Noel Pearson is the Director of the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership, a body that drives new directions in public policy on Indigenous issues working closely with the Queensland and Commonwealth governments. Noel has been involved in many key Indigenous issues including, as a member of the Indigenous Negotiating Team during the drafting of the Native Title Act in 1993.
In addition to his work with the Cape York Institute, Noel is also Executive Chairman of Cape York Partnerships, Chairman of Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy and Cape York Education Foundation.
Since 1999 Noel has campaigned for Welfare Reform in Indigenous communities. In 2008 the “Welfare Reform Project: driven by Cape York Institute and Cape York Partnerships”, was implemented in four pilot communities in Cape York.
Born June 1965 in Cooktown, Noel is the youngest son of Glen Pearson from the Bagaarrmugu clan on the upper reaches of the Jeannie River, East
Coast, Cape York Peninsula and Ivy Pearson (formerly Baird) from the Guggu Yalanji peoples on the upper reaches of the Bloomfield River, South East coast, Cape York Peninsula.
Pearson attended primary school at the Hope Vale Mission, Cape York, where he lived with his family throughout his early years. As a young boy he was sent to Brisbane to attend St Peters Lutheran College as a board student, where he attended until completing his matriculation.
Noel Pearson has been strongly involved in campaigning for the rights of Cape York Aboriginal people and played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Cape York Land Council in 1990.
Noel’s end goal is to enable Cape York’s Indigenous people to have the capacity to choose the life they have reason to value by reinstating the rights of Aboriginal people to take responsibility for their lives. Descriptions of these ideas can be found in Noel Pearson’s monograph “Our Right to Take Responsibility” as well as his recent papers.
Muru Marri Indigenous Health Unit, School of Public Health
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Professor Lisa Rae Jackson Pulver is a Koori woman born and bred in Sydney. She holds the Inaugural Chair of Indigenous Health and is a Professor of Public Health. She is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Neuroscience Research Australia and Director of the Muru Marri Indigenous Health Unit.
She is a member of a number of committees and working groups, including the Scientific Resource Group on Equity and Health Analysis and Research, World Health Organization; the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Research Advisory Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC); the Advisory Group on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics (AGATSIS), the Indigenous Technical Panel (ITP) and the Australian Health Survey Reference Group at the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). She is Deputy Chairperson for AHMAC’s National Advisory Group Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Information and Data (NAGATSIHID). Lisa is a member of the permanent board for the Lowitja Institute.
Dr Jackson Pulver is the co-founder of the Shalom Gamarada Scholarship Program and has been responsible for enabling over 35 students to receive a residential scholarship on campus for the duration of their health related (mostly medical) degrees at UNSW.
Lisa received the 2011 UNSW Research Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity Individual Partnership Award. She was also awarded for her outstanding contribution to cancer epidemiology by the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council and the Ministry of Science and Medical Research (2005). She received a Defence Force Service Medal in 2011. She has been awarded a community honour in the form of a Henry Stricker Community Honour for her outstanding service and contribution rendered with her endeavours to make our society a better place in which to live (2006). Lisa is a registered Justice of the Peace (167428).
She is a consummate networker, effective communicator, a natural team leader and an energetic and dynamic team player. A combination of personal background, academic endeavour, professional experience and scholarly contributions to the broader health environment combine to provide a unique perspective and expertise in health.
Rebekha Sharkie is the Youth Connections National Network Executive Officer.
Rebekha came to the role with Youth Connections following six years as a political advisor to both State and Federal Members of Parliament. Prior to poltics, Rebekha spent over ten years in the legal environment in legal firms and private corporations.
Rebekha has qualifications in politics and public policy and is current undertaking post graduate studies in law/access to justice.
Linc Yow Yeh is a proud Gooreng Gooreng, Kunja man from Queensland, born and raised in Jagara country, Brisbane. He has had extensive experience in the Indigenous VET Sector for some 19 years, starting his career in Cape York as a teacher delivering the Remote Area Teacher Education Program in the Aboriginal Community of Lockhart River, where he lived for 6 and a half years.
Linc then relocated to Victoria and has worked in VET at Kangan Institute since 1999. He currently manages the Indigenous Education Centre of Kangan, Victoria’s largest Indigenous VET Provider.
He is also a founding and integral member of the Northern Indigenous Employment Network group.
Department of Education & Communities, NSW
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Kate trained as a social worker and served her first role in Grenfell in rural NSW. For the next ten years she worked in a variety of roles with the health sector as well as the non-government welfare sector.
She joined TAFE as the first full-time welfare teacher in Western NSW, providing training through many of the Colleges in the region, after which she was promoted to the role of Head Teacher and Faculty Director. In May 2010 she was appointed as the Institute Director for TAFE NSW Western Institute.
She holds a Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Social Administration, Master of Education, Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Graduate Diploma in Vocational Education and Training.
Wing-Yin is the Educational Manager of TAFE SA Adelaide South Institute. Wing-Yin has had extensive experience with Foundation Skills programs since joining TAFE SA in 1991. Throughout the last twenty years, she has engaged hundreds of community, industry and learners to benefit from Foundation Skills training. A number of programs led by Wing-Yin are award-winning programs, including the Adult Learning Australia 2010 National Indigenous Learning Community Provider of the Year awarded to the Indigenous Employment Development Course Program, a collaborative initiative of DEEWR, ADF, FaHCSIA and TAFE SA.
Wing-Yin has been actively involved in national projects and instigated range of professional development initiatives for language, literacy and numeracy educators. Currently she is managing FaHCSIA CDEP Resource Unit in SA, a number of national Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL), Indigenous Employment Programs and the National Foundation Skills Training Package development.
Wing-Yin’s contribution to putting language, literacy and numeracy at the forefront of VET, whilst achieving personal, educational and career outcomes for learners, was recognized when she awarded the 2006 Minister’s Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Improving Literacy and/or Numeracy.
Cate Ashmore is the Managing Director and CEO of Dedicated Training & Consulting Group, a company committed to creating change in individuals, communities and organisations through training and consultation.
Over the past 13 years, Cate has worked in vocational training at all levels from corporate clients through to trainees, apprentices and the long-term unemployed. She leads a team of facilitators that ensure that training is relevant, current and flexible while meeting the organisational outcomes and individuals learning styles and needs.
One of Cate’s greatest passions is assisting and mentoring indigenous clients from remote communities by helping them to acquire life skills and on-the-job skills with the ultimate reward at the end resulting in them finding sustainable employment and bringing about positive changes in their personal situations.
Her aim is to help individuals identify what it is that’s holding them back, who it is they want to be and the steps they need to take to get there. About realising what it is that makes them tick, what will keep them motivated, to believe in their capabilities and work towards being the best that they can be!
She is vibrant and engaging and has a real gift of getting to the core of who you really are.
Unbeknown to my parents my upbringing was very similar to the values of Aboriginal culture. I was taught a respect for the land and people and a sense of spirituality that had no reference to traditional western religions.
In my role as CEO / Director on the Boolarng Nangamai Aboriginal Corporation board I act as a conduit between worlds to empower Aboriginal people & their communities through artistic & business enterprise & self-determination.
As a practicing Artist, Exhibition Officer, Curator, Teacher, Business Operator, Community Engagement Consultant, Construction Project Manager and Entrepreneur for the past 18 years I have been able to have a unique experience with the local Aboriginal community and remote regional Aboriginal communities. Through building skills and an awareness of the visual world our dream of “Boolarng Nangamai” has become a bridge for all communities to gather and celebrate strengthening culture with creativity.
I live in Wollongong on the South Coast of NSW with my partner, a beautiful part of the world. I have had 15 years’ experience in Community Development in the South Western Suburbs of Sydney. Through the organization I worked for, I established and managed a women’s refuge and also managed the supported accommodation service. I went on to establish a Community Centre in the Illawarra and developed a breakfast club program, lunch programs, second hand clothing store and a crisis accommodation facility for families. I was brokering partnerships long before becoming a Partnership Broker.
My passion has always been to work with the community to break the cycle of disadvantaged and understand that it’s only through education that this can be achieved. Working for The Smith Family’s School Business Community Partnership Broker’s Program as a Partnership Broker has enabled me to work with the whole of community to facilitate partnerships that raise aspirations and educational outcomes for all young people.
I am particularly passionate about working with the Aboriginal community to help develop programs that “Close the Gap” on education. I have started tracing my family tree and have become aware of my own Aboriginal heritage and all the myths that have surrounded the stories of my family. I look forward to the day when I can put all the pieces together and gain a greater understanding of my identity and my history.
As Central Murray/Western Partnership Broker for Murray Industry and Community Education Employment Partnership Inc (MICEEP) Mardi facilitates stakeholder engagement, builds community capacity and drives the government’s education reform and social inclusion agendas to improve education and transition outcomes for young people.
Mardi has extensive links with schools, TAFE, regional universities, industry, business and community organisations across the region. Past employment working for government, non-profit organisations and private enterprise including TAFE Business development, Australian Industry Group Riverina Regional Industry Career Adviser and Program Manager of Southern Riverina Local Community Partnership has provided extensive knowledge, experience and valuable networks.
Christine Ross is an Arrernte/Kaytetye desert woman who was born in Alice Springs and grew up in Darwin. She moved to Perth in 2002. Chris graduated as a teacher from the University of South Australia in 1984 and spent several years teaching in the NT.
She was the Manager of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Support Unit within the NT Department of Education for 4 years. After 14 years with the NT Department of Education, Chris went on to become the General Manager of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) in Alice Springs.
Chris Lectured at Murdoch University for 2 years was the Coordinator of the National Indigenous Consumer Working Party. Chris began working at the WA Department of Education in 2005 as the Senior Consultant Aboriginal Employment Programs and was the co-author of the Departments Culture Strong, Career Proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy.
In May 2009 Chris was seconded for 2 years to Burswood Entertainment Complex as the Aboriginal Program Coordinator. Her role was to establish their Aboriginal Employment Program. The role varied from recruiting Aboriginal people across all areas of Burswood to mentoring and working with their Supervisors and JSA’s and delivering Cultural Awareness.
Chris is currently employed as the Indigenous Employment Superintendent with Leighton Contractors Mining Division in WA. In her spare time Chris is a broadcaster for a Program titled Yorgas Yarning on Noongar Radio, it is a current affairs Program showcasing Aboriginal women’s achievements around Perth and Australia.
Chris has established a group on LinkedIn called Australian Aboriginal Women in Mining.
Jacob Muthsam is the PaCE program co-ordinator for Leeton, shire council, with experience working with Both Youth, Disability, Ministry work and Indigenous Programs over the last 10 years.
Jacobs professional work have Included 8 years working through church’s delivering youth programs, time working as a Disability Support Worker with House with No Steps, and Currently Working With Leeton Shire Council in delivering the PaCE program which focuses on Indigenous Parent engagement.
I have been working in Inala for over 10 years in the community as a Health worker for the Inala Indigenous Health Service south west of Brisbane and now I am currently working at the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health as the Project Coordinator. Before working at the Inala Indigenous Health Service my previous roles in Inala were the juvenile justice youth worker, residential youth worker, teacher aide and also the health worker.
In my current role with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, I am working on the Indigenous Youth Sports Program which engages Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander young people to break down the barriers of what university is about to make young people feel comfortable in a university setting.
I find working in the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities across south east Queensland as a challenge and learning to work with other communities other than Inala as a new experience. Different communities have different dynamics, especially working with our people on the ground, who live and breathe community work. I feel working with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander young people who will be the leaders for the future. Build their confidence and awareness about university and get them to invest back into their community on a voluntary or work capacity.
Max is a lecturer of TAFE SA Workplace Education Services. He has been teaching and coordinating literacy and numeracy programs in urban, regional and remote areas; with youth at risk and mature fragile learners; in community and workplace settings, for more than 15 years. Engagement and enrichment of the learner has been the cornerstone of his methodology. He is a key member of the SA CDEP Resource Unit team and his work with developing and reviewing core skills in pre-vocational training has provided practical insights for more effective teaching & learning for indigenous learners.
Beverly returns to the AEC as our Executive Officer after a break of almost 8 years. During this time Beverly gained extensive experience in various roles within the corporate and the community sector.
Beverly served as the President of the Federation of P&C Associations from 1998 to 2002. She is passionate about education and believes “whatever the issue – education is the answer”. Beverly brings a wealth of experience and commitment to indigenous issues and is a current resident of the Aboriginal precinct know as “the Block”
