Our People

Indigenous Co-Chair: Joshua Gilbert - Worimi (he/him)

Joshua is a Worimi man, whose work seeks to connect traditional Aboriginal knowledge and history to current contexts, translating past wisdoms and learning to the opportunities of the future. His work brings together the old and the new, weaving them together to develop new insights and findings.

Joshua’s focus is on narrating Indigenous identity through Western agriculture, explaining the pertinent role that Indigenous men and women had in the farming sector across Australia. He pursues this transformation work through modernity, using truth telling and new concepts to acknowledgement of the past.

Josh works at UTS’ Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Research, is studying at Charles Sturt University and is on the boards for Indigenous Business Australia, KU Children’s Services and the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office.

Non-Indigenous Co-Chair: Annie Tennant (she/her)

Originally trained as an architect and with a Masters of Urban Design from the University of California, Berkeley, Annie’s primary expertise lies in the spaces between and affected by buildings in the areas of urban design, public space design, sustainability and public art. Annie has developed and nurtured relationships and projects that celebrate Country. As such, she works with development teams, designers, architects, engineers, sustainability consultants and building owners to make their developments, both buildings and public spaces, more engaging, responsive, respectful and appropriate to our culture and our climate.

Annie is currently the Director of Design and Place for  Placemaking NSW at the Department of Planning, Industry & Environment.

Secretary: Nattlie (Natt) Smith - Wiradjuri (she/her)

Nattlie (Natt) Smith is a proud Wiradjuri woman from Condobolin/Orange NSW and the Branch Manager Strategic Insights, in the Empowerment and Recognition Group of the
National Indigenous Australians Agency. She has over 20 years of experience in both government and non-government policy and operational roles across many human service areas.

Natt is committed to making a positive difference through culturally responsive policy development, service design, program implementation, evaluation and analysis. Natt also advocates for the importance of Aboriginal people having a voice in culturally responsive service design, program implementation and the evaluation process and has overseen a number of place-based Aboriginal-led co-design projects.

Indigenous Member: Joshua Staines - Wiradjuri (he/him)

Joshua is a Senior Policy Officer in Local Government and a Director at Black Duck Foods. Josh is a proud Wiradjuri father living on Darkinjung country on the central coast. Josh has spent the best part of a decade working in local government developing policy and implementing strategic projects. Prior to joining local government, he worked in the Lifestyles Innovation Team at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence and in the Cultural Unit at KARI (OOHC). Josh invests significant time mentoring Aboriginal young people as well as: facilitating opportunities for on country experiences, supporting elders in land management and bush regeneration projects. Josh is a strong advocate for shared decision making, co-design and Aboriginal Economic Development.

Indigenous Member: Steven Collins - Pitta Pitta (he/him)

Steven is a Pitta Pitta man, whose traditional lands span a region in Far Western Central Queensland, and is a descendant of the Stolen Generations, with an extensive career in stakeholder engagement, project management, strategic planning, governance and First Nations issues. Steven grew up in a single parent environment, with his mother suffering severe mental health issues and his sister living with a disability, which has motivated him in pursuit of better outcomes for the socially disadvantaged.

Steven is currently the Product Owner Indigenous Community Experience.

Commonwealth Bank. His role is pivotal in breaking down barriers that have traditionally been in place for Aboriginal people seeking to understand, access and engage with the Parliament of NSW.

Steven’s key strength is stakeholder management, where he has a track record in facilitating complex discussions to achieve positive outcomes for all parties involved. He has been Advisor to several State Government Ministers and has worked closely with senior government officers, other Ministers and Members of Parliament in pursuit of social policy reform across Aboriginal affairs, disability services, domestic and family violence, and youth.

Non-Indigenous Member: Dr Catherine Keenan AM (she/her)

Dr Catherine Keenan AM is co-founder and executive director of Story Factory. Prior to this, Catherine worked for 12 years as an arts writer and literary editor at The Sydney Morning Herald, and has freelanced for publications including The Griffith Review, The Times Literary Supplement, and Good Weekend. She has always been passionate about writing, and holds a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford University. For her work with Story Factory, she was named the 2016 Australian of the Year Local Hero.

Non - Indigenous - Board Advisory : Dr Amy Maguire (she/her)

Dr Amy Maguire is an Associate Professor in human rights and international law at the School of Law and Justice, University of Newcastle, where she also serves as Deputy Head of School (Research Training). She is a Director of the Centre for Law and Social Justice, which was established in 2022 to operate as a hub for social justice and law reform. Amy’s research spans several topics in her fields of expertise, including state accountability to human rights obligations, self-determination, refugee and Indigenous rights, and the death penalty. She also translates research for policy and public audiences, as a member of the Human Rights Advisory Panel to the Queensland Parliament, through submissions to public inquiries and as an author for The Conversation.

Amy has been a long term advocate for reconciliation and justice for First Nations peoples. She established the Indigenous Early Entry scheme at the Newcastle School of Law and Justice and has worked for over a decade to support the access and progress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in higher education, and to promote curricular justice in law programs.

Indigenous Director : David Roberts (he/him)

A Bundjalung man born and raised in Sydney, David Roberts is Director Innovation and Training at the Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW. He directs the organisation’s Registered Training Organisation and the broader training portfolio supporting First Nations health and community services. David oversees strategy, curriculum design, compliance and delivery across a wide suite of qualifications and skill sets, spanning primary and public health, leadership, community development and pre-employment pathways.
David leads a team that builds training models with businesses and community-controlled health services. These partnerships inform culturally safe curricula and place-based delivery that support on-the-job capability, continuity of care and community leadership. He works with partners including NACCHO, AMSANT and Apunipima on tailored cohorts and workforce development projects.
Before his current role, David served as Director of AH&MRC Training and held earlier roles leading strategic partnerships and training services. From 2018 to 2022 he worked at TAFE NSW as Senior Manager Aboriginal Engagement, following more than a decade as Manager of Aboriginal Education and Training where he oversaw community and vocational education initiatives. Earlier in his career he worked in Aboriginal Education and Employment Services, focused on workforce participation and culturally informed education.
David holds a Bachelor of Education in Adult and Community Education and Aboriginal Studies (UTS) and a Graduate Certificate in Management (Charles Sturt University). His experience across training delivery, partnerships, and organisational leadership reflects a sustained commitment to culturally safe, community-driven vocational training for stronger First Nations health outcomes.

Non-Indigenous : Liz Potter (she/her)

Liz Potter’s expertise lies in the translation of complex social, environmental and cultural priorities into practical strategies that achieve legacy for communities and organisations. Liz’s network of relationships across community, business and government has developed through roles in sustainability, public affairs, issues and crisis management, community engagement, social impact and First Nations partnerships.

Indigenous Director: Elley Blacklock (she/her)

Elley is a proud Ngarabal, Nucoorilma and Biripi woman. She has held senior executive and strategic leadership roles across NSW Government, Aboriginal Community-Controlled, not-for-profit organisations, and the corporate sector. Elley holds qualifications in Social Work and a Master of Indigenous Business Leadership, and brings deep, longstanding connections with Community and First Nations leaders that ground her values-driven leadership. we are so thrilled to be welcoming Elley’s experience and her passion for reconciliation.

Non - Indigenous Director - Treasurer : Jenny Howard

Jenny is passionate about advancing reconciliation between Australians from diverse backgrounds and First Nations peoples. With 30 years’ experience across the vocational, tertiary and school sectors, she has built strong, trusted relationships with Aboriginal communities through senior management, frontline, and teaching roles. Over the past decade, she has led major government reform initiatives, including two statewide cultural capability training programs that bring Aboriginal communities and government agencies together to improve outcomes in child protection and land claims. Jenny draws on deep community networks and 20 years of senior leadership experience to influence narratives, engagement and collaboration in complex environments. She currently serves on the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee for MercyWorks and brings extensive expertise in managing large teams, multimillion‑dollar budgets and organisational governance to any management committee role.