Ben Rogers
Chief Executive OfficerHaving honed his policy and advocacy skills in the health and wellbeing sector in both the UK and Australia, Ben brings extensive experience in one of the major policy areas that impacts older people.
Beginning his career with a pharmaceutical company in the UK during a period of legislative upheaval, Ben later joined Victoria’s public health peak body. These roles gave him key experiences across a range of policy issues, including delivering a state election campaign to support community health, developing a range of submissions and reports and supporting the organisation’s responses to the aged care and mental health Royal Commissions.
Ben has been a strong advocate on the need for reform to ensure that people receive the care and support they deserve – and is keen to bring this focus and energy to advance the interests of COTA Victoria, its members and all older Victorians.
Avital Kamil
Seniors Rights Victoria Manager & Principal LawyerAvital has a history of promoting access to justice, education, advocating for and supporting vulnerable communities. She has sat on various committees and working groups both at local and state levels, including working groups addressing the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system, police misidentification of predominant aggressors, and the impact of family violence on culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
She has also consulted on the development of the Magistrates’ Court Digital Coordination Tool and Multidisciplinary Training Program to support the rollout of the Specialist Family Violence Courts across Victoria.
Avital’s practical legal experience includes work in private practice, in community legal service, at Victoria Legal Aid, and with the Victoria Police. She has prepared and appeared in complex criminal, civil, and family law matters and has undertaken significant stakeholder engagement and oversight of legal practice teams across the state.
In addition to a Bachelors in Laws / Bachelors in Arts, Avital holds a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and a Masters in Law (Human Rights).
Angus Kerr
Program Manager, Care FinderWith a background in aged care consultancy and community support, Angus Kerr brings a wealth of experience and dedication to his role as the Care Finder Program Manager at COTA Victoria.
As the founder of LiveWell Care in 2012, Angus established himself as a trailblazer in the field, driven by a passion to simplify the complexities of navigating aged care systems. His consultancy service, grounded in his academic foundation with a BA in Social Work and a Diploma in Frontline Management, has provided vital support to individuals, carers, and families across Victoria. Angus’ leadership and change management roles have focused on developing and implementing quality community aged care services, making him a respected figure in the industry.
Angus served as an independent advisor on the COTA Australia-Self Management trial in 2018, empowering consumers to take control of their support systems and provided navigation support and training for volunteers and peer mentors participating in the Department of Health-funded Aged Care Navigation Trials in 2018/19, commissioned by COTA Victoria.
In his current role, Angus oversees a specialised program aimed at assisting older Australians in accessing aged care services and community supports. His strategic leadership, combined with his commitment to collaboration and stakeholder engagement, ensures that the Care Finder program delivers maximum value within available resources.
Frankie Freeman
Education & Engagement Manager
Janet Zhang
Finance ManagerJanet is an experienced certified practicing accountant with extensive experience in both the private and public sector in fiscal forecasting, budgeting, cash management and financial reporting. She excels at delivering on-time, accurate financial reports, tailored to the needs of a broad spectrum of audiences.
Janet is committed to fiscal sustainability, best business practices and process improvement. She has successfully contributed to securing new and additional funding for various government initiatives at both the Magistrates Court and Victorian Legal Aid as well as streamlining financial processes by automating repetitive functions and simplifying procedures internally for the team she led.
Janet holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Software)(Honor) from The University of Melbourne, a Master of Practicing Accounting from Monash University and is a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) for over 10 years.
Marshida Kolthoff
Policy & Advocacy ManagerMarshida brings expertise in strategic, legislative, and budgetary policy development across the emergency management, online safety, and security sectors. With a people-first approach, she specialises in leading policy initiatives and advocacy efforts to drive meaningful outcomes for communities.
Her experience in developing and implementing responsive policies underscores her commitment to building safer, more inclusive environments for at-risk and historically vulnerable populations facing challenging circumstances.
In addition to a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Development and Environmental Studies from Victoria University of Wellington, Marshida holds a Master of International Security (Distinction) from Massey University, and multiple policy and emergency management leadership qualifications.
Steve Wright
Communications & Membership ManagerSteve Wright is currently responsible for communications, PR, and marketing. Steve brings his skills in journalism, copy editing, social media, audio and video editing, and all things digital to this role.
He formerly held the position of Senior Communications Advisor at the Australia-Indonesia Centre, a collaborative research centre that focused on the integral work of universities from both countries.
Since his arrival in Australia, Steve has also served as Editor-in-Chief at Stevivor, the country’s most-read independent video games website.
Originally from Saskatchewan, Canada, Steve moved to Melbourne in 2001. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (English) from the University of Saskatchewan.