Renée Coffey

Renée Coffey (/ˈrɛn.eɪ ˈkɒf.i/), born April 1982, is an Australian non-profit executive, spokesperson for youth mental health and awarded indigenous reconciliation advocate.
==Early life and education==
Renée Coffey was born at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane in April 1982 and grew up in the suburb of Hawthorne. During her high school years, she founded "Young Australians for Anti-Racism and Reconciliation".
==Career==
Coffey served as the Deputy CEO of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF) for more than a decade, where she worked to expand access to educational scholarships for Indigenous students.
In 2023, Coffey became the CEO of the Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation, which provides mental health services to young people affected by family mental illness. During this time, the foundation launched the Regenerate program, which combines environmental education with mental health literacy for young people impacted by family mental illness.
==Advocacy==
Coffey was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2011. She is an ambassador for the Kiss Goodbye to MS campaign, advocate and fundraiser for MS research and promoting the Overcoming MS (OMS) diet by Professor George Jelinek. Coffey is a published contributor to Professor Jelinek's book Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis handbook.
Coffey is a regular spokesperson for youth mental health in particular for families where parents may have mental health challenges.
Coffey is published and awarded advocate for Indigenous reconciliation and education. In 2016, Coffey spoke at TedX of how education can unleash potential and produce transformative outcomes.
Coffey is also an advocate for policy changes to improve gender equality and to close the gender pay gap. She also been involved in campaigns for pay transparency in Australia, advocating for an end to pay secrecy as a measure to promote gender equality. Her views on this issue were quoted by Graham Perrett MP in a 2022 speech to Parliament.
She has also supported the introduction of paid practicums for student nurses, teachers, social workers, and midwives. This policy aims to reduce financial barriers for students in these professions. Legislation supporting paid practicums has been passed in Queensland and at the Federal level.
==Awards and recognition==
Coffey has been recognised for her advocacy work:
* Queensland Finalist in the Young Australian of the Year Awards (2000)
* Non-Indigenous Youth Representative, Corroboree 2000
* Australian Centenary Medal (2001)
*Delegate, Australia 2020 Summit
* Nominated for Pride of Australia Medal (2015) for her community and advocacy work.
* Recipient of the Stanford Australia Association scholarship for the Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders, Stanford University.
==Federal politics==
In 2024, Coffey was selected as the Australian Labor Party candidate for the federal electorate of Griffith. According to the press release published by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C), Coffey's campaign will focus on local concerns including cost of living, climate action, addressing the housing crisis, community engagement, and promoting healthcare and women's equality.
==Personal life==
In June 2024, Coffey married Jason McKenzie. She has two sons and two step-daughters.
Category:Australian women in politics
Category:People from Brisbane
Category:Living people
Category:Australian people