Elder Rights Advocacy welcomes new CEO & President

Debra Nicholl has been appointed as CEO of Elder Rights Advocacy (ERA), following the resignation of Philippa Campbell. Janis Porter has been named as the President, replacing Mary Anne Hunt, who had held the position for the last eight years.

Nicholl’s career at ERA has spanned 17 years and she has held positions in the aged care industry since the age of 16, including roles such as advocate, senior educator, advocacy manager, programs manager and Deputy CEO.

Similarly, Porter brings a wealth of experience to the role. She has more than four decades of public service and advocacy experience with a broad skillset across global and local organisations. Porter has been involved in a variety of industries across her career, including the Federal and Northern Territory Public Service, mining industry, merchant banking and tourism, plus multiple NFP and charitable entities.

As the new CEO, Nicholl’s focus for ERA is clear. “ERA is committed to continuing our important work of supporting the human rights of older Victorians and advocating for quality aged care services that are delivered by a professional workforce. We also want to continue to put a spotlight on ageism and the detrimental effect it has on how we value and care for older people.

“I am strongly committed to supporting and driving the voices of older people in Victoria by creating services, programs and advocacy work that really matters. With the support from our dedicated ERA team and board, we are committed to expanding aged care advocacy services across Victoria in order to reach more older people, their carers, families and representatives,” Nicholl added.

Nicholl said Porter’s wide-ranging experience, including her role as an ERA board member since April 2021, combined with her advocacy, government relations and organisational strategy experience, made Porter the perfect fit for the role.

Porter said, “I am humbled to take on the role and look forward to continuing the important work of ERA including supporting older people’s voices to be heard and acted upon, build greater awareness of advocacy support services and influence the transformation of the aged care system through the direct involvement of older people and the new aged care legislation.”

Nicholl and Porter both officially commenced in their respective roles in December 2022.

Image caption: Debra Nicholl & Janis Porter. Image credit: Supplied.