Profiles

Alf Lacey is the descendent of an Ewaiman traditional owner from the Georgetown Country in North Queensland on his grandmother's side and Gaarrwa on his grandfathers side, which is based in Western Queensland near Doomadgee.

Alf has lived all his life on Palm Island and has also worked most of his life on Palm. Alf worked on the mainland for a while for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs as a Settlement worker. He also worked at the Bwgcolman Community School.

During the early 90s, Alf travelled to Canada to meet with the Cree Indians and other neighbouring Indian Tribes. He also passed time in the Philippians speaking about issues which affect all Aboriginal Australians. He then did a stint in Geneva at the UN Special Sitting on Indigenous Peoples, an experience which contributed to his broader understanding of issues impacting on Indigenous peoples around the world.

Following his time abroad, Alf returned to Palm Island in 1993 and was elected as the ATSIC Regional Council member for the Townsville Regional Council. Alf served three consecutive terms until ATSIC was abolished. Whilst on ATSIC, Alf managed to rub shoulders with some of the best Black Politicians in the Country.

In 1994, Alf was elected as the Mayor of Palm Island. After serving a full term, he was re-elected as the Council's Deputy Mayor. In 2008, Alf led a team in the Local Government Election called Palm United and the majority of his team elected.

Alf is a family and community orientated person. He is the President of the Palm Island Men's Business Group. He has also been a board member of Ferdy's Haven and a Catholic Diocese Aboriginal Advisory Council Member.

Alf believes the politics of Aboriginal Affairs is at its most dynamic for many Aboriginal communities. While he hopes the changes benefit his Palm community and all Indigenous communities, he also hopes these changes don't result in a loss of identity.

Brian Gleeson commenced as Coordinator-General for Remote Indigenous Services (Coordinator-General) on 20 July 2009. In his role as Coordinator-General, Mr Gleeson will oversee the implementation of the Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) Remote Service Delivery National Partnership (RSD NP). He will report directly to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) and will work closely with Indigenous people, community groups, industry and government organisations to improve services to Indigenous people in remote communities.

Mr Gleeson has an impressive career spanning the United Nations (UN), and the Australian Public Service. He has a strong background in strategic policy, building partnerships and relationships, local community engagement, change management, and financial and human resource management.

Mr Gleeson has spent the past twelve years working for the UN, most recently as the UN Resident Coordinator/Resident Representative Libya Arab Jamahiriya. In Libya, the UN is represented by ten UN agencies and covers a number of complex activities including development, humanitarian support, assistance to refugees, illegal migration, HIV/AIDS, drugs, de-mining and human rights. In his role as UN Resident Coordinator, Mr Gleeson initiated a major realignment and reform of the UN relationships with the Government, NGOs and private sector to restore its relevance and sustainability.

Prior to working in Libya, Mr Gleeson was based at the UN Development Program (UNDP) Headquarters in New York where he undertook a range of positions including Senior Adviser in SURGE Project Bureau Crisis Prevention and Recovery and Director of the Office of Human Resources. Mr Gleeson has also had key roles in the World Health Organization and the United Nations Headquarters.

Prior to his appointment at the UN, he spent over thirty years working for the Australian Public Service (APS). The last position he held was as First Assistant Commissioner, APS Human Resources Policy Division, Public Service Commission in Canberra, having responsibilities for developing and implementing human resources management policies for 150,000 federal public servants.

Mr Gleeson has also undertaken numerous leadership roles on athletic bodies, including the Australian Olympic Council, supported the Australia Team at the 1996 Olympics and has a track record mentoring young Indigenous athletes.

He has qualifications in accounting, economics and management and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Damian Griffis is a leading advocate for the human rights of Aboriginal people with disability. In 2004/05 Damian undertook a major consultative project visiting Aboriginal communities across the state of New South Wales discussing the unmet needs of Aboriginal people with disability. He liaised directly with Aboriginal people with disability and their carers; and this culminated in the report entitled Telling It Like It Is. Damian is currently the Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Disability Network, the new national peak organisation representing Aboriginal people with disabilities.

Damian continues to represent the views of Aboriginal people with disability in a range of forums. Internationally he has been a lead advocate in the establishment of the Pacific Disability Forum, a network of disabled people's organisations from 13 Pacific Island nations.

Dr Angela Pitts has over 15 years experience in urban, regional and community development working in Africa, Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. She holds a Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA and more recently has completed her PhD at the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, USYD.

In Australia, Angela has worked as a consultant/researcher on various Indigenous projects, including inner-city Sydney Aboriginal homelessness, Aboriginal housing and health and more recently on the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) Pemulwuy Redevelopment Project. Her work with the AHC to develop the Redfern Community Social Plan won both national and international awards. Also, her contributions have been instrumental in the approval of the development application for affordable and sustainable Aboriginal housing on The Block in Redfern.

Angela's PhD thesis represents a significant body of knowledge which is informed by the case study of the community evolution and planning process of The Block. She puts together a comprehensive and detailed body of literature that helps inform the Indigenous Planning paradigm and its ramifications for organising a national effort to embed this approach with the aegis of mainstream planning profession in Australia.

John Mofflin is the General Manager of the Jack Thompson Foundation, an organisation he co-founded with Australian icon Jack Thompson in 2008. He approached Jack about working alongside remote communities because he was appalled about the living conditions these people were expected to endure.

Prior to establishing the foundation, he worked in the Hopevale cultural centre teaching weaving and taking people back to their country.

John has also applied the sustainability principles of the Jack Thompson Foundation to his own life. He and his partner have built their home using the bounty of the local area.

Jeff Standen is the Manager of the Aboriginal Environmental Health Unit within NSW Health. Jeff has a background in environmental and public health, and been working in the field for the past 22 years, most of this time with Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory and NSW. He has undergraduate qualifications in environmental health and his Master of Public Health focused on environmental health issues in Aboriginal communities across Australia, including workforce training and development. As part of his current role Jeff oversees an environmental health officer degree based training program and Housing for Health, a housing program in Aboriginal community housing. He was also instrumental in the development and delivery of a water and sewerage management program.

At the 2008 National NAIDOC Awards Joseph Elu was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

In January 2008 Joseph Elu was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the General Division for Service to Indigenous Communities.

Mr Elu was elected Mayor of the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council in March 2008.

Joseph Elu was Chairman of Indigenous Business Australia from December 1996 to March 2008. In August 2006, Joseph was appointed the Chairman of Outback Stores. Outback Stores is wholly owned subsidiary of Indigenous Business Australia, which aims to improve the health and nutrition of Indigenous Australians by improving the management of remote Indigenous Community Stores.

Mr Elu was Chairman of the Seisia Island Council and a former member of the Island Coordinating Council. Mr. Elu co-chairs the Indigenous Community Volunteers Foundation and is a former member of the Torres Strait Regional Authority.

A powerful advocate for the inclusion of private enterprise in the process of assisting in the sustainable economic development of Indigenous people, Mr Elu is a recipient of the Centenary Medal and holds an honorary Doctorate in Economics from the Queensland University of Technology.

Michael Mundine Snr began his long involvement in the struggle for the betterment of Aboriginal people in Sydney's Redfern community on the Block in 1975. He has worked for the Aboriginal Housing Company for 35 years and is currently the CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Company, a position he has held for over 23 years. Mick's life ambition is to continue to provide affordable and safe sustainable housing to his people on the Block.

Michael has also been a director of the Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service and the Aboriginal Children's Service. In 1990, he helped establish the Redfern Community Development Employment Program (CDEP), of which he is one of its founding directors. In 1994, he also helped resurrect the new Redfern Aboriginal Legal Service as its chairperson.

Michael is also actively involved in many non-Indigenous groups in Redfern. This includes the former Redfern Waterloo Community Council, which represents a wide cross section of local stakeholders advising the Premier of NSW; the Redfern Drug and Alcohol Task force and the Redfern Community Safety Taskforce; and the Redfern Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. He was also a Member of the Australasian Housing Institute 2009.

Paul Dodd identifies himself as a Bundjalung man, the traditional Aboriginal language group of his mother. Paul has 22 years experience working in State, and Commonwealth Government in management positions. Paul is a Principal Consultant for Corporate Culcha.

Paul has been facilitating cultural Respect Training for the past 22 years. Between 1994 and 2008, Paul facilitated Cultural Respect Training for over four thousand Queensland health staff alone.

Other regular clients include, Bond University Schools of Medicine and Physiotherapy School, Gold Coast TAFE, NSW Department of Aged, Disabilities and Home Care.

Paul developed the South Coast Regional Health Authority and the Gold Coast Health Services Cultural Awareness Program.

Paul also has a background in developing Indigenous Workforce Development Strategies including Indigenous Employment Strategies; and Indigenous Participation Plans for the construction industry. Between 2006 and 2007, Paul was commissioned to develop 20 Aboriginal Employment Strategies across state government departments in the Central and Northern Coast Regions of NSW.

Paul also delivers team building programs. Currently the NSW Department of Aged, Disabilities and Home Care utilises this service regularly.

Paul has a Bachelor Degree in Aboriginal Community Management and Development. In 2001 he worked with Oxfam on community development projects with Indigenous people of New Zealand, Guatemala, Mexico, America and Canada.

Yolie Entsch has worked at a local, regional, state and national level in social and affordable housing for 15 years. Currently she is working with seven Indigenous Housing Organisations in South East Queensland designing and delivering professional development for staff, governance education for Board members and collaboratively developing strategic plans.

Yolie designed and piloted three new programs for Indigenous people. It’s About You is a pre-employment program for unemployed Indigenous people, Our place is an induction and fun learning program on the Residential Tenancies Act for Indigenous tenants to assist them in sustaining their tenancies. With an Aboriginal facilitator, Yolande designed and co-delivered financial capability education to women on low incomes, especially Indigenous women.

She worked for four years with Queensland Community Housing Coalition in sector development; initiated and established a Learning Centre; and designed and delivered organisational and professional development for Community Housing Organisations. Yolande was also a state representative for two years on the National Community Housing Forum’s Policy Advisory Committee.

Yolie established Edenglassie Community Housing Company and one of its roles was the negotiation of low-cost housing construction in Brisbane by developers and local council. Seventeen units of housing were built.

Paul Howorth is a strategic planner and a lawyer who has been involved in Indigenous development since 2000. His first forays into this field were as a Queensland barrister occasionally representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in regional Magistrates Courts. Subsequently, he returned to a consulting role to explore the conditions that cause Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be over-represented in the criminal justice system. Paul's early work involved the evaluation and review of Indigenous housing and infrastructure programs and projects. However, it became clear to Paul that while inadequate and inappropriate housing plays a fundamental role in perpetuating Indigenous disadvantage there are a range of other foundations for development that must also be grappled with.

As an Associate Director with SGS Economics & Planning and now as an independent consultant, Paul has advised all levels of government as well as many Indigenous organisations about strategies to achieve more appropriate and effective means of supporting Indigenous people in their quest for a form of development that addresses their self-determined needs and aspirations. His advice addresses categories of governance; housing, infrastructure and other physical resources; health and wellbeing; knowledge and education; and economic security and development. He is currently studying a Master's degree in International Law & Development at the ANU.

Since 1984 Paul Pholeros has been the principal of an architectural practice based in Sydney working on urban, rural and remote area architectural projects throughout Australia and overseas.

Paul is also one of three directors of Healthabitat.

For over 20 years Healthabitat has worked to improve the living environment of Indigenous people in many suburban, rural and remote areas of Australia. In the last 10 years, the Housing for Health projects carried out by Healthabitat have improved more than 6,500 houses in 170 project communities around Australia. This work has improved the living conditions of over 40,000 people. The national project team is currently made up of over 75% local indigenous people.

More recently, similar work has expanded to overseas projects in New Zealand, Nepal and the USA.

Paul is currently the Vice President of Emergency Architects Australia and Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the University of Sydney.

Russell belongs to the Coodgenburra clan of the Bundjalung Nation. He was born in Brisbane, Queensland and raised on the Tweed Coast of NSW, Australia. Russell is the Co-founder of WICEEDO and Carbon Culcha.

Russell has a diverse professional background. He has developed and delivered Indigenous training, employment, education and housing projects for the Australian Public Service in locations throughout Australia.

Whilst working as Indigenous Employment Coordinator for NSW Department of Housing, he was responsible for a record number of Indigenous recruits and instigated successful retention tactics through the development of an Indigenous Employment Strategy. As a result, Russell was awarded the NSW Premier's award for Indigenous Employment Excellence in 1997.

He is considered an authority on Indigenous Cultural Awareness Training within the Public Service and was a part time teacher at Kingscliff TAFE, delivering the Indigenous Conservation and Land Management course.

Russell is a leader in the Tweed Aboriginal Community, working tirelessly to improve the lives of Indigenous people. He is committed to achieving self determination through economic sustainability with cultural integrity.

Sybille McKeown is the Director of the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics at the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Sybille has worked at the Centre for 3 years, in both Darwin and Canberra. Sybille studied mathematics and statistics at Murdoch University in Perth, and spent 8 years working in the methodology area of the ABS, supporting a range of business and household surveys, including Indigenous surveys.

Thadd Nagas is an Environmental Health Officer based at the Broken Hill Population Health Unit. He is a graduate of the NSW Health Aboriginal Environmental Health Traineeship Program. He has worked with the Greater Western Area Health Service for 8 years, working with Aboriginal communities across rural and remote NSW.

Thadd has considerable experience in Housing for Health projects and has been instrumental in delivering other environmental health projects in Aboriginal communities. He is currently part of a small working group working to improve Aboriginal community engagement skills for mainstream environmental health practitioners.

Thadd is of Torres Strait Islander descent.

Brad Currie is a Mununjali man from Beaudesert, a town south of Brisbane, and has at least 20 years experience in Indigenous Housing. He has been General Manager to Mununjali Housing Development Organisation for 17 years, Chair of South East Queensland Regional Indigenous Housing Organisation for 6 years and actively involved in state-wide Indigenous housing issues and development.

At Mununjali Housing Development Brad manages 42 staff who collectively delivers ‘wrap-around’ services to Indigenous people in the area, not just long-term housing from birth to death. This wholistic approach is necessary for achieving maximum results for local Indigenous people. All human needs are intertwined and for Indigenous people you need to assist them with their healing as well as use a community development model. Therefore he believes in working in the background of Indigenous people’s lives so they can exist well in white culture and keep their Aboriginal culture alive.