the Board and work collaboratively for the benefit of the sector as a whole.”

Asha Bhat leads the award-winning regional Southern Aboriginal Corporation (SAC), which provides services and programs that address the Noongar peoples’ needs and aspirations in cooperation with other community and business organisations. With an asset base of $28 million, SAC provides services and programs in areas such as family violence prevention, affordable housing, health promotion, suicide prevention and legal services. Asha has been working in the Community Legal sector for the last 13 years. Asha advocates for Family Violence Prevention Legal services (FVPLS) that have the knowledge, experience and capacity to be the primary group providing family violence policy advice to the sector on family violence and child protection issues affecting Aboriginal families.

Asha has an MBA from Kaplan Business School and holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and business and professional accounting. She is an associate member of CPA and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is excited to be able to contribute to Community Legal WA in this role.

Jennie Gray is the Chief Executive Officer at Women’s Legal Service WA, an agency that provides gender specific legal advice and support to improve outcomes for women in the justice systems.

Previously Jennie was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, at the Western Australian Council of Social Service, overseeing the organisation’s social policy, special projects and business development work.

Her professional career in the community sector has spanned practice, management and research roles, in a variety of contexts, including many years based in the Kimberley coordinating services delivered across the North West.

Jennie has been steadfast in her commitment to working alongside others to ensure a more just, fair and sustainable society. In addition to a Doctorate of Philosophy, Jennie has a Bachelor of Social Work and a Bachelor of Business.

Kathy joined Peel Community Legal Services as CEO in 2017.

Kathy’s experience has extended from large corporate business, not for profit organisations to running a small family business. Her formal qualifications are in Management, HR and IR (JP, MBus (HRM), CAHRI) but the diversity of her roles has allowed her to develop strong general management skills including financial management, operations and project management.

Kathy has been involved with NFP organisations as a Board Member and in these positions has gained strong knowledge of governance and strategic requirements.

Kathy is a Justice of the Peace and is involved in a voluntary capacity with a number of organisations. Her interest is in social justice and access to services for all.

Lilian joined CLWA as an Independent Board Member in 2024. Her career has specialised in public sector governance, policy, strategy and accountability.

Lilian has tertiary qualifications in Business Management (Human Resources & Industrial Relations), Arts (Political Science) and a Master of Governance and Public Policy. Lilian’s experience includes working in anti-corruption, justice, communities, emergency services, health and defence. Lilian is currently a Director in the WA Government, leading performance evaluations of state and local government agencies. She is also an active volunteer member of the State Emergency Service.

Lilian is a passionate advocate for human rights, social justice and animal rights. She was previously Vice President of Amnesty International Australia’s QLD/NNSW branch and convened the national Indigenous Human Rights Support Network (focusing on deaths in custody). Lilian was formerly a board member with the Australasian Evaluation Society and National Sorry Day Committee, and has worked with animal rescues for many years.

Jessica Evans is passionate about access to justice, having dedicated her career to public interest law. She recognises the important role that community legal centres play in providing access to justice for marginalised and disadvantaged people and looks forward to contributing to Community Legal WA’s important mission.

Having held senior roles as a government lawyer, Ministerial adviser, and human rights advocate, Jessica brings rich legal, advocacy and non-profit experience.

Now Senior Assistant State Solicitor at the State Solicitor’s Office, she has previously held the roles of special adviser to the Premier and the Attorney General, and the chief of staff to the Minister for Education and Training.

Prior to returning to Perth in 2018, Jessica held several roles at Human Rights Watch. In Washington, DC, she pioneered a new program of work focused on international financial institutions and human rights.

As the Philippines researcher and advocate, Jessica investigated political killings, torture, and abductions and encouraged Philippine government officials to implement systemic changes to stop the killings and hold perpetrators accountable. In Fiji, Jessica worked for the feminist, human rights organisation, the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, where she investigated human rights abuses by the military government following the December 2006 coup d’état.

Jessica received her Law (First Class Honours) and Arts (Politics and International Studies) Degrees from Murdoch University and her Master’s Degree from the Columbia University School of Law, where she was a Fulbright Scholar.