Leadership Team and Managers
Damian Stock
Chief Executive Officer
Damian joined ARC Justice after leading Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL) where as CEO, he guided the merger of two well-established community legal centres, the existing IMCL and Flemington-Kensington Community Legal Centre. He previously practiced as a lawyer, with accredited specialisation in administrative law and experience in housing rights. Damian was a Principal Lawyer at Tenants Victoria and the Managing Lawyer of the Economic and Social Rights Program with Victoria Legal Aid.
Damian has considerable experience in policy development and law reform as the Chief of Staff at homelessness and housing organisation, Launch Housing. Throughout his career as a lawyer and legal community leader he has consistently demonstrated a steadfast commitment to improving justice and human rights.
Damian is a Board member of the Federation of Community Legal Centres.
Kate Byrne
Chief Operating Officer
Sheree Yates
Acting Co-People & Shared Services Manager
A Certified Practicing Accountant with over 25 years’ experience in Accounting and Finance, Sheree joined ARC Justice in October 2019 as the Finance Coordinator.
She began her career in public practice here in Bendigo, working closely with small businesses providing advice on all areas of accounting and taxation compliance for 20 years.
A recent transition into the not-for-profit sector has enabled Sheree to bring her extensive client management skills and technical accounting knowledge into developing solid corporate services functions within various local organisations.
As Acting Co-People and Shared Services Manager position, Sheree is responsible for the management of Finance, IT and Facilities.
Beverly Vanderwerf
Acting Co-People & Shared Services Manager
Beverly joined ARC Justice in December 2021 as the Quality and Compliance Officer before moving into the Acting Co-People and Shared Services Manager role in October 2022.
Before coming to ARC Justice, Beverly worked in the healthcare sector managing projects designed to improve the quality of patient care and the implementation of several grass roots community projects. Beverly has qualifications in project management and quality improvement science with considerable experience in policy development, stakeholder engagement, risk management and quality improvement.
In the Acting Co-People and Shared Services Manager position, Beverly is responsible for the management of Human Resources, Compliance and Risk.
Kate Clohesy
Acting Strategy & Impact Manager
Kate originally volunteered with ARC Justice as an intern during her Master of Human Rights studies. Inspired by the work of our community lawyers, she continued her post graduate studies, obtaining a Juris Doctor in 2021. Kate was then employed as the Research and Governance Officer, providing support to the Board and executive and contributing to the capacity of the organisation to engage in sector advocacy. She is one of the co-authors on ARC Justice’s research report, ‘She Didn’t Ask for This’ published in July 2022.
Kate had been teaching in a metropolitan public secondary college before moving to Central Victoria and transitioning to the community legal sector. As Acting Strategy & Impact Manager, Kate leads strategic service development and capacity building projects across ARC Justice’s community legal and tenancy advocacy programs.
Clare Sauro
Principal Lawyer and Practice Manager - Generalist Services (LCCLC)
Clare grew up locally and was excited by the opportunity to return and contribute to her local community by leading Loddon Campaspe CLC’s legal practice. Clare previously worked as a lawyer with Slater and Gordon Lawyers and as a lawyer and educator with the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency in Darwin. She has also volunteered both overseas and in Australia with Non-Government Organisations, international Courts and community legal centres. She is a qualified mediator and believes in the importance of community development principles that respect clients, take a client-centred approach and involve working collaboratively with other services. Clare is currently Managing Lawyer at LCCLC, overseeing our generalist and court-based services.
Christie George
Acting Principal Lawyer and Practice Manager - Generalist Services (LCCLC)
Lindy Harland
Principal Lawyer and Practice Manager - Specialist Services (LCCLC)
Lindy grew up in Bendigo and was admitted to legal practice at the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory in 2009. She worked for the Northern Australia Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) from 2009 to 2015 in crime and civil practice. In this time she spend four years working at NAAJA’s Nhulunbuy office in Arnhem Land. Lindy went on to work for Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia as a guardianship advocate during the NDIS roll-out in Queensland. Lindy then returned to Bendigo and joined the Loddon Campaspe CLC team in 2017 as our Health Justice Partnership Lawyer, before stepping into a Principal Managing Lawyer role in 2018. She currently oversees LCCLC’s family violence, child protection and integrated service programs. Lindy is passionate about working in the family violence space, and with people with a disability.
Julie O'Connor
Principal Lawyer and Practice Manager (GVCLC)
Julie joined Goulburn Valley CLC in 2016. She has qualifications in law, mediation and social work. Julie previously worked for both government and the not-for-profit sector in the areas of child and family welfare, disability and mental health. Julie is Managing Lawyer at GVCLC overseeing our core and specialist services and court-based programs including the Specialist Family Violence Service in Shepparton and multiple outreach courts in the Goulburn Valley region.
Lyndall Williams
Housing Justice Manager
Lyndall has worked in local Community services since 2008, previously with Alcohol and other Drugs (AoD) before moving to Arc Justice (formerly Advocacy and Rights Centre) in 2011 as an Advocate Support Worker for the Tenancy Advocacy Support program (TAS).
From there, Lyndall has worked in various advocacy roles for Arc Justice. From 2016 to 2017 She was the Acting Lead Worker for the Housing Justice program. In 2017 Lyndall became the Senior worker in Housing justice until 2021 when she moved to the Team Leader position, before stepping into the Manager role for Housing Justice in 2022.