Heather joined the Children’s Policy Centre in May 2024 with a passion for social justice and a career working to address poverty and exclusion both internationally and in the ACT. As Head of Sector Development at the ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS), Heather advocated for the community sector and the people they serve, and had primary responsibility for engaging with the ACT Government. Prior to this, she worked for over two decades on Australia’s aid program in DFAT and AusAID, most recently managing monitoring, evaluation and learning for the Australian Non-government Cooperation Program (ANCP). With a Masters in International Affairs, she helps translate research into workable policy frameworks and program designs.