A proud Bundjalung woman, Erin Lang has worked in Aboriginal communities for over ten years, building respect, gaining trust and demonstrating fairness and sincerity along the way.

Erin brings energy and enthusiasm to Reconciliation Queensland, where she plans to continue building and maintaining strong relationships at all levels of the community to achieve the organisation’s vision of an equitable and informed Queensland, which recognises a shared past and respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first Australians.

She has worked in a diverse range of community-based organisations including Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation, Anglicare North Queensland, Queensland South Native Title Services, and Cape York/Gulf Remote Area Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Care.

Given her aptitude for innovation and collaboration, coupled with formal qualifications in Leadership and Management and extensive professional experience, Erin Lang is an asset to not only First Nation communities but the Queensland community as a whole.

I am a Noongar woman, a descendant of the Noongar nation. I was born on Ballardong country and have traditional owner ties to the Wagyl Kaip Southern & South-West Boojarah regions.

I have passion and commitment to engage and maintain high level service delivery and outcomes for my Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I have excellent experience in providing holistic, strategic, and culturally safe support services. I have an interest to collaborate to form strong partnerships with various agencies and suppliers that is instrumental.

I specialise in the spaces of social and community development impact, employment, procurement, mental health, justice and mediation services in metro, regional and remote areas. I am an experienced supervisor providing cultural supervision support to frontline non-Indigenous employees and leaders.

Donna Burns is a proud Wiradjuri descendant with extensive experience in executive leadership and governance roles, particularly within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health space.

Donna is a Registered Nurse, with postgraduate qualifications in Emergency Nursing. She used this experience to lead organisational change, having led her own consultancy company, working with a range of clients including Queensland Health and Alzheimer’s’ Australia Queensland. Most recently, she was Deputy CEO of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation.

She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. As a passionate mental health advocate, she is also the First Nations Director and Board Member at Headspace National

Professor Marcia Langton AO, of the Yiman and Bidjara nations, is an Associate Provost and Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne. An anthropologist and geographer, Professor Marcia Langton has produced a large body of knowledge in the areas of political and legal anthropology, and Aboriginal arts and culture. In 1993 she was made a member of the Order of Australia in recognition of her work in anthropology and the advocacy of Aboriginal rights. In 2016 Professor Langton was honoured as a University of Melbourne Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor. In further recognition as one of Australia’s most respected Indigenous Academics Professor Langton has in 2017 been appointed as the first Associate Provost at the University of Melbourne.

Jenny brings over 30 years’ experience working within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander portfolios at national and state levels. She has also worked within Human Rights and international relations, tertiary education, housing, disability, aged care, women and youth. Jenny shares, “With all the knowledge I have gathered through the years, I still feel that what is most important for me is to have the living experience of being an Aboriginal person. My leadership style is based on wisdom handed down to me by my ancestors.”

Jenny joined Australian Red Cross in December 2015 and is pivotal to the reconciliation focus. She heads up the First Nations Strategy & Impact portfolio and leads the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Leadership Team. She has made significant and positive change for the teams she leads, communities she supports, and the many First Nations employees, volunteers and members she touches through her humility and ongoing advocacy work.

Jenny works to ensure that the Humanitarian movement is culturally safe and inclusive and that much-needed cultural healing is grounded in strategy, policy, practice and program design, having a strong focus on place-based systems, people change, innovation and community-based solutions. In 2021/22, Jenny was critical in forming a trusted partnership between Australian Red Cross and The Healing Foundation, initially to support the work to enable Australian Red Cross to become more inclusive and a place where all Red Cross people feel respected, valued and culturally safe.

Jenny is a strong advocate and influencer internally and externally to Australian Red Cross. Her work has been recognised externally on many occasions, including most recently as a finalist in Leadership HQ’s 2022 Outstanding Leadership Awards, which celebrate courageous, authentic and inclusive leadership.

Lucy is a Aboriginal/ South Sea Islander woman from the Cobble Cobble clan of the
Burrungam Nation of South West QLD currently living on Yugambeh country (Logan City
QLD). She is a mum of four children and plays a vital role in her family as a ‘song woman
and dancer’ teaching her gundoo’s (children) the traditional songs, dances and stories of
their songlines Boobarran Ngumin or Bonyi Bonyi (Bunya Mountains). Bonyi Bonyi is a well-
known story of First Nations peoples throughout South East QLD, as many clans would
make the trek every three years to feast on the bunya nuts and gather in circle and discuss
Business.

Lucy is the current Nation RAP and Strategic Manager for The Salvation Army. Lucy directed
over 80 virtual yarning circles which formed the basis of The Salvation Army’s first National
Reconciliation Action Plan (Innovate) launched in December 2020 with a key commitment to
Truth Telling and Social Advocacy. During the process of creating the RAP The Salvation
Army developed their first Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Cultural Competency
Framework which has been a supporting document with kits to support the organisation to bring systematic changes to organisations including a cultural learning framework which is compulsory for all staff and personnel. The Salvation Army acknowledges the important role
they play in working with vulnerable peoples and communities they acknowledge the
importance of their workplaces being culturally safe spaces.

Her current role is supporting positive change structurally throughout The Salvation Army
and encouraging conversations within and externally with faith-based organizations on how
to support Reconciliation with practical actions.

Lucy also facilitated one of the first virtual yarning circles for the Uluru Statement from the
Heart with over 50 CEW woman in attendance with a leading panel of Sam Mostyn, Aunty
Pat Anderson AO and Professor Megan Davis.

Recently, Lucy hosted over 20 virtual yarning circles for the governments ‘Week of Action’
towards the Referendum, facilitating yarns with Aunty Pat Anderson and Professor Megan
Davis, answering the questions of ‘what is a voice’ what recognition means and why are we
going to a referendum. Due the success of these Start a Yarn’ yarning circles, Lucy continued her work with the Uluru Dialogue team in facilitating weekly virtual yarning circles. The circles allow Australians to listen to the journey of the Uluru Statement from the Heart whilst offering people a chance to engage in respectful conversations with leaders of the Uluru Statement on the upcoming referendum and what a enshrined voice to parliament looks like.

Lucy has appeared on the ABC’s Drum, as a panellist leading conversation around Truth
Telling, Justice and Repair, and First Nations Spirituality Vs Western Christianity.

Lucy has a BA (Major) Human Services and a UNITAR Diploma in Conflict Prevention and
Peacebuilding Capacities of Indigenous Peoples. Lucy is currently finishing her Masters in
Conflict Resolution & Peacemaking. Lucy also was a participant of the Brisbane Dialogues
on Constitutional Recognition.

Rachel is a proud descendant of the Yuin Nation and is the Chief Executive Officer of Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia, being a part of the organisation since its commencement. Driven by lived experience of systemic neglect as a child carer, Rachel aspires to contribute to creating systemic change to the mental health system, especially for children and caring arrangements to achieve the highest attainable standard of mental health and suicide prevention outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Rachel has over a decade of experience in the health sector including the optometry industry and community-controlled sector at the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and senior roles at Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Social Policy) and Masters of Business Management from the University of Wollongong.

Rachel was recognised by Lifeline Canberra as the 2022 Rising Woman of Spirit for her outstanding community spirit and resilience in the face of adversity, through continuing to push for reforms to ensure other children do not experience the same systemic neglect.

Rachel is a board member of Fearless Women and an Independent Member of Capital Health Network’s Audit and Risk Committee.

Lesley identifies as Anmatyere and Jaru through her biological family from the Central Desert regions. Mother of one daughter, Aunty to many. A second generation stolen generation child; Lesley grew up on Turrbal and Yuggera country in the suburb of Inala. Then relocated to Yugambeh country in her late teens where she commenced her work in the Public Service as an Indigenous Teacher Aide at Biggera Waters Primary School and Southport High School.

Lesley, holds a Bachelor of Human Services which was conferred at Griffith University (Logan
Campus) in 2009. She commenced in the Connected Beginnings Director role in Angurugu, Groote Eylandt in February 2021.

Lesley’s published work includes Listening with Respect: StrengtheningCommunication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Darlington Y, Garland L & Hall, K. ed.s
2007 published by the University of Queensland and ‘Cultural identity, kinship and connections in early childhood’. In Reconciliation in Action, edited J. Goodwin and Hydon. Early Childhood Australia 2023.

She has extensive experience, knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal service delivery
throughout Australia in urban, rural and remote communities. She has worked in education, child protection, family support, youth justice, health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment (human resources) and currently working in an early years education and care program.This work in Aboriginal Affairs has spanned over 20 years in the Public, Private and non-government sectors.

Lesley’s commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities is her life’s work and provides her the motivation to make a difference. Her resilience is inspiring from being a child in care to working in Leadership positions.

She truly values the contribution and commitment of people that work towards improving outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people, families and communities including her current Connected Beginnings Team.

Social impact takes time, building capacity of local Aboriginal people is the best investment for the sustainability of future generations. Her motto is “every child should have the opportunity to reach their full potential!”

Emily Pugin is a proud Kombumerri woman from the Gold Coast, and the Director of the Indo-Pacific and Global Interests Section, Office for First Nations International Engagement at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

She is an experienced diplomat, lawyer, and multilateral negotiator who was previously Second Secretary at Australia’s Embassy and Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Vienna.  She was lead negotiator for Australia at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and has led Australia’s climate negotiations on gender, Indigenous issues and capacity building.  She previously managed Australia’s bilateral relationships with Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Kosovo, and Slovakia.

Ms Pugin holds degrees in Laws and International Relations from Bond University and a Master of Public Policy from the Australian National University.  She is admitted as a Solicitor to the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and was listed as a ‘young woman to watch in international affairs.