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The Hon. Alan J Carpenter MLA
He is married to Annmarie (de Costa) and they have four daughters, Grace, Claudia, Isabelle and Ava. Alan was educated at Albany Senior High School (matriculated 1974). After graduating from the University of Western Australia with an Arts degree (politics) in 1979, he returned to Albany and began a career as a journalist with the Albany Advertiser newspaper. He worked for TVW Channel 7, Perth and also ABC TV as a State political reporter. In 1992, he became the 7.30 Report's Presenter in WA and later presented the ABC's Stateline program. In April 1996, he resigned from the ABC and gained ALP endorsement for new state seat of Willagee. He won the seat in December 1996. Over the next four years he had the Shadow portfolios of Disability Services, Sport & Recreation, Family & Children's Services, Education and Drugs. He became Minister for Education, Sport & Recreation and Indigenous Affairs in February 2001. He became the Minister for Education and Training in June 2003. Following the Gallop Government’s re-election in February 2005, he became the Minister for State Development and Energy. Alan Carpenter was sworn in as Western Australia's 28th Premier on January 25 2006.
Charles great interest is the way each of us will engage with the future, and he created the Futures Foundation over eleven years ago to bring together like minded people interested in exploring things like: what jobs will there be in the future, what sort of world will our children inherit from us, and what role will communities play in the future – all things which we are sure is of interest to all of us.
Robert was the founding chair of the Nonprofit Roundtable, Australia’s peak body for the non profit sector. Robert previously practiced as a commercial lawyer for over 20 years and has extensive experience in peak law, commerce, public and community services. He is currently a full-time Commissioner with the Productivity Commission, and was formerly Community and Disability Services Commissioner in NSW. He has over 25 years voluntary involvement in the community services sector including previously as President of the Australian Council of Social Service; State President of the St Vincent de Paul Society (NSW) and Chairman, JOBfutures Limited. He is currently a director of the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies and is a member of a number of University advisory boards. Robert holds degrees in law and commerce from the University of NSW and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1994.
With experience in law, politics, social work, advocacy and media, Andrew Johnson, Director of ACOSS, has worked for many years to advance social issues. Previously Andrew Johnson has worked both in Australia and overseas for Save the Children. He was the Head of the UN Representative Office in New York for the International Save the Children Alliance where he presented to the Security Council and other United Nations’ agencies and committees. As Director of Public Policy and Advocacy on Children in Crisis in Washington DC, Andrew gave testimony to Congress and was a registered Washington lobbyist. He was also Chair of the NGO Committee on UNICEF, and Steering Committee Member for both the Global Movement for Children and the Watchlist on Children and Armed Confl ict. While in New York, Andrew was a visiting scholar at the New York University and taught courses on refugees, the Before joining Save the Children, Andrew’s various roles included working as a lawyer for Holding Redlich and the Public Interest Law Clearing House. Andrew also founded a youth organisation called 2020 Vision which brought together 100 of Australia’s youth leaders. His other roles included working and advocating on the issues of refugees, environmental issues and youth arts. Andrew worked for many years on the constitutional law reform. He founded the Melbourne University Republican society and was the National Director for the Australian Republican Movement in 1993.
Lin Hatfield Dodds is the National Director of UnitingCare Australia. Lin’s background includes working as a counselling psychologist and policy advisor. She has worked as a psychologist in government and community settings, including in drug rehabilitation and with young people at risk, and in her own practice, with a particular interest in trauma and abuse. She has also worked as a public policy advisor on health, health ethics, and community services within federal and state government. Lin is President of the Australian Council of Social Services, and chairs the ACT Community Inclusion Board. She serves on the Board of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture. Her contribution to the community was recognised by an International Women’s Day Award in 2002, and in 2003 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study anti-poverty strategies and issues associated with the delivery of welfare services in North America and Europe.
Nicola Thompson is Head of the ICT Development Team at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) in England www.ncvo-vol.org.uk. NCVO is the largest representative body for the voluntary and community sector (VCS) in England and plays a key role not only in providing services to improve the organisational capacity of the VCS but also in lobbying and representing the sector to the British Government. Nicola is also General Manager of the ICT Hub www.ictconsortium.org.uk, a 28 strong coalition of infrastructure agencies in England, who are working together to improve the ICT infrastructure capacity of the VCS in England. The mission of this initiative is to create a sustainable environment within which voluntary and community organisations can practically take steps to use and benefi t from ICT, supported at a local level. This coalition is implementing a business plan, supported by a £4million investment by the Home Offi ce (a British Government Department), to kick start the way the VCS in England uses and benefits from ICT. Nicola has worked for over 15 years in the VCS and prior to joining NCVO was the Head of Finance and Fund-raising at a regeneration centre in the East End of London, Head of Operations at the Basic Skills Agency (an agency given the task by the British government of raising basic standards in literacy and numeracy), and Head of Information Team at Community Service Volunteers (CSV) (CSV places over 10,000 volunteers a year throughout the UK). She was also Chair of the Women’s Resource Centre, an infrastructure agency for women’s groups in London.
Dr Simon Davey is Managing Associate of the preponderate.network, an ethical consultancy network with a focus on capability building, organisational development and strategic ICT in the voluntary sector. He is a visiting tutor at CASS Business School’s Centre for Charity Effectiveness and delivers the three day Strategic Use of ICT course for senior managers. Simon is a former head of national IT volunteering programme IT4Communities and was a member of the Project Board in the development phase of the ChangeUp ICT Hub in England. His main focus areas are business planning, the development of ICT strategies, information management and volunteering. Simon holds a number of advisory and strategic posts across the UK voluntary sector, with a focus on young people, volunteering and ICT and is currently closely involved in the implementation aspects of the ChangeUp ICT Hub in England. For more information, please visit http://www.preponderate.net Trisha Broadbridge
Trisha Broadbridge is one of the Reach Foundation's "original crew" (young leaders), and since 2000 has been facilitating and inspiring groups of teenagers in activity based educational programs helping them improve overall levels of self-esteem. She specialises in leading workshops and camps that give teenagers a place where they can go a little crazy, connect with others and be heard. After losing her husband, Troy Broadbridge, in the 2004 Asian Tsunami, Trisha joined forces with the Reach Foundation to establish the Reach Broadbridge Fund which she now manages on a part-time basis. She has, with the help of the Melbourne Football club, established The Broadbridge Education Centre on Thailand's Phi Phi Island. This centre assists young people affected by the tsunami, allowing them to continue to learn after such devastation. Trisha’s courage in the face of adversity is admirable and inspirational to all. Trisha believes, above all, that “no matter what happens, you have to keep going.” With this in mind, Trisha has recently moved to Perth to further herself and her career with a role at World Vision. The Hon. Paul Omodei MLA
Paul Omodei was born in Manjimup, educated at St Joseph’s School in Pemberton and worked as a farmer and horticulturalist for more than 20 years before entering State Parliament. He also spent 12 years as a councillor at the Shire of Manjimup, including four years as President. Mr Omodei was first elected to Parliament in 1989 as the Liberal Member for Warren in the South West. Prior to his election, Warren had been a safe Labor Party seat The election of the Coalition Government in 1993 saw Mr Omodei appointed to Cabinet as Minister for Local Government and Water Resources. He also served as Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs, Disability Services and Forest Products during his time in Government. Mr Omodei was elected Leader of the Opposition on Friday, March 24 2006. He is committed to developing sensible and effective policies and providing an effective and viable alternative government for the people of Western Australia. Mr Omodei and his wife Ros reside in the Warren-Blackwood area and have four adult children.
Hugh Mackay is a psychologist, social researcher and author. Hugh has made a life-long study of the attitudes and behaviour of the Australian Community and for 23 years published his findings in the quarterly research series The Mackay Report and latterly in The Ipsos Mackay Report. He has written ten books, including four bestsellers in the field of social psychology and four novels. His latest book is titled Right and Wrong: How to Decide for Yourself. Hugh is a former Deputy Chairman of the Australia Council, a former Chairman of Trustees of Sydney Grammar School and is currently Chairman of the ACT Government’s Community Inclusion Board, and Chairman of the Board or Management of the Constable Education Program for the NSW Police. Hugh is a graduate of the University of Sydney and Macquarie University, and a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, he has been awarded honorary doctorates by New South Wales, Macquarie and Charles Sturt Universities.
Dr Carmen Lawrence’s parliamentary career began in State politics in 1986 when she won for the Australian Labor Party the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Subiaco, held by the Liberal Party for the previous 27 years. She was promoted to the State Government Ministry in 1988, as Minister for Education. She was re-elected to Parliament in 1989, representing the seat of Glendalough. Following the State Labor government’s re-election her responsibilities were increased with the addition of the Aboriginal Affairs portfolio. In a leadership change on 12 February 1990, Dr Lawrence made history by becoming Premier of Western Australia and Australia’s first woman Premier. Following Labor’s narrow defeat at the 6 February 1993 State election, Dr Lawrence became Western Australia’s first woman Opposition Leader. She also held the positions of Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Employment and Federal Affairs. On November 14, 2003, Dr Lawrence was elected by the first popular ballot of ALP members as President of the Australian Labor Party. Her one year term ended on January 29, 2005. Since her return to the backbench, Dr Lawrence has been an active and vocal peace campaigner, speaking at rallies and forums around the country. Dr Lawrence also speaks and writes regularly about refugee policy and democratic reform.
Dr Samina Yasmeen is the Director, Centre for Muslim States and Societies at the University of Western Australia, Perth. She teaches courses on Islam and international politics. She has also worked as Executive Director of the Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies at UWA and Curtin Universities (1995), a Research Specialist in Defence at the Legislative Research Service of the Australian Parliament (1985) and Senior Research fellow in a UNESCO-funded project at the Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan (1977-79). Dr Yasmeen is a specialist in political and strategic developments in South Asia, and the role of Islam in world politics. She has published articles on the position of Pakistani and Middle Eastern women, the role of Muslims in Australia, and Indo-Pakistan relations. Her current research focuses on the role of Islamic groups in Pakistan’s foreign policy. She is a regular commentator on issues relating to Islam, Pakistan and Muslim immigrants in Pakistan on Australian and international media. She is a member of the National Consultative Committee on International Security Issues (NCCISI) established by the Australian Foreign Minister, and is actively involved in understanding the developments contributing to the rise of Islamic militancy and its impact on communities.
Kerrie is a Senior Executive in the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination, Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. A graduate of the University of Queensland, Kerrie has twenty years’ experience in public policy and administration, joining the Australian Public Service in 1985. Her APS experience includes the former ATSIS and ATSIC, Public Service Commission, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of Education. Kerrie is a former Executive Director to the Queensland Government (the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and before that the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy.) Kerrie is actively committed to social justice, and for 14 years has been involved in leading edge work on ending racism. Her international experience includes leading peer counselling workshops on ending racism in South Africa, Israel, and New Zealand. Kerrie is a former Director of the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre and the National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee.
Regardless of being tagged with “no natural ability”, “disabled” and “nothing above average”, 7-time World No.1 Women’s Marathon Swimming Champion Shelley Taylor-Smith is the only woman to hold a No.1 world ranking for both men and women in the history of any sport worldwide. Repeatedly, Shelley has demonstrated the power of her mind in overcoming considerable adversity. Triumphing over scoliosis, partial paralysis, benign breast tumour and chronic fatigue syndrome she relates to the everyday person with her life’s ups and downs and shows that anything is possible if you’re committed and prepared to do whatever it takes. A highly energetic and inspiring motivational keynote speaker, international best selling author, business trainer and success coach, Shelley Taylor-Smith has proven that any ordinary Australian can achieve extraordinary results; that a Champion Mindset can make a difference in your life and business.
He has been performing stand-up for 12 years and has performed with the best of them including Rove, Greg Fleet, Dave Hughes, Judith Lucy and many more. He's also done funny stuff on radio and TV and appeared in short films. In recent years Malcolm has also moved into the Corporate Comedy scene and has performed for almost everyone from Archbishops, Politicians and CEO's to drunken hecklers and High School students. If you want to know more specific details about Malcolm then check out www.malcolmdix.com.au |
WACOSS Conference 2006
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