Program creators

Liz’s broad range of skills and experience stems from a foundation in education, and an innate drive to engage, inspire and inform. As a Diversity Consultant, Liz created and facilitated training programs embedding workplace equity and inclusion, and is now excited to bring her love of instructional design to the passionate VfCA team and the Climate Care Program.

the contribution and expertise of others who have helped bring this program to life including Katrina Lavictoire, Dr Christine McKinnon, Rhiannon Campbell, Anton Harrison-Kern and Judy Gillespie.

Katie has worked in the not-for-profit sector for the last 15 years. Previously she worked at Climate Action Network Australia providing membership and admin support, and project coordination for the Better Futures Australia initiative. She was also a member of the Policy & Advocacy Team for over 10 years at Cancer Council NSW, contributing to the planning and execution of state-wide advocacy campaigns. Katie is passionate about uniting people and purpose to create positive change.

Ben is a former CEO of VfCA and was instrumental in developing the concept of the Climate Care Program. With a background in project management and business, Ben’s passion for climate action led to him throwing himself fully into making VfCA a powerhouse both within our profession and within the climate movement. Ben is a strong believer in the power of community organising to achieve real and sustained change, and this is reflected in VfCA’s focus on volunteer engagement, thus empowering the veterinary profession to work towards urgent change.

Mila is a small animal veterinarian and joint practice owner in Sydney. She has been 'climate concerned' since high school but only started taking serious action on the climate crisis 3 years ago. She started a local Greenpeace group campaigning on climate nationally and locally, joined VfCA in 2020 helping to develop the Climate Care program, has written blogs for 1 Million Women, and has just been elected as the first ever Greens Councillor on her local council. She's excited about implementing solutions that already exist and inspired that professions such as ours are all stepping up together to do their part. Mila is the content developer for the 'Water for Life' and 'Healthcare Without Harm' modules.

Annaliese is a small animal vet based in Brisbane. She is passionate about living as lightly upon the planet as she possibly can and advocating for government and industry climate action. Annaliese joined the Climate Care Program team to educate herself on how to achieve this in the workplace and help spread this knowledge into the wider veterinary community. Annaliese is the content developer for the procurement module, 'Buying for a Better Future'.

Silvana is a small animal veterinarian, working in the field of mobile diagnostic imaging, particularly sonography, in Melbourne. She moved to Australia with her family 16 years ago. Since a young age, she was interested in animals and the natural world and has always been deeply concerned about threatened and extinct species, and the loss of natural habitats for wildlife. Silvana believes in the importance of educating people, particularly on the solutions to preserve the natural environment. Empowering people creates change. She started volunteering for VfCA in early 2021 - thrilled at being part of a diverse organisation. Silvana is one of the content developers for the recycling module, 'No Time to Waste'.

Cassandra is a small animal veterinarian from Sydney, who has worked in Australia and overseas. She is passionate about sustainability and minimising our ecological footprint and volunteers within the Climate Care Program team developing course content, some graphic design, surveying participants and helping out with the technical platform we use. She loves the outdoors and spending time with her cat, Jaime. Cassandra is the content developer for the 'Water for Life' module.

Terry is an experienced vet nursing lecturer from Perth. Her interest in climate change and sustainability was initially piqued in the 1980’s when climate first became a thing! Her care comes from a belief that living sustainably is an extension of animal welfare. Since then, she has rolled up her sleeves and volunteered for grass roots organisations, attended lectures by environmental advocates, read widely and undertaken formal studies in ‘Education for Sustainability’. She shares her life with two legged companion Mark, two doggies, Millie and Frank and two cats, Mitten and Kimba. As a member of our Climate Care Program team, Terry's expertise in educational development shines! She is the content developer for the recycling module, 'No Time to Waste'.

Mariane is a French-Canadian veterinarian who grew up camping amongst luxuriant Canadian wilderness. For a long time, Mariane has been aware of the environmental crises we are facing, and her love of nature has inspired her to make efforts in her personal life to become more sustainable, and reduce her ecological footprint. She moved to Melbourne in 2018 with her lovely cat Pablo and started volunteering for VfCA in 2021. Here she has found an opportunity to have a more global and significant impact for the first time, which has been a huge motivation and an immensely rewarding experience! Mariane is the content developer for the 'Energy Efficiency' module.

Jeremy graduated from Melbourne Uni in 1986 and by 1998 had established the Brimbank Vet Clinic - now a 5 vet small animal practice in suburban Melbourne. In 2011 the Brimbank Vet Clinic was rebuilt incorporating the latest environmental design features facilitating a pathway to make the practice carbon neutral. He joined VfCA to help amplify the role veterinary teams can play in motivating the vet community to take urgent action on climate change. Jeremy is the content developer for 'The Power of Renewables' module.

Jane has been involved in every role (aside from veterinarian) within the veterinary sector during her career. She is currently director of a veterinary business consultancy. The arrival of grandchildren heralded a wake-up call about the current and future state of our planet. Vets for Climate Action is proving to be the perfect spot for her to learn more about climate change, sustainability and the transition to net zero. In return she contributes to the Climate Care Program by using her experience of working with veterinary teams. Jane is the content developer for the 'Introduction' module and creating resources to support the Climate Champions. 

Shaped by a diverse veterinary career spanning research, education and industry, Corinna is an enthusiastic advocate for empowerment through knowledge. She seeks to promote understanding of the relationship between climate, environmental health and animal well-being, and to help people in the veterinary and animal care community experience the rewards of living and working more sustainably.