We had the absolute pleasure to meet with Brenda Milo (née Siaosi) on the lands of Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. Brenda is a lawyer who has specialised in environmental law, planning, infrastructure and public/administrative law for almost 18 years - first in New Zealand (NZ) and now in Sydney. Born in Samoa, she was raised as the middle child of five sisters and a brother in a working class, provincial New Zealand town, and now a proud resident of Western Sydney. Brenda works as a Principal Lawyer and Manager - Legal for the NSW Government’s primary environment regulator. Brenda is also a mother to two young children, including one with complex special needs, and shares full time carer responsibilities for her parents and in-laws with her husband, Talamau John Milo.
Brenda wears many flowers in her flower crown – she is in the inaugural president of the Pacific Legal Association of New South Wales, co-lead alongside Trina Faaiuaso (PLAQ President, and former podcast guest!) to co-create the Pasefika Lawyers Collective, Board Director and Company Secretary for the Pacific Professionals Network, co-founder of the Pasefika Autism Village Support Group and official observer for the Aotearoa Pacific Practitioners Group.
We had a very wholehearted conversation with Brenda filled with many laughs and reflections. Some wonderful digressions include about humility as a Samoan value, motherhood, and her connection to the Misadventures of a Pacific Professional webisodes.
