Board of Directors
Professor Mick Dodson AM (Co-Chair) is a member of the Yawuru peoples. He is the Director of the National Centre for Indigenous Studies at the ANU, and Chairman of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Professor Dodson represents Indigenous people of the Pacific region on the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Mr Mark Leibler AC (Co-Chair) is the senior partner in the Melbourne legal firm Arnold Bloch Leibler and a prominent leader of the Australian and international Jewish community. A specialist in taxation, Mark has served in various advisory capacities on tax matters, including to the Taxation Commissioner, and regularly lectures and writes on taxation and related subjects. Mark is a former director of Coles Myer Ltd and also serves on other company boards.
Dr Tom Calma is an Aboriginal elder from the Kungarakan tribal group and a member of the Iwaidja tribal in the NT. Currently the National Coordinator, Tackling Indigenous Smoking, Dr Calma previously served as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and the Race Discrimination Commissioner. Dr Calma has a special interest in Indigenous education, employment and training programs.
The Hon Fred Chaney AO is Chair of Desert Knowledge Australia. Formerly a lawyer, Fred served as a Liberal Senator for WA (1974-90) and a Member of the House of Representatives (1990-93). He held various Ministerial appointments in the Fraser government, including Aboriginal Affairs. After leaving Parliament in 1993 he undertook research into Aboriginal Affairs policy and administration as a Research Fellow at the University of WA. He was Chancellor of Murdoch University for eight years until early 2003 and retired as a deputy president of the National Native Title Tribunal in April 2007.
Mr Graham Evans AO is a commissioner of the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission. He has extensive experience in the public and private sectors, having held senior positions including BHP Billiton vice-president external affairs; Secretary of the Commonwealth Departments of Transport and Communications, and Primary Industries and Energy; and deputy secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Mr Sam Jeffries is a proud Murawarri man from north-west NSW and southern QLD. He is Managing Director of Sam Jeffries Consulting and has worked in the cotton, hotel and meat industries, the public service and a range of community organisations. Among his many Board appointments he is inaugural Co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, Co-Chair of the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence, Deputy Chair of the Indigenous Land Corporation and Chair of the Murdi Paaki Regional Assembly.
Ms Djapirri Mununggirrij is currently the Manager of the Yirrkala Women’s Resource Centre, a board member of the Yothu Yindi Foundation and is closely involved in the Women’s Healing Centre. She is one of the women who was instrumental in the establishment of the Yirrkala Women’s Night Patrol.
Ms Kirstie Parker is a Yuwallarai woman from NSW and Editor of The Koori Mail. She has 25 years experience in mainstream and Indigenous journalism, communications and management of Indigenous organisations, including Tandanya— National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, and the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre. Previously she was media adviser to a federal government minister and head of public affairs for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).
Mr Terry Waia is the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Member for Saibai Island and former Chairperson of the TSRA from 2000 – 2004. Terry is a member of the Alt Koedal Clan and has been elected Saibai’s regional representative by the Saibai Island Council. Previously Terry was also the Commissioner for the Torres Strait Zone of the ATSIC Board and has been a member of the TSRA since its formation in 1994.
Ms Melinda Cilento is an Advisor at the Business Council of Australia (BCA) having spent the previous four years as the Deputy Chief Executive. Prior to this Melinda was the BCA’s Chief Economist. Before joining the Business Council, Melinda worked with County Investment Management (now Invesco) as Head of Economics. Melinda has also worked with the Commonwealth Department of Treasury in various roles and spent two years working at the International Monetary Fund as the technical assistant to the Australian Executive Director. Melinda is currently a non-executive director with Woodside Petroleum.
