Our Board
Rana Ebrahimi - Chair
Rana is National Manager of MYAN, championing voices for refugee and migrant youth rights. As the first Iranian woman to lead UNHCR’s Iran office, she brings deep expertise in social inclusion and policy reform. She advises SBS, Welcoming Australia, and the National Youth Employment Body, and has been recognized with the 2024 Multicultural Award of Excellence and as a Rotary Champion of Change.
Margaret Piper AM - Deputy Chair
Margaret Piper (AM) is a consultant who has worked in the refugee sector since 1986. Her current work involves research, training and capacity building, as well as policy and program planning through her membership of various government and non-government committees and boards. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2011 and in 2018 was awarded the Red Cross’ Distinguished Service Medal.
Steph Cousins - Director
Steph Cousins is the Director of REA, as well as a nonprofit leader and founder of Skill Path Australia, an organisation that supports refugees to access higher education, training, and professional recognition in Australia. Skill Path administers the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway. Prior to founding Skill Path, Steph was the Global CEO of Talent Beyond Boundaries.
Elizabeth Collett - Secretary
Elizabeth Collett is a migration policy expert with more than twenty years of experience working with senior politicians and policymakers at the UN, EU, and national level. Based in Canberra, she consults for numerous governments and nongovernmental organizations worldwide and is currently working with the Zolberg Institute to develop the International Panel on Migration.
From 2018 to 2023, she served as Special Adviser to the Director General of IOM, overseeing policy and strategy, and previously established the Migration Policy Institute Europe in Brussels.
James Delaney - Treasurer
James Delaney brings over 12 years’ experience in financial audit, assurance, and advisory services. As a Consultant at Callida and former Senior Manager at Deloitte, he’s worked extensively with CFOs, Boards, and Audit Committees across public and private sectors. He has served previously as a Non-executive Director with AYAC and brings governance expertise and strategic leadership capabilities
Andrea Morris - Fundraising
Andrea Morris is a seasoned nonprofit executive working in the human services and university sectors, primarily in philanthropy and engagement roles. Currently the Executive Manager of the Emmy Monash Foundation, she is the former Head of Advancement at the Australian National University, College of Arts and Social Sciences. Before moving to Australia, Andrea was CEO of two nonprofits, one a multi-service crisis centre and one a homelessness / housing services organisation.
Our Advisory Group
John Tran - New South Wales
John Tran has worked in various roles supporting students in the higher education sector and is a strong advocate for refugees and asylum seekers, drawing from his own lived experience as a former refugee. John is passionate about creating opportunities for refugee resettlement.
Dr Lisa Hartley - Western Australia
Dr Lisa Hartley is an academic, researcher, educator, and advocate committed to advancing human rights, equity, and inclusion through collaborative initiatives, including partnerships with refugee and migrant communities to drive systemic change.
Phoebe Burgess
Phoebe Burgess is a legally qualified professional living in North Queensland. Phoebe is a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, examining refugee labour market integration in Australian regulatory frameworks.
Dr Rachel Burke - New South Wales
Dr Rachel Burke is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Newcastle. Rachel’s research, teaching and practice focus on language rights, English language learning, and supporting refugees into meaningful work.
Dr Sally Morgan - Victoria
Dr Sally Morgan is a Lecturer in education at Monash University. Educational equity for people of refugee and asylum-seeking background is central to her work,
Sidiqa Faqihi - Victoria
Sidiqa Faqihi is a passionate Refugee Ambassador, dedicated to sharing the powerful stories of people with lived experiences of displacement.
Dr Tebeje Molla - Victoria
Dr Tebeje Molla is an ARC Future Fellow and Senior Lecturer at Deakin University, Australia. His research centres on educational disadvantage and policy responses at systemic, sectoral, and institutional levels.
Dr Tori Wilson - Queensland
Dr Tori Wilson has been teaching English to speakers of other languages for 20 years and holds a PhD in trauma-informed second language education. She publishes and presents on inclusive education.
Dr Snjezana Bilic - South Australia
Dr Snjezana Bilic is a sociologist and a Senior Lecturer at the University of South Australia. Snjezana’s lived experience as a refugee informs her work making the perspectives of refugees and asylum seekers in universities and wider society more visible .
William Mude - South Australia
William Mude (South Australia) is a Lecturer and Researcher with over a decade of diverse experience in public health across government and non-government sectors in Australia and Canada.
Our staff
Sally Baker - Chief Executive Officer
Dr Sally Baker is Founder and CEO of Refugee Education Australia, and a co-lead of the new Refugee Student Settlement Pathway to Australia. Sally is also a Research Affiliate with the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW.
Her research centres on policy and practice related to equity in higher education, particularly with students with forced migration backgrounds.
Ellysa Zainul - Project Officer
Ellysa (she/her) is a proud queer Muslim advocate passionate about the intersection of faith, sexuality, and mental health. Ellysa works with the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network and Centre for Multicultural Youth, empowering young migrants and refugees by championing their voices in critical areas such as employment, education, and housing.
With a vision for a world where all people—regardless of labels—have equal rights and representation, Ellysa is passionate about amplifying diverse narratives in public perspectives.