Speaker Profiles
Brian Gleeson,
Australian Government Co-ordinator General,
Remote Indigenous Services
Associate Professor Ted Wilkes,
Chairman,
National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (NIDAC)
Bob Beadman,
Northern Territory Coordinator-General for Remote Services
Liz Kyle,
Project Officer Development & Engagement Project,
Royal Flying Doctor Service (QLD)
Started health career as a Aboriginal Health Worker at Boulia, North West Queensland. Has had a association with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Qld Section) spaning 10 years. Was one of the first Indigenous employees employed by the organisation in their Mount Isa base- beginning as an Indigenous Health Liaison Officer, then Community Liaison & Development Officer to current role as Project Officer after gaining qualifications in Indigenous Health Promotion. Current role involes the development and empowerment of local community groups that will lead to local voices to take ownership of local issues, especially around Health and Wellbeing.
Family connections- descendent of the Umpila clan of Coen/Lockhart River region of Cape York as well as the Gia/Naro clan of the Birri Gubbi nation.
Sharmain Smith,
NSW Indigenous Engagement Manager,
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Elizabeth Morris & Pippa Rudd,
Deputy CEO & Director, Community & Justice Policy,
Department of Justice, NT
Steve Fisher,
Core Project Leader Desert Services That Work Project,
Desert Knowledge CRC
Steve Fisher has worked in international development programs in the NGO and private sectors for fifteen years specialising in community development, appropriate technology and small enterprise. He has technical and degree qualifications in civil engineering, development studies and management. Steve has been a service provider in several different sectors, including energy, water, health, community justice and social services. More recently, he was leader of the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre project on improving desert services.
Kym Davies,
Superintendent, Southern Division,
NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services
Jill Jessop,
Co-ordinator Aboriginal Programs,
NSW Office of Fair Trading
Jill Jessop, Coordinator Aboriginal Programs, NSW Fair Trading. A Kamilaroi woman, I have grown up in the NSW coastal town of Toronto south of Newcastle. Commenced working in the NSW Public Service in 1986 with the Department of Housing the worked 10 years in a Juvenile Justice Centre as a Team Leader before commencing with Fair Trading in 1998. I was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2005 for service delivery to Aboriginal people in NSW.
Moira Bligh,
Principal Project Officer,
Department of Employment, Economic Development & Innovation, QLD
Entering the public sector in 1977, I have almost 34 years experience working in both mainstream and Indigenous specific service-delivery areas. I have managed specialist units and been responsible for developing Indigenous policies and projects in the public sector environment.
In addition to my professional work, I have always been actively involved in my community, providing cultural enrichment vacation programs to young Murri people aged 7-16 years for the last 15 years.
Keith Clarke,
General Manager,
Aboriginal Hostels Limited
Jeff McMullen,
CEO,
Ian Thorpe's Fountain for Youth
Shani Galleghan,
Indigenous Employment Officer,
Australian Catholic University
Cathy Hunt,
Chief Executive Officer,
Traditional Credit Union
Cathy has 28 years experience in the Financial Services industry. Cathy commenced working with the Commonwealth Bank in 1979 in Melbourne and has had various roles including Managerial positions in the Casuarina and Alice Springs branches in the Northern Territory before leaving to look after her family. Cathy has been with the Traditional Credit Union since July 2000, when she joined as a temp for 3 weeks. Cathy never left and was appointed as the CEO in April 2005. Cathy has recently completed a Diploma of Management.
Cate Jones,
Aboriginal Homelessness and Housing Support Branch,
Shelter SA
Cate Jones began working as a project Officer for Shelter SA in early April 2008. She has worked in Aboriginal health, research and the tertiary education sector for the last twenty years. Her most recent employment was with FaHCSIA as a Research Associate for the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children or Footprints in Time. Cate's work with the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children was designed to inform the qualitative arm of the project that was in the process of development in 2006 - 2007. Since starting at Shelter SA, Cate has instigated the development of a branch, the Aboriginal Homelessness and Housing Support Branch. The Aboriginal Homelessness and Housing Branch of Shelter SA has become a strong voice that is genuinely representative of Aboriginal needs and concerns. The promotion of equality of access to appropriate and affordable housing is a priority. Through the Branch, Cate undertakes research and promotes the Aboriginal communities housing issues to the State Government, the media, stakeholders and interested councils to increase awareness of the distinct social/cultural/economic housing issues relevant to Aboriginal people.
Cate has co-run an Indigenous Homelessness Workshop at the National Homelessness Conference at the Adelaide Conference Centre, 21 - 23 May 2008. She also held a housing forum in July this year designed to examine the current Aboriginal housing crisis in South Australia at the Aboriginal health centre, Nunkuwarrin Yunti.
Cate is currently planning a documentary film project that explores the 'Aboriginal cultural meaning of home' and explores pathways out of homelessness. The project will focus on and document the real-life stories of Aboriginal people who are experiencing, or have experienced homelessness. It will record the personal journeys of supported pathways out of homelessness for those now housed, and the road forward for those who are seeking housing.
Dave Goddard,
Director,
Collaborative Systemic Change Pty Ltd
Dave Goddard is a Director of Collaborative Systemic Change Pty Ltd (CSCPL) and has worked with Indigenous Communities in all States and Territories in Australia, as well as overseas, in the past two decades. Originally a Director of Education in the Kimberley region of WA, Dave has since worked closely with Nick Norris during 15 of those years, undertaking research and development in Indigenous communities that has culminated in the development of two models: the Strategic Action Framework (SAF) and Mutual Ways, a strategy to develop sustainable change in Indigenous communities.
Both models were used in the creation of such successful projects as:
- Gumula Mirnuwarni Education Project under the banner of the Polly Farmer Foundation and Hamersley Iron (which has been replicated in over 60 schools across Australia)
- The Fortescue Metals Group Vocational Training and Employment Centre (FMG VTEC)
- The Northern Territory Remote Learning Partnership Agreements between the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training and 15 large remote communities in the Territory.
The experience of CSCPL in the development of the above projects has demonstrated clearly that too much time and effort in the Indigenous area is focussed on trialling programs and projects and not enough time and effort being focussed on the systems that are used to deliver services. Mutual Ways is a tool that helps overcome that issue.
Warren Bretag,
Business Development Manager,
Outback Stores Pty Ltd
Warren Bretag is the Business Development Manager for Outback Stores and has over three decades experience working with remote Indigenous Communities.
He Managed the licensing of 73 Community stores as part of the Income Management process for Fahcsia and has run his own multi media company specifically developing educational resources for ESL clients.
His passion is to "make a real difference in service delivery to remote communities".
Justin Scarr,
Chief Operating Officer,
Royal Life Saving Society - Australia
Justin Scarr is the Chief Operating Officer at Royal Life Saving Society - Australia, a role that sees him drive key water safety, drowning prevention and organisational development initiatives through a diverse and highly skilled operational team. Since 2003, Justin has been actively involved in the challenges of building community capacity to maximise the health, social and economic benefits of swimming pools. This has seen him lead the development of a community development model that Royal Life Saving has used to engage a diverse range of communities, including those in the Northern Territory.
Angelina Akee,
Director, Operational Services,
Townsville Aboriginal and Islanders Health Services
Lenore Dembski,
Paperbark Woman
Endorsers
