The RSA is an association incorporated under the Victorian Associations Incorporation Reform Act. It is managed by a board that meets every second month via Zoom.
The board has appointed two subcommittees. The Finance Advisory Subcommittee monitors the Society’s income and expenditure and the performance of investments and recommends changes thought desirable to maintain a prudent investment strategy. The Editorial Subcommittee oversees the development and production of the Society’s publications.
Until the next AGM, the Committee is:
Victor is a councillor at the City of Boroondara in Victoria. He is the council’s chair of Urban Planning and Development. Following election in 2020, he called for prayers to be removed from council meetings – and finally succeeded in late 2023. Prior to becoming a councillor, Victor had a long career in local and federal government, and the not-for-profit sector. He was a senior advisor to various senators and a senior policy advisor in the Commonwealth Government in the areas of industry, science and environment. He was also chief of staff and senior advisor to two Lord Mayors of Sydney. Victor has an honours degree in history and philosophy of science, a graduate diploma in economics and an MBA (Executive). He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Luke is a leading constitutional law scholar in the field of separation of religion and government and religious freedom under the Australian Constitution. The principal focus of his research is on developing a deeper and more sophisticated understanding of section 116 of the Australian Constitution in terms of its history and underlying purposes, its relationship and interaction with broader Australian constitutional culture and how it might be best interpreted and applied.
Nathan is an independent councillor at Hawkesbury City Council in New South Wales, first elected in 2016. Holding a Masters degree in education, he now teaches in public schools in NSW after a longer career including 19 years in Christian private schooling where he saw the conflicts between the evangelical and pedagogical missions of those schools first-hand. His passions include teaching STEM, critical thinking, ethics and civics. He has served as a member of the national committee of Cult Information and Family Support (CIFS). He writes and presents regularly on the intersections of science, religion and politics, presenting to inquiries of State and Federal parliaments about the Religious Freedoms Bill.
Si began working for the Rationalist Society of Australia in early 2021. He became Executive Director in early 2024. He has a history of working in journalism, editing, and marketing. He has Masters of Arts (International Affairs) with First-Class Honours from the Australian National University. Among his past roles, he worked as a Hansard reporter for a number of years in the federal parliament. Si is editor of the RSA’s Rationale magazine and host of The Secular Agenda podcast.
Jennifer is Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Monash University in Victoria. She was also a secondary school philosophy and humanities teacher. She currently teaches pre-service school teachers, conducts research and publishes journal articles and books in a range of areas including: philosophy of education, especially pragmatism and the philosophy of John Dewey; the teaching of philosophy and critical thinking skills in schools; the teaching of ethics and religions in schools; the teaching of controversial issues; environmental and climate change education.
Collin is the former Principal Chaplain and Director-General of Chaplaincy in the Royal Australian Navy. In 2020, he played a key role in bringing secular wellbeing officers into the Navy’s Chaplaincy Branch. Since then, Collin has been an enthusiastic advocate for making sure that the Australian Defence Force’s wellbeing services include secular support for the Army and Air Force as well. His efforts are all about enhancing support for everyone!
Richard worked for 20 years in the Senior Executive Service of the Commonwealth Government, mainly in the Defence Department and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He was Chief of Staff to the Defence Minister, head of the Cabinet Office, Deputy Commonwealth Ombudsman and head of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal in Sydney. He has been an active supporter of voluntary assisted dying legislation, and was President of Dying with Dignity NSW from 2012 to 2014. He is a keen supporter of open government and evidence-based policy.
The Committee is ably supported by:
Committee members are responsible for the good governance of the RSA and for promoting its aims and objectives through active campaigns. Many campaigns are actively led by members of the Committee of Management.
