Home Time Youth Advocate

Atlas is a young queer person who has always been passionate about the rights of young people particularly those who have been othered by society or had experiences of disadvantage.

Atlas’ focus as a lived experience advisor and advocate is housing insecurity, mental health, and family violence. This includes co-founding the Home Time Campaign.

They place an emphasis on using their voice and their privilege to highlight the struggles facing those of us who are not in a position to use their own voices safely.

Chief Executive Officer, Brisbane Youth Service

Pam Barker is the CEO of Brisbane Youth Service (BYS); an organisation dedicated to supporting homeless and vulnerable young people and their children. Providing a holistic, trauma-informed, and youth-centred approach, BYS assists young people and families secure stable housing, address physical and mental health challenges, receive domestic and family violence support, build successful relationships and support networks, and access pathways to education and employment.

With over a decade of experience working with children and young people, Pam is deeply committed to achieving better long-term outcomes, particularly for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness, including those in out-of-home care. Her diverse background spans the corporate private sector, policy development, advocacy, and service delivery, giving her a unique perspective on the systemic and practical challenges facing young people today.

Pam is a passionate advocate for social justice and youth empowerment, and continues to drive innovation and collaboration across the sector to ensure young people are heard, supported, and given every opportunity to thrive.

Senior Facilitator, The BlackCard

Yarraka Bayles is a proud and passionate First Nations woman from the Eora Nation (Sydney/Warrang), born and raised in the heart of the Aboriginal community of Redfern which has shaped her to be the staunch social justice advocate she is today.  

Now living on Yuggera Country (Brisbane/Magandjin) with her children and grandchildren, Yarraka draws on the strength of her elders and honours the legacy of her ancestors while forging her own path deeply rooted in self-determination.  

A fearless survivor advocate, Yarraka transforms pain into power as she courageously shares her lived experience, weaving cultural knowledge with deep respect for those who paved the way before her to empower others and ignite positive change, creating a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable future for the greater good of humanity. 

Sector Development Officer (Human Rights), QCOSS

Charlotte Beaumont-Field is a committed human rights advocate with more than 20 years of experience in the community sector. She currently works as the Sector Development Officer (Human Rights) at QCOSS, supporting the community services sector to embed human rights in practice.

Charlotte’s career has primarily focused on youth homelessness and youth justice, with frontline experience in homeless refuges, supported accommodation, the court system, and youth detention centres. She has also contributed to academic research and teaching as a sessional academic in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University.

She holds Bachelor degrees in Legal Studies and Psychology (4 year program), and a Master’s degree in Criminology (Youth Justice). Her PhD research, which has progressed through the confirmation and data collection stages, explores the social networks of homeless young people and their connection to offending behaviour. While major life events have delayed its submission, Charlotte is committed to completing the project in the near future.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Youth Justice, Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak

Murray Benton is a proud Aboriginal Barkindji Koori man from Central West New South Wales and serves as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Youth Justice at Queensland’s Youth Justice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP). He is an appointment member of the Child Death Review Board with the Queensland Family and Child Commission and a Board Director of DVConnect, Queensland’s leading statewide crisis support service for people affected by domestic, family, and sexual violence.

Murray brings extensive leadership and frontline experience across housing, homelessness, and child, youth, and family services with deep expertise in systemic issues affecting young people in the youth justice and child protection systems. He has led specialist service delivery in regional communities working across crisis response, intensive case management, domestic family and sexual violence, primary health and antenatal care, sexual and reproductive health, disaster recovery, and multicultural support. He also played a key role in developing Queensland’s first local housing action plan. In 2018, Murray gained national recognition for The Good Fight Australia, a youth mental health and suicide prevention campaign informed by personal family experience. He led the initiative for two years, advocating for stronger Government responses to bullying and self-harm in schools, with wide-ranging support nationally and internationally.

Murray is a dedicated advocate for preventing and ending violence against women and children, shaped by his own childhood experience as a victim alongside his mother. He champions the need for greater male awareness, accountability, and targeted prevention and intervention. With close ties to the Stolen Generations Murray brings a critical lens to the impacts of severed cultural identity and kinship.

Managing Director, Social Outcomes

Sandy has 15 years international development experience in Southern Africa and 10 years corporate experience in professional services and financial services in Australia before founding Social Outcomes in 2014. She serves on the board of the social enterprise Happy Paws Happy Hearts, is the Deputy Chair of the NAB Foundation's investment committee and sits on the Advisory board of the Australian Centre for NFP and Philanthropic Studies at QUT. She has previously served on the board of Hand Heart Pocket, Queensland’s largest philanthropic Foundation, the Australian Advisory Board for the Global Steering Committee on Impact Investing, the Community Services Industry Alliance and the federal government’s Not-For-Profit Reform Council. She has also taken an active role in growing the impact investing market and social enterprise sector in Australia and the region. Sandy was the Head of Social Innovation for Westpac, and was part of the team that built and issued Australia’s first social impact bonds and has gone on to design many other bonds and payment by outcomes contracts with state and federal government. Sandy also established the Organisational Mentoring Program at Westpac to build the capacity of charities and social enterprises and was involved in strategic grant making through the Westpac Foundation for many years. She is also a best selling author and speaker.

Chief Purpose Officer, KPMG

Professional and Industry Experience

Richard is KPMG Australia’s Chief Purpose Officer. He is also founding Partner of KPMG’s first dedicated human rights and social impact advisory team, KPMG Banarra. Richard offers over 25 years of experience in advising on and helping companies manage their social and human rights risks, particularly in complex operating contexts.

His strengths are engaging decision makers on strategic questions in relation to purpose, values and culture and asking the most challenging but important question that leads to many an executive’s career “ah-ha” moment. He is widely published and a regular speaker at conferences.

Richard is appointed as KPMG Australia’s inaugural Chief Purpose Officer in 2021 reporting to the CEO. It’s a role that includes being a challenger, navigator and enabler to activate KPMG’s purpose, values and expected behaviours. In designing the role’s scope and position within KPMG’s governance and management frameworks he drew on his decades of client consulting experience.

Founded Banarra in 2001 which was acquired by KPMG in 2015 and Richard was Partner In Charge then Partner until 2023.

He started his career as an anti-corporate campaigner running global human rights campaigns from The Netherlands against global resource companies.

Consulting Highlights

Richard led the team that transformed human rights governance and management framework for one of the world’s largest financial institutions.

He has provided over two decades of advice to BHP, including leading the practical implementation of BHP’s second line Social Impacts and Opportunities framework. He also developed industry sustainability frameworks for the property and grain sectors in Australia.

Richard led a two-year sustainability strategy, implementation, and transformation program for a global rice business involved in both direct-to-consumer brands and business-to-business commodity transactions, producing for both humans and pets.

Other Experience

Richard is the chair of Boccia Australia, the recognized National Sporting Organization for boccia in Australia for the Paralympic sport of boccia., and a board member for World Boccia, recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the International Federation representing boccia globally. Richard is also a member of the NSW Anti-slavery Commissioners Advisory Committee.

Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor, QCOSS

Jamie Brown is the Community Services Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor at QCOSS. He has worked in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector for 20 years in a variety of roles including trainer, educational designer, and registered training organisation manager.  Jamie is a firm believer in the vital role VET plays in shaping the workforce both now and into the future and has worked with multiple organisations to design and deliver workforce development solutions in the Community Services Industry. 

National Manager, Program Growth and Sustainability, The Smith Family

Jordana brings over 20 years of dedicated experience within the social sector, committed to various roles at The Smith Family. Her journey within the organisation, from direct support to leadership, provides a deep understanding of program development and the crucial elements for long-term sustainability. As National Manager, Program Growth and Sustainability, Jordana’s leadership ensures the continued impact and reach of The Smith Family's vital programs. 

Member for Cooper, Queensland Government

Jonty has a 20+ year career history in making sure people can navigate government and social services, ensuring they have a voice and can participate in the decisions made for them and about them.

Jonty’s specialisation is criminology – following the homicides of her sister and father she focused her career towards community safety and victims’ rights. In 2000, Jonty joined the Queensland Homicide Victims’ Support Group and was promoted to Chief Executive Officer in 2007, where she was awarded in 2009 as Young Australian of the Year.

Jonty’s most recent career prior to politics was working within the Department of Justice and Attorney General in the area of victims’ rights and support. She has a Master of Criminology and Criminal Justice from Griffith University,has worked on Ministerial taskforces, was appointed to Queensland’s inaugural Sentencing Advisory Council and has continued to work and support government and community organisations with evidence-based strategies that reduce crime in the long-term, and uplifting the voices of victims throughout the criminal justice process.

In 2020 Jonty was elected to the Queensland Parliament, and appointed to the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee, and was appointed Deputy Chair of Queensland’s Select Inquiry into Youth Justice and Victims Support.

Along with her partner Matt, Jonty continues to raise her daughter and three stepdaughters. She is a lover of the great outdoors and is regularly trekking through Brisbane’s hiking trails in addition to taking on the big walks including Kokoda and Mount Kilimanjaro.

Minister for Families, Seniors and Disability Services
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence and Child Safety

The Honourable Amanda Camm MP, is the Minister for Families, Seniors and Disability Services and the Minister for Child Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence.

In her second term in Queensland Parliament, Minister Amanda Camm has taken over the crucial role as Minister for Families, Seniors and Disability Services and Minister for Child Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence.

The North Queenslander plays a critical role in the Crisafulli Government in delivering reform to improve outcomes for some Queensland’s most vulnerable people.

Minister Camm recently announced a Commission of Inquiry into Child Safety and is working towards reforming the domestic violence system, all within the first six months of taking her seat in Government.

Minister Camm is also an advocate for people with disabilities and is committed to improving accessibility and inclusivity across the state, while listening to the experiences of people living with disabilities to help improve their daily lives.

Strategic Advisor, Community Focus

Michelle has worked in the housing, homelessness, and community development space for 20 years.

Michelle believes that this escalating social challenge can only be tackled through the community working collectively together. A shared belief in the power of a community working together to make a difference to the people that need it most, “As soon as I heard about the idea behind The Shelter Collective, I knew that we would have to be a part of this; making a difference through working collaboratively to attract investment directly into projects that aim to tackle homelessness head-on”.

Workforce Coach, Business Chamber of Queensland

Isabella brings an understanding of the practicalities of managing staff due to her experience in generalist Human Resources across multiple industries and HR projects.

As a Workforce Coach, Isabella will support employers to better understand their obligations within the employment relationship and assist them to create positive and sustainable workplace practices

Isabella holds Bachelor in Business Management (Human Resources) and Arts (Ancient History) from the University of Queensland, and a Graduate Certificate in Employment Relations from Griffith University.

Assistant Dean (Indigenous), Queensland University of Technology

Jody is a Professor of Practice and Assistant Dean (Indigenous) Faculty of Health at the Queensland University of Technology. Jody has over 20 years’ experience in health, housing, human service delivery, strategy, government and stakeholder engagement, with a focus on vulnerable families and aged care.

Jody is an experienced Chief Executive Officer in the areas of Health, Residential Aged Care, Early Childhood and Community Housing Provider.

Jody’s a Non Executive Director and holds various Board positions across health, human services including Mater, Cape York Partnerships and the Deputy Chair of TAFE Queensland.

Executive Director, Victoria Women's Trust

After an extensive public policy career, Mary became the Executive Director of the Victorian Women’s Trust at the end of 1996. She has designed and led ground-breaking community engagement initiatives, such as the Purple Sage Project and Our Watermark Australia. These were two early examples of the Trust’s Kitchen Table Conversation model which has have since become a nationally lauded approach to democratic engagement as exemplified in the successful application of the model in 2012/2013 which saw the election of Independent Cathy McGowan to the seat of Indi.

Mary has led other major Trust initiatives including the exhibition, Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives; the development of Here She Is! as a register of women; the Breakthrough for Gender Equality Conference in Melbourne in November 2016, the largest feminist gathering on record; the research and publication of About Bloody Time: The menstrual revolution we have to have; the creation of the Rosie website for girls; and the development of Club Respect as a harm-prevention initiative for community sports clubs across the country.

In 2012, Mary authored A Switch in Time – Restoring Respect to Australian Politics which was distributed widely across Australia. She also authored the Trust’s publication of a one-page advertisement in four national newspapers called Credit Where Credit is Due, which paid tribute to the leadership and capacity of Julia Gillard as the nation’s first female prime minister.

In June 2012, Mary was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, for her distinguished services to public policy and advocacy for the advancement of women. In 2016, Mary won the Public Policy category as part of the AFR/Westpac’s 100 Women of Influence for her years of work in shaping public policy in Australia.

Consultant, Former Attorney-General and Health Minister

Yvette D’Ath served as Queensland’s Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence and led Queensland through COVID as Health Minister.  Yvette served across Federal and State Parliaments for 17 years, which provides her with a unique insight into the harms caused in society. Yvette has dedicated much of her working career to advocating for those most vulnerable and is now a Consultant and continuing her advocacy on important issues such as gender violence, DFV, child exploitation and abuse.

Executive Director Sector Workforce Planning and Development, QCOSS

Stacey De Calmer is the Executive Director for Sector Workforce Planning and Development at QCOSS. Stacey is a leader passionate about workforce capability, sector sustainability, and cultivating intentional, values-driven leadership. She has worked extensively with stakeholders across government, industry, and community organisations to design impactful learning programs, shape workforce strategies, and strengthen organisational capacity. Stacey is a strong advocate for peer support across the sector and is committed to ensuring Queensland’s community services workforce is skilled, supported, and future-ready.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Cape York Institute

Audrey is a proud Guugu Yimithirr bama from the Thirrtharr Warra clan of Hope Vale in Cape York, deeply committed to her region. With 14 years at Cape York Partnership (CYP), she uses her extensive knowledge and connections to empower families. Audrey believes that with rights come responsibilities, a principle instilled in her by her elders.

At CYP, Audrey has led key initiatives, including the Social and Human Services Recovery for Wujal Wujal community, after Cyclone Jasper. Her work focuses on empowering families and fostering strong community ties. In 2023, she earned a Westpac Social Change Fellowship, traveling to Amsterdam for the World Forum for Social Enterprise and visiting social enterprises in Amsterdam and Australia.

Beyond her professional achievements, Audrey enjoys camping, fishing, boating, gardening, cooking, and binge-watching home renovation and cooking shows when not entertaining her family.

Senior Director, Restorative Justice Unit | Justice Reform Branch | Legislation, Policy & Programs, Justice and Community Safety Directorate  ACT Government

Richard Dening has been the Senior Director of the ACT Restorative Justice Unit since 2021. Prior to this Richard managed the Queensland Adult Restorative Justice Conferencing service, where he started as a Restorative Justice Convenor in 2013. Richard holds qualifications in peace and conflict studies, law, and conflict management and resolution. He was a volunteer facilitator of Alternatives to Violence Project workshops in custodial settings for more than 10 years. Richard has been a member of the board of Restorative Practices International since 2022.

Lecturer & Deputy Chair Cultural Inclusion Council, University of Queensland

Faiza El-Higzi is a academic and a recognised practitioner in social change, with over 20 years’ experience in advancing equity, inclusion, and transformative community development. Her impactful contributions have earned her state and national recognition. She is a recipient of the Order of Australia Medal (2020) and the Queensland Government Multicultural Award for Outstanding Individual (2018).

Currently, Faiza is the Deputy Chair of the Cultural Inclusion Council at the University of Queensland, and an advisor to the Queensland government on Domestic and Family Violence, Multiculturalism and Health equity. In these roles, she drives the inclusion of equity agenda in critical social policy initiatives. As Chair of the Ethnic Broadcasting Association Queensland, she champions initiatives for diverse voices in media, enabling representation and inclusivity.

Faiza’s strategic policy expertise spans state and federal government roles, complemented by her significant work in the NGO sector on community development, refugee settlement, and youth engagement. Her extensive academic qualifications in architecture, project management, international business, education, and gender studies empower her to approach social advancement with a comprehensive and impactful perspective.

Faiza continues scholarly contributions at the University of Queensland, while more broadly actively shaping policy and practice to foster a more equitable society demonstrating the importance of leadership and vision in driving systemic change and empowering communities.

Managing Partner, Community, Social and ESG Investment, Perpetual

Leads Perpetual Private’s Social Investment businesses and ESG Strategy

Cat Fay is a senior social investment and business leader in Australia. She has more than twenty years’ experience advising families, individuals and institutions on philanthropic and social investment strategies.

At Perpetual, Cat oversees approximately $5 billion in community funds across Perpetual’s work with philanthropists, non-profits and Native Title groups. Under her management, Perpetual’s clients distribute more than $130 million annually through philanthropic trusts, estates, and endowments. She is also responsible for driving Perpetual Private’s client strategy in ESG investment.

Prior to her time at Perpetual Cat worked at The Ian Potter Foundation in Australia and the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland and London advising on community and built heritage regeneration projects.

Outside of Perpetual, Caitriona is a leader in democratised philanthropy, focused on giving voice to communities in decision making. She’s a founding Board Member of GiveOUT – a national day of giving for LGBTQIA+ causes, a founding member of Melbourne Women’s Fund, a Board Member of The Ladder Project and a member of the International Women’s Forum.

Founder, Peggy’s Place

Peggy Flannery is the Managing Director of KTQ Group Pty Ltd, with over two decades of experience in property acquisition, sales, and development through her family’s business ventures. She has successfully delivered major residential and commercial projects across Australia.

One of her most significant achievements is a new Kirra Point Precinct, a landmark coastal development on Queensland’s southern Gold Coast. Stage one is complete and includes MILES, a luxury residential tower with 116 apartments, the revitalised Kirra Beach Hotel, and the new Kirra Beach House. Stage two is now underway.

Peggy also led the development of Elements of Byron, a world-class resort in Byron Bay. The awardwinning retreat features 193 standalone villas, a 300-person conference centre, and premium amenities that have elevated the region’s tourism landscape.

A passionate philanthropist, Peggy plays a central role in the Flannery Foundation, actively guiding its charitable initiatives. In 2024, she founded Peggy’s Place in Brisbane—a long-term, non-governmentfunded refuge for women and children escaping domestic and family violence, offering secure housing, counselling, and support services.

Peggy has also served as a Director and part-owner of childcare and aged care companies across the east coast and continues to lead major development projects in NSW and Queensland.

Executive Adviser, Office of Social Impact, Queensland Treasury

Ben Gales is currently leading the Office of Social Impact at Queensland Treasury, and Board member and Chair of the Investment Committee at SEFA (Social Enterprise Finance Australia). He was previously Chief Impact Officer at Paul Ramsay Foundation, and held a number of senior executive roles in NSW Government. A former CEO, venture capitalist, and Commonwealth Government advisor. He has experience in impact investing at: SEFA; Paul Ramsay Foundation; launching the UK Social Investment Taskforce in 2000 under Sir Ronald Cohen; and development of the first Social Impact Bonds in Australia, “Newpin” and “Resilient Families”. Ben has a MA in Economics from Cambridge University and a MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Senior Lecturer, Management School of Business and Creative Industries University of the Sunshine Coast

Dr Wayne Graham is a Senior Lecturer in Management in the School of Business and Creative Industries.

Wayne has developed a suite of micro-credential planning courses in collaboration with all levels of government and stakeholders from a variety of industry sectors. The courses are co-designed, co-delivered and co-evaluated with industry representatives and government agencies. Funding for the courses has been provided by the Queensland Government. The courses are offered simultaneously online and onsite at various locations throughout the state.

Wayne is an active researcher in the areas of small business management and health sector management. He has presented his research findings at national and international conferences and he has published his research in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Health Organization and Management, the International Journal of Educational Management, and the Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing. As well as working in higher education, Wayne has worked in the vocational education sector, the automotive industry and local government.

Chief Executive Officer, Domestic Violence Prevention Centre

Gold Coast 

Lucy Gregory is the CEO of the Domestic Violence Prevention Centre in the Gold Coast and is the current Chair of Ending Violence Against Women Queensland. 

Lucy has had the honour of working in the domestic and family violence space for over 20 years, in both direct client service delivery and program and policy development.  Prior to joining DVPC, Lucy was working for Family Safety Victoria, responsible for the practice and operational guidance for the state-wide The Orange Door Network.

Highlights of Lucy’s career include being Senior Advisor to Rosie Batty, supporting the establishment of the Victim Survivor Advisory Council in Victoria and working on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.  Lucy is a qualified lawyer and sociologist and is committed to ending violence against women and girls globally.

Chair, The Shelter Collective

David has over 40 years of experience in the building and construction industry with a particular focus in the power, chemical and process plant sectors, and delivery of major infrastructure projects across Australia. Experience in Senior Management, Business Operations, and delivery of multiple major projects simultaneously.

Dave has a passion for community, organisational and regional development, providing skill shortage solutions, training and upskilling, leadership development, and collaborative leadership, bringing people, business, and industry together to help solve community issues working together. "I became involved with the Shelter Collective because I believe that as part of a regional community, we must help solve our current community issues by our people in our community"

Professor, Griffith Law School

Professor Susan Harris Rimmer focuses on international human rights law, climate justice and gender equality in the Griffith Law School in Brisbane (Meanjin), Australia. 

She led the independent review of the Queensland Human Rights Act 2019 in 2024, and the report was tabled in March 2025. Sue leads the Climate Justice theme of the Griffith Climate Action Beacon. She is the founder of the EveryGen coalition which seeks to amplify the voices of current and future generations and highlight the long-term impacts of today’s policy decisions. 

Susan provided the independent Human Rights Assessment for the successful FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2032 Bid in 2020 and was the Human Rights Adviser to GOLDOC for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. 

Susan is the editor of Climate Politics in Oceania (MUP 2024 with Caitlin Byrne and Wes Morgan), Futures of International Criminal Justice (Routledge 2022, with Emma Palmer, Edwin Bikundo and Martin Clark), the Research Handbook for Feminist Engagement with International Law (Edward Elgar 2019, with Kate Ogg); and author of Gender and Transitional Justice: The Women of Timor Leste (Routledge, 2010) and over 46 refereed academic works in leading journals. 

Prior to joining Griffith, Susan was the Director of Studies at the ANU Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy and a Non-resident Fellow at Chatham House. Prior to academia, Sue was the Advocacy lead at the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) and has also worked for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the National Council of Churches and the Australian Parliament. 

Head of School, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work at the University of Queensland

Professor Karen Healy AM is the Head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work at the University of Queensland. Professor Healy's work examines and develops community-based approaches to improving health, wellbeing and safety across the life-course. She is committed to improving outcomes with people and families experiencing disadvantage and marginalisation.

In 2016, Karen received an Order of Australia (AM) for her contribution to social work in child protection, higher education, and research. In September 2018, Higher Education Academy (UK) appointed her as a Principal Fellow.

Industry Professor on gender-based violence, University of Technology Sydney

Named marie claire’s 2023 Changemaker of the Year, Jess Hill is a journalist, author and educator who has achieved global renown for her groundbreaking work on gendered violence. Her journalism in this area has won two Walkley awards, an Amnesty International award and three Our Watch awards. Her first book ‘SEE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO’ became a bestseller and was awarded the 2020 Stella Prize and the ABA Booksellers Choice non-fiction book of the year (and was shortlisted for several other awards, including the Walkley Book Award and the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards). It has been translated into five languages and is ranked the highest-rated book by any Australian author by readers on Goodreads. In 2021, Jess presented a three-part television series adaptation of the book for SBS, which became the network’s highest-rating factual program. Since then, she has written a Quarterly Essay on how #MeToo is changing Australia, made a podcast series on coercive control titled The Trap, and a three-part series on Consent, titled Asking For It. In her work as an advocate against gendered violence, Jess has made hundreds of media appearances and has fronted more than 350 events across the country, addressing community audiences as well as educating magistrates, police, health and family law professionals on coercive control.

Chair, Blak Dance

Karina Hogan is a proud Aboriginal and South Sea Islander woman, born in Mugandgin (Brisbane) with bloodlines to Bundjulung country . Born and raised in the multicultural community of Logan, Karina places family and community at the heart of everything she does.

A journalist, storyteller, and producer, Karina is committed to elevating silenced voices and confronting issues that affect First Nations peoples particularly violence against Aboriginal women, incarceration, and health equity. She was the Impact Producer for the Logie Award–winning SBS documentary Incarceration Nation, and Coproducer of award winning podcast Bloodlines to Country. She continues to advocate fiercely across media, the arts, policy, and health platforms.

Karina holds a degree in both Journalism and International Politics. She is a mother of two and carer to many others, bringing lived experience into every facet of her leadership.

She is an experienced non-executive director, currently serving on three boards, including the Children’s Hospital Queensland, Australia’s leading paediatric health service, the Children’s Hospital Foundation and is also Chair of the national Indigenous contemporary dance peak BlakDance. Her work in governance, storytelling, and community engagement centres around justice, culture, strategy and amplifying the strength of marginalised communities while adding value to shaping and implementing systems change.

Executive Director Communications and Engagement, QCOSS

Robert is a strategic communications leader with a strong track record in guiding organisations through times of change. He has worked to support leaders to communicate clearly, navigate change, and connect meaningfully with the people they serve.

He is currently Executive Director of Communications and Engagement at QCOSS, where he’s focused on strengthening the organisation’s voice, building its communications capacity, and supporting members across Queensland’s social services sector. Before joining QCOSS, Robert held senior roles in Queensland Health, including leading communications during the COVID-19 pandemic. He began his career as a journalist, bringing a strong storytelling instinct and a sharp news sense to his work.

Robert is also the author of Ugly, a book about disability, appearance diversity and self-worth, and a TEDx speaker. He’s passionate about helping people and organisations find their voice and use it with purpose.

Principal Solicitor, YFS Legal

Candice Hughes is a proud Kamilaroi woman, mother and wife. She is the Principal Solicitor at YFS Legal, practising in Youth Justice.  Candice has worked in community legal centres for 11 years and also served as a sworn and unsworn member of the QPS. Candice is passionate about improving access to justice for vulnerable people, particularly supporting and advocating for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the justice system. 

Co-Host & Executive Producer, 7am

Born in Melbourne and raised on Taungurong country in North East Victoria, Daniel is a Yorta Yorta Melbourne based writer and broadcaster. He is the winner of the 2018 Horne Prize for his essay Ten More Days. Daniel is the host of the 7am Podcast for Schwartz media and l is a contributor to the Saturday Paper IndigenousX, SBS, Crikey, the Age/Sydney Morning Herald, the Guardian. He also hosts the Mission on 3RRRFM. Daniel’s work explores notions of empathy, intergenerational trauma, hidden history and the political landscape that continues to shape the lives of Aboriginal people across the country.

Daniel is currently working on his first manuscript which seeks to expand on these concepts and was recently the lead writer for the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s final report Truth Be Told. 

Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Comission 

Rosemary Kayess’ five-year term as Disability Discrimination Commissioner began on Monday 29 January 2024.

Ms Kayess holds a Bachelor of Social Science, Bachelor of Laws and an Honorary Doctorate in Law. Previous to her appointment as Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Ms Kayess held senior academic roles with the Faculty of Law and Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and is a Visiting Professor, Centre for Disability, Law and Policy, University of Galway.

Ms Kayess was one of the drafters of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). She is serving her second term on the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as Vice-Chair. She was awarded the Human Rights Medal in 2019 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights.  

Ms Kayess is a current and former member of a number of disability focused councils and committees. Current memberships include the NDIA Independent Advisory Council and the Australian Discrimination Law Experts Group. Former memberships include the Strategic Engagement Reference Group for the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. 

Acting State Director, Queensland 54reasons

Rebecca (Beck) Ketton is a child rights advocate, trauma-informed practitioner, and strategic leader who’s spent her career championing the voices of children and young people impacted by violence and trauma. With experience spanning frontline counselling, program design, and leadership, Beck is known for her ability to turn big ideas into practical tools that actually work for practitioners and the kids they support.

She’s passionate about building systems that are safe, responsive, and genuinely child-centred—ideally with fewer acronyms and more humanity. Beck brings warmth, humour, and a collaborative spirit to everything she does.

Based in Brisbane, Beck shares her home with her partner and Luna, her boxer dog and self-appointed household CEO.

Senior Policy Officer Housing and Homelessness, QCOSS

Bronwen Kippen is a Senior Policy Officer (Housing and Homelessness) with Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS). Bronwen is a social worker with experience working in housing and homelessness service delivery in Australia and Canada, and most recently coordinated the QCOSS Town of Nowhere Campaign which advocated for bi-partisan support for long-term initiatives and funding to address the housing and homelessness crisis Queensland. 

Author, academic and activist

Bri Lee is a Sydney-based author, academic, and activist. Her first book, a memoir called Eggshell Skull, was published in June 2018 and won several major awards. It explores sexism in the legal industry and justice system, and tells the story of how many barriers women – including Bri herself – face when trying to access justice. She is now a well-known advocate for criminal justice law reform. Together with Prof. Jonathan Crowe (Bond University) Bri co-authored a paper detailing problems with Queensland’s consent and ‘mistake of fact’ laws and after a long campaign the Queensland Attorney-General referred the issue to the Law Reform Commission.

She was recognised for this work by being named one of the Australian Financial Review’s ‘Women of Influence’. In 2021, together with the Women’s Justice Network, Bri launched the ‘fREADom Inside’ initiative which gets more and better books to women incarcerated in New South Wales.

Bri has a law degree (Hons), a creative writing MPhil, and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney Law School where she has lectured in media law. She is qualified to practice law, but doesn’t. Bri’s doctoral thesis is about defamation proceedings for ‘public interest’ journalism – a topic she has written and spoken about at length.

Commissioner, Queensland Family and Child Commission

Natalie Lewis is a Gamilaraay woman and the Commissioner of the Queensland Family and Child Commission.  

Natalie is fiercely committed to progressing a transformational reform agenda to strengthen Queensland’s focus on children’s rights. Her passion for children’s rights is inspired by the experiences of children and young people disadvantaged by the systems designed to protect them, especially those in statutory child and youth justice systems.  

Natalie has dedicated her career to improving life outcomes for First Nations Peoples across Australia and is deeply committed to addressing the systemic and structural issues that disproportionately affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. She has led significant national reform across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child protection and family services sectors, playing an instrumental role in the implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle in Australian child protection legislation. She is a strong advocate for protecting the right of First Nations People to exercise self-determination and to remain meaningfully connected to kin, culture and Country. 

Natalie has held senior executive roles in the Queensland Government, the advocacy sector and been appointed to numerous national boards and councils. 

Co-founder, Orange Sky

In October 2014, Nicholas Marchesi co-founded Orange Sky alongside his best mate Lucas Patchett. Together, they built the first van Sudsy and Orange Sky was born. From small beginnings over the past eight years Orange Sky has grown to 56 services and helped thousands of people experiencing homelessness and they're not ready to slow things down anytime soon.

Awarded Young Australian of the Year in 2016 and a 2020 Order of Australia medal, Nic has a passion and commitment to supporting people doing it tough. Nic has been instrumental in the significant growth of Orange Sky and is passionate about leading Orange Sky to deliver on its five year strategy of supporting 40,000 friends by 2025.

Nic pioneered the integration of technology into Orange Sky’s operations and helped lead the development of the Orange Sky Portal and App. This in-house built technology provides Orange Sky with meaningful insights on how the organisation is performing and allows staff to make more informed decisions and was the foundation for the Volaby project for which Google awarded Orange Sky $1 million dollars to commercialise the software.

Volaby supports other not-for-profits track their operations, engage volunteers, and amplify their impact. Nic was selected as one of 200 worldwide leaders to attend the 2019 Obama Foundation Leaders Program in Kuala Lumpur, meeting with Former President & First Lady Barack & Michelle Obama to discuss a variety of issues, ranging from education, to environment to entrepreneurship. Nic was also the lucky recipient of the 2020 Stanford Australia Foundation Scholarship and in 2023 joined the Westpac Social Change Fellowship alongside inspiring changemakers from across the country. Nic previously worked as a camera operator and editor for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and for the Seven Network.

In these roles, Nic developed a passion for sharing people’s stories in a meaningful way to foster connection. As a result of Nic’s influence, storytelling is central to Orange Sky’s culture and is the cornerstone of the organisation’s brand, audience engagement and creative content.

Nic has played a critical role in the strategic direction of Orange Sky. He fosters a culture of creativity, connection and hard work. The framework underpinning the internal culture at Orange Sky mirrors many of the attributes and characteristics he lives by.

Nguru Cultural Practitioner, Canberra Rape Crisis Centre

Paula McGrady Comes from the lands of the Kamilaroi people of Moree and Toomelah in mid northern NSW. 

Paula currently works at Canberra Rape Crisis Centre; this is a job she has maintained for over 15 years as a casual and permanent worker. She is the Manager of the Nguru (Aboriginal) support program. 

Paula worked for a myriad of Refuges spanning her 30-year working history since moving to Canberra in 2005. These include a single women’s, youth, women and children’s refuges for persons escaping domestic, family, sexual violence and homelessness.  

Since moving to Canberra in 2005, Paula has become deeply embedded within the ACT community, raising her family and working extensively across sectors that support very vulnerable people.  

Paula has served previously and currently on numerous boards and committees. She is proudly a member of the ACT Cemetery and Crematorium Board and the Place Names Board of the ACT.  

Paula brings, lived experience, strong identity of self and Culture with deep community commitment to all that she does. Paula is driven by integrity, respect, and the belief in a better future for “all”. 

The importance that being at the table when decisions and discussions are made are very integral to Paula’s advocacy, passion and work. 

Community Resilience Coordinator, Community Plus Queensland Inc

Melinda McInturff is a community development professional with over 14 years of experience at Community Plus Queensland -Yeronga Community Centre, a key initiative of Community Plus Queensland Inc. Throughout her career, Melinda has played a pivotal role in leading community-led disaster recovery and resilience initiatives in response to major events, including the 2011 and 2022 Brisbane floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Renowned for her innovative and inclusive approach to community engagement, Melinda has spearheaded award-nominated projects such as Food With Thought and mental health-focused craftivism initiatives. Her work has been recognised through accolades like the Resilient Australia Award, highlighting her commitment to fostering connected, empowered, and resilient communities. 

Melinda brings deep expertise in grassroots leadership, crisis response, and long-term community resilience planning. Her work continues to inspire collaborative action and strengthen the social fabric of communities across Queensland.

Senior Lecturer, QUT Carumba Institute

Amy McQuire is a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman from Rockhampton, Central Queensland. She is a prolific Aboriginal affairs journalist, academic, writer and commentator who has been published in Guardian Australia, the National Indigenous Times, The Saturday Paper, BuzzFeed News Australia, New Matilda, Vogue Australia, Marie Claire, The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others. She currently co-hosts Curtain The Podcast, which was named one of the top 25 true crime podcasts by New York’s Vulture magazine. In 2019 she won a Clarion Award and was nominated for a Walkley Award for her essay on the wrongful conviction of Aboriginal man Kevin Henry, and in 2023 she won Meanjin’s Hilary McPhee Award for brave essay writing for her piece on the disappearing of Aboriginal women. She is a Senior Lecturer at the Carumba Institute. Her book Black Witness: The Power of Indigenous Media was published in 2024 (UQP).

Chief Executive Officer, QCOSS

Aimee is QCOSS’ Chief Executive Officer, and a strong advocate for equality, opportunity and wellbeing for all Queenslanders.

As a community lawyer and human rights advocate, Aimee led the successful campaign for a Human Rights Act for Queensland.

Aimee has qualifications in communications and law, attaining a Master of Laws (International and Public Law) from the University of Melbourne. Her work as a lawyer focussed on human rights and discrimination, guardianship, estate planning, child protection and domestic violence.

Prior to joining QCOSS, she worked in various senior and advisory roles, including at the Disability Royal Commission, Disability Law Queensland and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Legal and Advocacy Service.

Aimee has been engaged by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples as a gender advisor, and has worked with a number of non-profit organisations in Queensland, including during the Child Abuse Royal Commission.

She was also a state finalist for the 2017 Australian of the Year Awards, and a finalist for the 2019 Australian Human Rights Commission Human Rights Medal.

She has worked across a range of project streams including, child protection, domestic and family violence services, family and relationship services and disability services.

A/Director Policy & Workforce Planning,  Jobs Queensland Secretariat, Department of Trade, Employment and Training

Kylie Newey is the Director of Policy and Workforce Planning at Jobs Queensland. 

Kylie has more than 20 years’ experience working in areas of employment, skills and workforce planning and development. With a career that has spanned government, industry and the education sector, she is proud of her role within her families Small Business where she supported business development, marketing and training activities. Kylie now applies this perspective to her work at Jobs Queensland to support others plan for their future skilling needs through workforce planning. Kylie was integral in the development of Jobs Queensland’s Workforce Planning Connect tools and resources and part of the Workforce Planning for Business course development team. She regularly presents on workforce planning across Queensland and enjoys supporting regions and industry to strategically plan their future workforce to support the growth of the Queensland economy.

Victims' Commissioner, Office of the Victims' Commissioner

Beck O’Connor is Queensland’s first Victims’ Commissioner and a long-time advocate for victim-survivors of crime. She has extensive experience leading health, mental health, child protection, and domestic, family, and sexual violence service responses across Australia. Prior to her appointment, Beck was CEO of DVConnect, where she led key initiatives including the launch of VictimConnect, a 24/7 support service for victims of violent crime, and early intervention for people using violence in their relationships. A passionate survivor leader, Beck was a founding member of the National DFSV Lived Experience Advisory Council and co-founder of the LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation. In her role as Victims’ Commissioner, Beck will chair Queensland’s Independent Sexual Violence Review Board from May this year. 

Sector Lead - Disaster Resilience and Community Food Program, Neighbourhood Centres Queensland

Natasha is the Disaster Resilience Lead with Neighbourhood Centres Queensland (NCQ), among wearing a number of other hats in the related to disaster resilience and community development. For over 20 years, Natasha has dedicated her work life to strengthening communities in a way that opens opportunities for people ‘on the ground’ to be at the forefront of making decisions and taking action on what they determine to be most important.

Natasha is inspired by what differences can be made in communities when people come together with a shared purpose and collective determination.

Chief Executive Officer, Lady Musgrave Trust

Victoria Parker’s career began at the Queensland Department of Housing, where she saw firsthand the transformative impact of safe, stable housing. Her experience launching social and affordable housing and collaborating with community providers deepened her commitment to solutions that change lives. She further honed her expertise at Brisbane City Council, the Urban Development Institute of Australia, and Logan Together, where she championed place-based, intergenerational approaches to community development.

Before joining The Lady Musgrave Trust, Victoria led her own consultancy focused on social impact and community engagement, and founded two successful businesses. Her work has earned national recognition and multiple awards.

Now CEO of The Lady Musgrave Trust, Victoria calls this her dream role: leading Queensland’s oldest charity to deliver safe housing and support for young women and children facing homelessness, mostly due to domestic and family violence. The Trust, operating since 1885 without ongoing government funding, relies on strong partnerships to provide life-changing opportunities and break the cycle of disadvantage for generations.

Chief Executive Officer, Hand Heart Pocket

Sara has over twenty-five years’ experience in social and environmental impact management, stakeholder relations, and communication. Sara is passionate about social justice and a transition to a sustainable future.

Sara is Chief Executive Officer of Hand Heart Pocket, an independent philanthropic foundation established by the Freemasons of Queensland with a history of helping the community for more than 110 years.

She is also on the Investment Committee of the NAB Foundation Impact Investment Fund, and on the Steering Committee of Philanthropy Australia’s Foundations Group for Impact Investing. Until recently Sara was Chair of the Thriving Qld Kids Partnership and Deputy Chair of the Qld Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Previously, Sara worked for listed companies Suncorp Group and Xstrata, leading their sustainability and stakeholder relations functions. Sara has also held executive roles in the community sector including with Goodstart Early Learning and Tearfund Australia, focused on advocacy, communications, and marketing.

She holds Bachelor of Business-Management and a Master of Business-Marketing from QUT, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Chief Executive Officer, Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation

Joshua Paterson was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC in 2021. Bringing strong leadership and strategic vision to the role, Joshua played a key role in one of the Corporation’s most significant milestones — the successful handback of Daintree National Park (CYPAL) to the Eastern Kuku Yalanjiwarra later that same year. This achievement marked a major step forward in the recognition of Eastern Kuku Yalanji cultural heritage and land rights.

Joshua’s extensive experience across government, community, and senior leadership was put to the test during the devastation caused by Cyclone Jasper and the severe flooding of the Bloomfield River — the area where he was raised. In the face of this crisis, he demonstrated strong leadership and resilience, advocating for urgent recovery efforts and emphasizing the critical need for long-term future planning.

Joshua continues to lead Jabalbina with a strong commitment to self-determination, cultural preservation, and sustainable development for the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people.

Hon. Professor Housing and Compact Cities Research, City Futures Research Centre UNSW

Hon. Professor Hal Pawson has led numerous major research projects funded by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), by the Australian Research Council (ARC), and by non-government agencies. Hal’s key interests include housing policy governance and strategy, private rental housing, social and affordable housing, and urban renewal. From 2011-19 Hal served as Australasian Editor for the international journal Housing Studies; from 2019-23 he was a Housing Studies Managing Editor. Before moving to UNSW, Hal worked at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh from 1995-2011. He retains an Honorary Professorship at Heriot-Watt and is also an Associate of Sheffield University’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning. In 2023 he became a non-Executive Director of Community Housing Canberra.

Chief Executive Officer, Common Ground

Sue Pope is the Chief Executive Officer of Common Ground Queensland, a Tier 2 community housing provider dedicated to delivering supportive housing solutions for Queensland’s most vulnerable populations. With over two decades of executive experience across the non-profit housing, health, and community sectors, Sue has led transformative initiatives in policy, advocacy, and frontline service delivery.

Her cross-sector expertise spans supportive housing, mental health, alcohol and other drugs, primary healthcare, family and parenting support, and community capacity building. A champion of person-centred system and service design, Sue is deeply committed to co-design principles, ensuring the voices of those with lived experience drive quality improvement and innovation in housing and human services.

Through her leadership, Common Ground Queensland continues to shape a more inclusive, responsive, and compassionate housing landscape.

Chief Executive Officer, Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia

Geoff is the CEO at Aged & Disability Advocacy (ADA) Australia, a Queensland based advocacy and human rights service.  

Geoff’s career spans more than 40 years and includes senior and executive roles in the Queensland Government and the NFP sectors. Geoff is currently Chairperson of the Queensland Public Trustee Advisory and Monitoring Board, member of the Queensland Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board, and a member of the Australian Health Protection Committee Aged Care Advisory Group. 

Geoff is a Churchill Fellow having been awarded the prestigious Paul Tys Churchill Fellowship to examine world’s best practice in preventing and responding to elder abuse in aged care and the community. Geoff traveled to the UK, Canada, USA and New Zealand to complete his fellowship. 

He has a strong interest in human rights, social justice and systems advocacy. 

Executive Chairman, Stronger Smarter Institute

Chris, a Gurang Gurang/Taribelang Bunda man, is the founder and Chief Executive Officer for the Stronger Smarter Institute. His career spans more than 30 years in positive education reform for Indigenous students based on the Stronger Smarter philosophy.

Genevieve Sinclair is the CEO of Youth Empowered Towards Independence (YETI), a non-government organisation based in Cairns that has supported young people in Far North Queensland for over three decades.

YETI provide drug and alcohol treatment for young people and are shortly scheduled to launch the first youth alcohol and drug residential treatment service in Far North Queensland in partnership with Gindaja Treatment and Healing and the Youth Support and Advocacy Service. Genevieve is the current board chair of the Queensland Network of Alcohol and Drug Agencies (QNADA) and board member of The Loop Australia, a drug checking service.

Genevieve is a member of the Youth Justice Sector Advisory Group and an advocate in relation to the human rights of young people engaged with the justice system in Queensland. Genevieve has been involved in several human rights legal cases associated with the incarceration of young people and strongly believes in the importance of systems reform and therapeutic responses to address the needs of young people caught in the justice system.

Journalist, The Guardian

Ben Smee is Guardian Australia's Queensland correspondent. He writes mainly about politics, human rights and the justice system. Ben's longform investigations have exposed the brutal conditions for children inside the state's police watch houses, and helped raise awareness of cultural issues in the Queensland police service.

Community Independent Candidate for Dickson

Ellie Smith is an experienced environmental consultant, campaign strategist and governance leader. She was the community-backed independent candidate for the federal seat of Dickson in the 2025 election, running a grassroots campaign powered by nearly 4,000 supporters, built rapidly from the ground up, based on listening to the community's priorities.

With over a decade of experience in government relations, stakeholder engagement, and community organising, Ellie has worked at the intersection of environmental and social issues - she is always seeking to bring disparate voices together to find common ground. She previously served as Queensland Coordinator for the Lock the Gate Alliance and has held board positions with peak environmental bodies, philanthropy, and in impact investment.

Ellie was part of the community group 'Dickson Decides' - a civic engagement initiative supporting independent, values-based representation in her electorate that lead to her candidacy at the federal election. As part of the broader Community Independents movement, she has witnessed the transformative power of people-powered politics and is energised by its potential to reshape Australia’s political landscape.

Chief Executive Officer, White Box Enterprises

Luke established White Box Enterprises (WBE) in 2019 in Queensland to systematically address the constraints he routinely confronted when launching social enterprises: access to affordable space, access to catalytic capital, and access to partnerships that would help bring jobs-focused social enterprise into the mainstream fabric of employment in Australia.

With more than 15 years’ experience in the social enterprise and not-for-profit sectors, prior to launching WBE, Luke founded Vanguard Laundry and had been integral in the start-up of several large-scale employment-focused social enterprise projects that have created meaningful work pathways for people facing barriers to employment here and in the UK.

To date WBE has enabled 1000+ new jobs, launched four social enterprises, and raised over $51M in blended capital for jobs creation projects. Luke is a dynamic thought leader with a bias for action. His demonstrated ability to deliver large-scale employment-focused initiatives that leverage commercial opportunities is recognised through previous start-ups and multiple national awards.

Chief Executive Officer, Cygnet Centre for Peacebuilding & Transformation Ltd

Christine is dedicated to working across all levels of community in the pursuit of social justice and healing; working on local, national and international levels in the areas of anti-racism, human rights and peace initiatives.

As CEO of the Cygnet Centre for Peacebuilding and Transformation, Christine leads initiatives that centre healing, justice, community engagement and self-determination with strength, integrity and grace. She’s known for her ability to connect big-picture strategy with grounded community-led practice. Whether working at the boardroom table or in circle on Country, Christine brings clarity, care and an unwavering belief in our collective capacity to heal, transform and lead together.

Francine V McNiff Professor in Human Rights Law, Associate Dean (Diversity & Inclusion), Director of Studies, Human Rights Law, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne

Professor John Tobin is the Francine V McNiff Chair in International Human Rights Law at Melbourne Law School where is also Director of the Human Rights Program.  He has taught and researched in the field of human rights for 25 years and held multiple advisory roles and provided training and consultancy services on a wide range of human rights issues to international organisations, NGOs, service providers, government departments and statutory bodies.

Principal Commissioner, Queensland Family & Child Comission

Luke was appointed as Principal Family and Child Commissioner of Queensland in January 2022. In this role he has led critical reviews of the residential care system, use of watchhouses for young people, and produced significant child death cases. During his early years, Luke’s parents fostered a number of children and the lived experience of his foster brothers and sisters has profoundly shaped the perspectives and passion he brings to his work. 

Luke’s career spans more than 20 years across the Commonwealth, New South Wales and Northern Territory governments in the areas of child safety and youth justice reform, research and evidence, integrity, audit, governance and complaints management. He has led critical reforms of systems and their legal frameworks and has extensive experience monitoring the performance of the systems designed to keep children safe and preserve family wellbeing. Luke has presented critical testimony that has shaped several Royal Commission outcomes. 

Executive Director, Centacare FNQ and

Catholic Early Learning and Care

Anita has been the Executive Director of Centacare FNQ since 2016, and having over 35 years’ experience in the social services sector. A strong advocate for local, place-based solutions, she is committed to supporting communities across Far North Queensland through inclusive, holistic services grounded in Catholic Social Teaching.

Under her leadership, Centacare FNQ has expanded its focus on mental health and wellbeing, aged care, early learning, multicultural support, and disability services—supporting individuals and families across all life stages. Anita is known for her collaborative approach, building strong partnerships with schools, service providers, government agencies, and community leaders to ensure services are coordinated and responsive to local needs.

With a long history in the not-for-profit sector, Anita brings both strategic and frontline insight to her leadership. She continues to champion initiatives such as School Savvy and Balance in the Workplace, which reflect her passion for accessible, innovative, community-led models of support.

Anita is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and currently serves as a Company Director of Catholic Social Services Australia, contributing her knowledge and experience to strengthen place-based service delivery at a national level.

Wujal Wujal Elders Justice Group and Eastern Kuku Yalanijwarra Elder

Kathleen Walker is a highly esteemed Elder of Eastern Kuku Yalanjiwarra, who actively advocates for her homeland and the Wujal Wujal community. Deeply connected to the country, she is passionate about supporting the betterment of her community.

Kathleen wears many hats—from tour guiding and sharing cultural knowledge to her involvement in the Wujal Wujal Elders Justice Group.

Since being directly impacted by Cyclone Jasper, Kathleen has been in constant communication with government bodies, local councils, and key stakeholders to advocate for a safe return home and to help secure long-term recovery plans.

Her greatest passion is her family, and she values every moment she can spend with them.

Chief Operating Officer, Cancer Council QLD

Mena’s career is grounded in grassroots practice with broad experience in community development, framework design, and governance at board and executive levels. She has worked across health, education, community sectors, guided by a commitment to social justice, human rights, and collective participation. Mena holds qualifications in human resource management, community development and educational leadership. She is dedicated to advancing equity in partnership with First Nations communities - challenging systems and co-designing structures guided by integrity, purpose, and impact. Mena's family connections are to the Walman Yawuru people in the Kimberley, and she is deeply influenced by values of rights, respect, and reciprocity.

Chief Executive Officer, Micah Projects

Karyn Walsh is a social justice advocate and the CEO of Micah Projects, a not-for-profit organisation which she established in 1995 to help the community access foundational human rights, such as housing, healthcare, safety, justice, and meaningful connection. Today, under Karyn’s leadership Micah Projects operates responses services across Queensland, working towards a society where inclusion, equality and connection are valued.

For 30 years, Karyn has been working tirelessly to break down barriers, create justice and respond to injustice in the lives of individuals, women, children and families. Karyn has a strong focus on working with people, communities, organisations and services to end the cycle of homelessness. Karyn is passionate about creating an equitable and inclusive housing system that is affordable, secure, safe and designed to meet the health and wellbeing needs of individuals and families.

Karyn has served in numerous roles including as the president of the Queensland Council of Social Services, as a member of the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Implementation Council, as co-chair of Queensland's Anti-Poverty Week, as a council member at the Queensland Mental Health Commission and as an inaugural member and director of the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness.

In recognition of her work, Karyn was awarded an honorary Doctor of Social Work and Nursing from the University of Queensland in 2016. In the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours, Karyn was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her service to the community, supporting people with mental health issues, the homeless and children through various social welfare initiatives. Karyn was named as a Queensland Great in 2021 for her social justice advocacy. In 2025, Karyn was awarded an honorary Professorship of Social Work from the University of Queensland.

Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Queensland

Neil is an accomplished Chief Executive Officer and Company Director, highly experienced across a range of corporate, government and not-for-profit entities.

A national leader in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing, health, economic development and public administration, he is known as a leading thinker and for his work in strategy and policy development and policy implementation.

Neil has an outstanding record of significant achievement in executive roles in both the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors. He has been the CEO of the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Queensland since 2021 and has held other Chief Executive Officer positions including with the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC). He was also an Executive Director with Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works where he played a key role in the development of the Queensland Housing Strategy 2017 – 2027; the Queensland Building Plan; and the Queensland Procurement Policy; and the implementation of the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing (NPARIH).

As well, Neil holds a number of current Directorships, including the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council (a statutory authority which provides independent, evidence-based expert advice to the Australian Government on matters that materially affect the supply and affordability of Australia’s housing); Relationships Australia (Queensland); and Selectability, each of which has interests in improving community outcomes.

His experience and knowledge are complemented with a public health degree from the University of Queensland. He is also a published business author.

Neil has connections to the Waanyi people of the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Kuku Yalanji people of Far North Queensland.