Catherine has been with the NSW Government since 2017, working across the Disaster Welfare and Recovery and Resilience teams. In these roles, she has supported large-scale recovery operations following major events such as the 2017 Lismore floods, the 2018 Tathra fires, and the devastating 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires.
Before joining the NSW Government, Catherine worked with the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) as a Disaster Management Delegate in East Africa. During her time there, she contributed to emergency responses for drought in Ethiopia, a complex internal conflict in South Sudan, flooding in Burundi, and a refugee crisis in Uganda. Prior to her work in Africa, she spent five years in the Philippines and was the Country Coordinator for the Australian Red Cross, where she led the recovery efforts following Typhoon Haiyan.
Catherine’s career in emergency management began with the Australian Red Cross, where she was part of the national Emergency Services team. There, she played a key role in supporting the development of the national preparedness program, Emergency REDiPlan, and contributed to numerous emergency responses across Australia, including the 2009 Victorian Black Saturday bushfires.
Outside of work, Catherine enjoys spending time with her daughter at the beach and having fun (and often looking uncoordinated) with her community dance group.
