Mr Calma is an Aboriginal elder from the Kungarakan tribal group and the Iwaidja tribal group whose traditional lands are south west of Darwin and on the Coburg Peninsula in the Northern Territory. He has been involved in Indigenous affairs at a local, community, state, national and international level and has worked in the public sector for over 30 years.
Until his appointment on 12 July 2004 as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, for an appointment of five years and Race Discrimination Commissioner since July 2008, Mr Calma managed the Community Development and Education Branch at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services (ATSIS) where he worked with remote Indigenous communities to implement community-based and driven empowerment and participation programs. In 2003, he was Senior Adviser of Indigenous Affairs to the Minister of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and from 1995 to 2002 he was a senior diplomat in India and Vietnam.
Commissioner Calma is also a White Ribbon Day ambassador, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, held on 25 November each year. Mr Calma has been an ambassador since 2005. Commissioner Calma is also a national patron of Wakakirri National Story Festival.
Charles Prouse was appointed to the AILC Board in August 2002. He completed the AILC Certificate course in Adelaide in November 2001.
Charles is a Solutions Broker with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, addressing Indigenous employment issues for the Sydney region.
Charles is a Bardi/Nyikina man from the Kimberley region of Western Australia. He grew up in Derby before moving to Perth aged 16 years to complete his schooling. He has a Bachelor of Science specialising in geographic information systems.
From 1994 to 1997, Charles worked for the Aboriginal Affairs Department in WA, and from 1999 to 2001 for Aboriginal Affairs Victoria. His last project was the Strategy for Aboriginal Managed Land in Victoria (SAMLIV) which was community driven and received by the Victorian Government.
He has worked in the Kimberley addressing land and sea management issues for the Traditional Owners of the Kimberley, working with Aboriginal communities, Government agencies, researchers, and the mining and tourism industries.
He currently works in the field of employment, looking at whole-of-government approaches to Indigenous employment for Sydney.
Charles is an advisory board member for the Shift Foundation, an international non-profit organisation that engages an emerging generation of leaders aged 16-35 to progress our thinking and action on some of the planet's most critical global challenges.
Laura Beacroft is Manager of the Justice and Crime Analysis program, Australian Institute of Criminology. She is a lawyer with extensive practical experience in areas linked to Indigenous peoples and good governance, and was the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations for 5 years. She is a graduate of the Australian Insitute of Company Director's diploma course, and is the co-author of a well used text book on Indigenous Legal Issues.
Jason Glanville is a member of the Wiradjuri peoples from south-western New South Wales. He is the Director of Policy and Strategy with Reconciliation Australia, an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2000 by the former Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. Reconciliation Australia is a civil society organisation that draws its legitimacy from the Australian people, including the many partners, donors and supporters who work with us for change. Jason is a Director of the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, Co-Director of the Ngiya Institute for Indigenous Law, Policy and Practice and Member of the National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Celebration Committee.
Over the last fifteen years Jason has worked in a range of positions in community-based Indigenous organisations, State and Federal Governments and non-government peak organisations.
Barbara was most recently CEO of Reconciliation Australia where she led a small dedicated team to build better relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Before joining Reconciliation Australia, Barbara ran her own consulting business training public servants in policy development and working with the private sector on corporate social responsibility initiatives. Barbara has also held senior positions within the Australian and state governments, has been an adviser to Ministers and the Treasurer and has executive experience within the financial services industry. Barbara brings strong policy expertise, combined with her commitment to working with Indigenous people and pursuit of social justice. She also has extensive networks across the corporate, public and non-government sectors.
Jason Mifsud is a member of the Gunditjmara peoples, the traditional custodians of land in the Warrnambool region, south west Victoria. Jason is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Football League Foundation and was formerly the national Indigenous Programs Manager for the Australian Football League.
In 2006 and 2007, Jason held professional coaching roles with the St Kilda and Western Bulldogs Football Clubs. From 1998 – 2005 he was the Indigenous Programs Manager at South West Healthcare with key responsibilities in program design and development, cultural auditing and organizational change. From 1997 – 1998, he was a representative on the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation’s Suicide Prevention Taskforce and also a acted as a consultant to the University Department of Rural Health, a partnership between Flinders and Deakin Universities from 1998 – 2002. In 1995 and 1996 he was the Chief Executive of the Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative and also established the Gunditjmara Health Service as well as sitting on the Victorian Government - Ministerial Advisory Council for Indigenous Affairs in 1995 – 1997.
Jason has held national Indigenous mentoring roles and has recently been appointed to the Victorian Governments Aboriginal Economic Development Board and consults to industries on cultural auditing and leadership.
Professor Colleen Hayward is a senior Noongar woman with extensive family links throughout the south-west of WA. She comes from a teaching family with both her parents and two siblings having been teachers. Her father was the first Aboriginal teacher, and Principal, in WA. For more than 30 years, Colleen has provided significant input to policies and programs on a wide range of issues, reflecting the needs of minority groups at community, state and national levels. She has an extensive background in a range of areas including health, education, training, employment, housing, child protection and law & justice as well as significant experience in policy and management. Among her many achievements, she has been recognised for her long-standing work for and on behalf of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia by being named a finalist in the national Deadlys Awards in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health (2008) and by winning the 2008 National NAIDOC Aboriginal Person of the Year Award. Colleen is also a recipient (2006) of the prestigious Premier of WA’s Multicultural Ambassador’s Award for advancing human rights and anti-racism in the community and is the 2009 inductee into the WA Department of Education’s Hall of Fame for Achievement in Aboriginal Education. She also contributes to the Indigenous and broader communities by sitting as a member of the boards or committees of a range of community-based organisations.
Natalie Walker was appointed to the Board in 2010. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council while holding board positions with National Indigenous TV and the NSW Board of Vocational Education and Training. Prior to these roles Natalie held positions in the community sector, private sector and government including member of the National VET Equity Advisory Council, Chief Executive and Director of the Aboriginal Employment Strategy Ltd, consultant within KPMG's Government Advisory Services and advisor to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. In 2002, following her completion of the Indigenous Leadership Course in Darwin, Natalie participated as a delegate to the United Nations Working Group on Aboriginal Populations.
Rachelle was appointed to the Chief Executive Officer role in November 2007, and has been with the AILC since 2004. Prior to joining the AILC was working with Centrelink and other government departments. Rachelle is a proud Wonnarura Woman, who has lived in Canberra for more than 20 years.
Rachelle believes that true value of a good leader is someone who inspires people, motivates them and encourages others to follow. “As a leader you don’t have to be all things to all people, but you do have to be someone that can make a difference. Leadership is not about the job you have or the position you hold. It is about a range of things that an individual values and the kind of behaviour they can present”.
Maria Castles trained as a primary teacher, but has since developed a passion for adult education that empowers people. Maria spent 17 years in the Northern Territory, in Darwin and Alice Springs, gaining valuable skills in VET sector administration, program delivery, course and materials development, the development and delivery of ESL programs and literacy/numeracy assessment and course placement, largely with adult Indigenous learners. Maria has broad experience in many educational contexts - community based adult and further education, Adult Migrant Educations Services, a regional TAFE college, correctional centre education facilities, Indigenous Registered Training Organisations and an Indigenous Non Government Organisation.
Maria has worked at the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre for 3 1/2 years and is responsible for the development and quality control of AILC courses and AQTF compliance.
Brendan Richards is from Rockhampton, Qld. He has lived in Canberra for the past 6 years. Brendan has worked in various community organisations (Reconciliation Australia, Gugan Gulwan, Australian Indigenous Communications Association). Brendan has a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment. In his spare time, Brendan loves to watch old movies.
Trisha joined the AILC in October 2009 as a Course Coordinator. Previously she worked for Aboriginal Hostels Ltd for a period of 10 years as a Project Officer. Trisha started one day before our Certificate IV Upgrade commenced, and was thrown straight into the behind the scenes duties involved in running our courses. She brings to the AILC a range of knowledge and skills from her previous employment as well as a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment and is enjoying being part of the AILC team.
Tom Calma
Laura Beacroft
Barbara Livesy
Jason Mifsud
Brendan Richards