Catherine Coysh
Emerging Leader 2017 - 2018
Catherine Coysh is a proud Gunditjmara woman who has grown-up within the Albury/Wodonga area. She has a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology) and an honours of Psychology.
Catherine worked for the Australian Public Service for 14 years and is currently the Program Manager at the Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service (AWAHS). She is heavily involved with the Wodonga Aboriginal Network, Wodonga Koorie Youth Network, the Albury/Wodonga NAIDOC Committee and is a Company Director of Watnanda Consulting.
Since being a participant of the WAN, she has been involved in a number of project committees. These include the Blackout Youth Event, the Possum-Skin Cloak Project, the Burraja NAIDOC Project and the NAIDOC Melbourne Trip.
Catherine has also played a lead role in establishing a stronger relationship with the local council by attending quarterly meetings with the Mayor, CEO and Executive leaders of the City of Wodonga. These meetings provide a transparent forum for the Local First Nations Community to communicate with the City of Wodonga and vice versa.
Catherine is passionate about self-determination and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Health and positive social environment promotion. She believes that the key to change is investing in the next generation – creating strong, proud identities.
The Victorian Youth have a significant role in leading self-determination in the future and that it is important to provide the new generation of emerging leaders with the skills and knowledge required to ensure success moving forward.