Dr Richard Yin - President

Richard Yin is a retired General Practitioner and healthcare sustainability advocate. He has spent over 15 years in the climate, health and advocacy space working both at a national and state level. He brings a deep understanding of the Australian climate advocacy landscape to the CCWA board.

He has previously served as a Board Director for Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) (2018-2022) including as Secretary and on the steering committee for their organisational review process in 2019. He has been a member of the Australian College of General Practitioners Climate and Environmental Medicine Specific Interest Group and on the World Organization of Family Doctors Working Party on Planetary Health in 2023 where he contributed to their Planetary Health Equitable and Sustainable Events Policy and their Environment Statement to Protect Health by committing to fossil fuel non-proliferation and climate action.

He was the lead author, Sustainable general practice (2023, Australian Journal of General Practice), contributor to Environmentally Sustainable Primary care (2025, Edited by Matt Sawyer, Mike Tomson). He has recently completed his Advanced Leadership for Community Chairs as part of the Institute of Community Directors Australia.

When not busy with his duties as chair, Richard enjoys time in nature and contributing to his local community as a mindfulness teacher. He recently attended The Way Out is In: Climate and Nature Leaders Retreat – Asia Pacific 2026 with Christiana Figueres and the monks and nuns of Plum Village. With its focus on mindful leadership, he is keen to bring some of this perspective to the WA climate movement.

Dr Giz Watson - Vice President, Chair of Governance Committee

Dr Giz Watson is a foundation environmental science graduate from Murdoch University. She brings extensive knowledge of the WA environment – marine and terrestrial, as well as demonstrated a long history of commitment to environmental and political activism and skills in collaborative planning, team building and strategic planning.

Giz has served as secretary of the WA Forest Alliance for over a decade, helping to make WA the first State in Australia to end commercial logging of native forests.

Giz served as an Member of the WA Parliament for 16 years and held numerous portfolios including biodiversity, urban bushland, marine issues, forests and woodlands, waste management and agriculture. She also drafted, introduced and debated Bills on biodiversity protection, protecting Margaret River from coal mining, cat management and making WA nuclear free. She has served on numerous Parliamentary committees including chairing the Standing Committee on Estimates and Financial Operations for 8 years and as a Member, Select Committee on Native Title Rights in WA from 17 September 1997–10 November 1998.

Philip Thomas - Honorary Treasurer

Philip is a recently retired Chartered Accountant and Finance Director. He spent over 35 years as Finance Director and investment Manager working in four countries for international banks, insurance companies, brokers, professional accounting firms and most recently a university.

He is currently a committee member for Urban Bushland Council and was previously a board member for a number of other West Australian charities, including roles as Chair and Head of the Governance and Risk Committee.

Philip has had a keen interest in environmental, and conservation matters for over 40 years and has lived and worked in Bermuda, Canada, Australia and the UK.

When not being Treasurer, Philip hikes and bikes, bush and wilderness areas in Western Australia and further afield.

Eliza Clapin - Honorary Secretary

Eliza is passionate about healthy, interconnected communities and our shared responsibility for the well-being of people and natural systems. Growing up on a farm in rural Western Australia, she developed an understanding of a felt connection to the land and ecosystems, a respect for Noongar culture, and some small understanding of the complexities and impact of historic and ongoing structural injustices, and social and cultural dislocation. Eliza started her studies in veterinary science before going on to study history, literature, and law at the University of Western Australia. She is currently doing further studies in not-for-profit governance. Her career as an insurance and litigation lawyer specialising in maritime law honed her skills in managing complex documentation, negotiation, mediation, facilitation, communication, strategic thinking, and fostering diverse relationships.

Eliza is Vice President of her local bush care group and serves on the committee of various other community organisations.

Dr Jane Hutchison - Board Member, Member of Governance Committee

Jane Hutchison convenes the WA Forest Alliance (WAFA). She is a retired academic with expertise in the political economy of social change and development effectiveness. For many years a member of the Asia Research Centre at Murdoch University, she undertook research and consultancies focused on low-wage workers, informal settlers, small-holder and women farmers and aid program beneficiaries in their interactions with more powerful actors. Her publications include the co-authored Political Economy and the Aid Industry in Asia (2014) and the co-edited Handbook on Governance and Development (2022). She remains on the Editorial Board of Journal of Contemporary Asia.

Jane has extensive NGO board experience having been a member and Chair of the Oxfam Australia Board, a member of the Oxfam International Board of Supervisors and Chair of the Governance Committees of both Boards. She was an academic member of the National Steering Committee of Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies (2009-2015) and the DFAT-funded Research for Development Impact (RDI) Network Committee (2014-2018). She is currently a member of the WA Charitable Collections Advisory Committee for the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety. She has completed the Governance for Social Impact course with The Centre for Social Impact (UNSW).

Jane lives and gardens on beautiful Wadandi Boodja in the Witchcliffe Ecovillage. She chairs her strata council and is pursuing a Certificate in Visual Arts.

Sato Juniper - Board Member

Born and raised in Western Australia, Sato has a BSc (Hons) & PhD (1997) in Soil Science and Plant Nutrition from The University of Western Australia (UWA). After working as a soil biology researcher she moved into education and management, first as Coordinator of Women in Science and Engineering (UWA) then as Learning Skills Advisor, Graduate Education Officer and Associate Director of the UWA Graduate Research School.

She is now retired from paid work and enjoys time spent on other interests, including social justice, environmental and climate action advocacy, a variety of creative arts and writing. 

Jessie Parrish - Board Member

Jessie is a climate change and sustainability practitioner. Graduating from Murdoch University with a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology, Jessie immediately went on to undertake a yearlong honours project on the Little Penguins on Penguin Island. Jessie has amassed over a decade experience counselling and assisting organisations and communities to reduce their environmental impact. Jessie has worked with multiple Local Governments to strategize approaches to climate change, set carbon targets, accelerate renewable energy installation, and engage the community in environmental causes.

Currently, Jessie is a senior sustainability staff member for Curtin University.

Adrian Barrett - Board Member

Adrian has spent 15 years in the labour movement, is now the Assistant Secretary of the Health Services Union of Western Australia. He has organised and campaigned for (and with) progressive organisations in WA and around Australia. He has extensive experience leading teams, with a strong track record in designing training and development to deliver structural change.

He has currently serving as a Board Member for Community Skills WA, a not-for-profit organisation liaising between industry and training providers within the health, community services, education, and sport, fitness and recreation sectors. We listen, engage and advocate to facilitate a skilled workforce across Western Australia. As Assistant Secretary of the Health Services Union of WA, he plays an active role within the Committee of Management, as well as helping to lead the day to day operations of the Union.

Adrian has extensive experience leading progressive campaigns, including national political campaigns advocating for a better, fairer Australia. He has extensive training, mentoring and coaching experience within labour, environmental and progressive movements.

When not organising, Adrian plays sport, enjoys trail running and is an avid reader of science fiction.

Heather Lonsdale - Board Member

Heather is a senior lecturer in mathematics, teaching a broad range of mathematics subjects to students in a wide range of degrees across science, engineering, education, business, and health. Heather has also been involved in cross-disciplinary collaborations to teach science communications and Indigenous science, and she is passionate about communicating mathematical and scientific information to a broad range of people in a variety of contexts.

Heather is an accredited trainer for MATE (Motivating Action Through Empowerment), which provides training in workplaces and raises awareness of the need for cultural change to prevent gender-based violence and domestic abuse.

Dr Sue Fyfe - Board Member

Sue Fyfe has an extensive background as a university academic in teaching, research and management roles. With a PhD in epidemiology Sue has a strong focus on population health and the drivers of physical and mental health in our society. The environment intersects with health in so many ways and her interest and commitment in preserving and restoring the natural environment has only grown over the years, especially with living in the Northern Jarrah Forest. She contributes her skills to advocacy and evidence based environmental practice.

Sue has served on a number of community and environmental not for profit organisations, including as Secretary of the 5 Rivers NRM (previously Peel Harvey Catchment Council Board) and member of the Dwellingup Discovery Forest Defenders Board. She has extensive board experience as Deputy Chair of the Peel Development Commission Board (2014-17), Regional Development Australia (Peel) Board ( 2019-2020) founding Board member of Stronger Families Foundation (2022-2025) and Board member and current Secretary of the Forest Heritage Centre Inc (2011-2026).

She has recently completed the Company Directors Course through the Aust Institute of Company Directors and attended the Women Deliver 2026 conference in Melbourne that focussed on Climate Justice in the context of gender equality. She is a member of the Institute of Community Directors Australia.

Sue has lived for over 30 years in the small town of Dwellingup and quickly became aware of the ecological damage done by mining and climate change to the integrity of the forest ecosystems. She loves living close to nature and being immersed in the natural world as a trail walker, birdwatcher and occasional mountain biker.