Civil Liberties Australia Board Members
PRESIDENT: Dr Kristine Klugman
Dr Klugman's PhD in Politics at ANU analysed the two-way communication flow between MPs and electors. Earlier degrees were in Community Studies, and History. She has been President of CLA since 2003.
Kris previously served on the NSW Legal Aid Commission, was a foundation member of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, and a researcher with the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, helping to establish the Criminal Justice tertiary course for police and prison officers in NSW.
Her OAM was for 'services to education and the community'. She was the first-ever female President of the board of Australia's oldest museum, The Australian Museum. She was also the first female board member and full-time Deputy President in the 100-year history of the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW, running the NSW Fire Brigades, and a member of state bushfire and rescue governing councils.
SECRETARY: William Rowlings
Bill ‘s background is journalism, public relations and general management roles in the private and public sectors. He was sub-editor on daily newspapers in the UK, editor of a Papua New Guinea daily, and managed various roles on The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and the Sun-Herald, as well as editing business and sporting magazines. In PR, he was media adviser to a senior politician and consulted to major corporates and federal departments and agencies, as well as co-authoring a tertiary textbook. He manages CLA’s affairs day-to-day as CEO, and edits the monthly newsletter, the CLArion.
TREASURER: Phil Schubert
Phil grew up in country NSW and studied Arts/Law at the University of New England in Armidale. He was president of the UNE Students’ Association after a term as student queer officer advocating for rural gay and lesbian student issues. Phil later moved to Canberrra and joined the public service, completed a Masters of Laws at ANU and eventually transferred to private practice as a plaintiff litigation solicitor. He is also treasurer of the ACT Young Lawyers, which helps to bring young lawyers, the law society and CLA together.
DIRECTOR: Noor Blumer
Noor chairs the Equalising Opportunities in the Law committee of the Law Council of Australia (LCA), and is a past president of Australian Women Lawyers. With LCA, she has been involved in updating the Judicial Appointments Policy, drafting national model anti-discrimination, anti-sexual harassment and anti-bullying rules, and making submissions to a parliamentary inquiry into pay equity and increasing female participation in the workforce. Noor is a director of Blumers Personal Injury Lawyers, specialising in plaintiff litigation. She has four children and a grandchild.
DIRECTOR: Frank Cassidy
Frank is a journalist and publisher, with qualifications in advertising, accounting, public administration and professional writing. He is currently founder-editor of the online newspaper
PS News - and its network of editions covering the Commonwealth Public Service and separate state equivalents. In the 1970s, he managed marketing of the national 'Life. Be In It' health and fitness campaign. Frank was inaugural Secretary of the National Australia Day Council and represented the ACT at the Constitutional Convention in 1998. He is a former Convenor of the Australian Republican Movement in the ACT, and was a member of the AFL for Canberra Committee, Chairman of Tuggeranong Community Arts for 12 years from 1998 until recently. Frank received a Centenary of Federation Medal in 2000.
DIRECTOR: Darren Churchill
Darren, originally from Goulburn in rural NSW, has a civil liberties history going back to opposing marijuana laws and the Australia card in the 1980s. He has a strong social conscience, is an active member of his church community, and has been a member of CLA for many years before deciding to stand for the Board in 2011. Darren has broad experience as an organiser and activist, in both community and political groups, where he is often sought after interstate to help run important election campaigns (he has stood as a candidate at several elections).
DIRECTOR: Tim Vines
Originally from the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Tim studied from 2004 for an Arts/Law degree at the ANU in Canberra, where he now works in a government department. At uni, he was elected President of Bruce Hall Residents' Association and to the board of the ANU Students' Association. He edited Cross Sections, Bruce Hall’s academic journal, and helped the Tenancy Union strengthen the accommodation rights of on-campus students. Tim graduated in 2008 with Honours, after contributing several papers on health law reform in Australia.
Tim is CLA’s main media spokesperson.
DIRECTOR: Anthony Williamson
Anthony is a barrister and solicitor of the ACT Supreme Court with an Arts/Law degree from the ANU. During his studies, he worked part-time for the ACT Department of Education and Training helping children with behavioural problems. He is a volunteer in the Rivers Brigade of the ACT Rural Fire Service, and a qualified RAFT (remote area firefighting team) member.
In 2004-5, he was employed as an adviser to an ACT Member of the Legislative Assembly. In that role, and through authoring submissions for CLA, he has been able to change significant sections of ACT legislation for the better. He was a legal officer with the ACT Department of Justice and Community Safety and is currently a prosecutor with the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions. Anthony was named ACT Young Lawyer of the Year for 2010 by the ACT Law Society.
DIRECTOR: Lance Williamson
Lance was a long standing member of Defence's Senior Executive Service where he held a number of positions involving the development, implementation and maintenance of strategic business, financial and project management frameworks for the betterment of Defence capabilities. He is a graduate of the Joint Services Staff College and also was a member of the Army Reserve for some years and saw service in Vietnam.
He also designed and created the CLA website and is the webmaster.
Last updated 10 Apr 11
