Executive

Nicole Sommer, Principal Lawyer & Director of Litigation and Casework

Rachel Walmsley, Director, Law Reform & Government Relations

Rachel Walmsley has over 25 years experience working on public interest environmental policy and law reform and spearheads national law reform work at Environment Defenders Office. Rachel has a proven track record of law reform engagement, national coordination and advocacy, with a vision for world leading environmental law in Australia. She has written and presented extensive submissions and discussion papers, and advised governments, parliamentary inquiries and NGOs on a range of environmental law issues including climate policy, natural resource management and biodiversity laws, and is listed in Best Lawyers Australia in the climate change and environmental & planning law categories.

Jemilah Hallinan, Director, Access to Justice & Early Legal Intervention

Jemilah directs EDO’s public interest early legal intervention programs nationwide to empower communities to understand the law and the opportunities it provides to achieve environmental justice.

As a practitioner, for over 20 years she has worked with communities on a wide range of issues, spanning mining, cultural heritage protection, land clearing and private land conservation. Outside of EDO, Jem is a sessional academic with Sydney University’s Department of Law.

Dr Sharyn Goldstein, Director, Science & Expert Advisory

Sharyn holds a PhD in molecular marine ecology; PGCert Tertiary Teaching from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand; BSc (Hons) from the University of Portsmouth, England, and Sydney University. Her scientific career spans academia, private consulting, and government, located in New Zealand, the Kingdom of Tonga, New Caledonia, and Australia.

With multi-disciplinary research and supervisory experience, Sharyn brings to EDO expertise in translating complex science and weaving knowledge systems across coastal, ocean, and terristrial ecosystems, and with communities and private landholders managing, protecting, and exercising customary rights and responsibilites for their natural resources and special places.

Jonathon Captain-Webb, Director, First Nations Program

Jonathon Captain-Webb is a Gomeroi and Dunghutti man from the Redfern Aboriginal community and the Director of the First Nations Program at the Environmental Defenders Office, where he leads national work supporting First Nations peoples to protect Country, culture and community through legal advocacy, law reform and strategic litigation. He is a recognised leader in Indigenous land justice, with extensive senior executive experience across Aboriginal land rights, cultural heritage, Native Title and the protection of First Nations rights and interests in land, waters and natural resources. Jonathon is currently undertaking a PhD in Law at the University of Technology Sydney on First Nations conceptualisations of sovereignty and self-government, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity at the University of Oxford.

Brooke Wylie, Director, Fundraising, Marketing & Communications

In a career spanning media, government, politics, and non-profit sectors, Brooke has worked closely with elected representatives, CEOs, executives and boards on strategic communications, brand, marketing and crisis communications.

As an award winning journalist Brooke has served diverse audiences on a range of major national and international news events from newsrooms in Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney and Washington DC.

Brooke brings a powerful mix of marketing experise, strategic leadership and storytelling, with a deep commitment to environmental protection and democratic participation.

Cara Campbell, Director, People & Culture

Cara is the Director, People & Culture at the EDO, leading the organisation’s people strategy, culture, workforce planning, and organisational development.

With more than 25 years’ experience across the not-for profit and corporate sectors, Cara has lead organisational transformation, employee relations, leadership development and culture initiatives.

Cara is a proud palawa woman with a Master of Labour Law and Relations and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Blake Powell, Director, Finance & Operations

Katrina Bullock, Co-General Counsel

Katrina is EDO’s co-General Counsel on the executive team and also serves as the organisations Head of Development. An award-winning General Counsel with more than a decade of experience in the environmental and not-for-profit sectors, Katrina brings deep expertise in governance, organisational risk management and public interest advocacy and is responsible for ensuring EDO has the legal, governance and philanthropic foundations to maximise its impact.

She is also a Director of Sustainable Screens Australia, the peak body for sustainability in the Australian film and television industry.

Jo-Anne Bragg (OAM), Co-General Counsel

Jo is co-General Counsel and has served EDO and Queenslanders for over 30 years through litigation, advice, education, and successful law reform advocacy. In 2020, Jo was the recipient of the Queensland Law Society’s Agnes McWhinney Award and the Access to Justice Award. In 2023, Jo was awarded a medal in the General Division of the Order of Australia for her services to environmental law.