My passion is working alongside our communities in empowering Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to create their own destiny, to provide those opportunities to give us the best chance to be the very best we can with whatever we choose to do. Aboriginal education and training has been my main field along with effective and balanced leadership in building capability with Aboriginal people as well as building understanding and capacity with non-Aboriginal people to recognise their potential in the ‘bigger picture’.

On Thursday 30 November 2023, Ricky Archer started the role as the Director of National Parks. Before that, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance.

For many years, he worked as a ranger and in conservation and leadership positions. He has qualifications in conservation and land management, social science, and management.

Ricky is a Djungan man from the Western Tablelands region of North Queensland with high levels of cultural competency. He has a great deal of experience and understanding of the issues around joint management of parks, land, and sea management. He has also managed relationships between First Nations people, the conservation sector, and community.

Ricky has experience in working with government through his roles on a range of Commonwealth committees, including the:

• Indigenous Advisory Committee
• National Landcare Advisory Committee
• his contribution to the Samuel review – the independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Alistair is a senior executive in the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, he is also the department’s First Nations Champion. He has held senior leadership roles over a number of years across a range of policy and delivery functions in the department. Earlier in his career Alistair worked at the ACCC, in economic consulting, and in a political office. He holds qualifications in economics and philosophy, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Rachael Jackson has been the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) since 2019 and brings over 25 years’ experience in the Australia Public Service. In her role as the COO, Rachael oversees the agency’s enabling and corporate functions, ensuring operational excellence to support NIAA’s vision that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are heard, recognised and empowered. Rachael also leads the Agency’s efforts to progress Priority Reform 3 under the National Agreement for Closing the Gap, working to transform government operations to eliminate racism. 

Rachael has been a strong advocate for SES100 and partners with the Australian Public Service Commission on a range of initiatives under APS Reform and boosting First Nations employment in the APS. 

As an active ally, Rachael champions inclusive practices within the APS, creating safer and more equitable workplaces for all. She is co-chair for NIAA’s Reconciliation Action Plan.

Rachael pays respect to the traditional custodians, the Ngunnawal people in Canberra where she lives and works. 

My passion is working alongside our communities in empowering Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to create their own destiny, to provide those opportunities to give us the best chance to be the very best we can with whatever we choose to do. Aboriginal education and training has been my main field along with effective and balanced leadership in building capability with Aboriginal people as well as building understanding and capacity with non-Aboriginal people to recognise their potential in the ‘bigger picture’.

Lil Anderson (Te Rarawa and Ngāpuhi) is the former Tumu Whakarae (Chief Executive) of the Office for Māori Crown Relations – Te Arawhiti (Te Arawhiti) – a role that she left in December 2024.   She is originally from the small community of Panguru in the far north of New Zealand.

Lil has more than 30 years’ experience spanning senior roles across the public service and wider state sector. She has strong and deep connections to Maori leaders and communities across Aotearoa. Authentic leadership, vision and strategy, problem solving and driving results have been key features of her career.

She has recently taken up a role as a Principal Consultant at Te Amokura based in Wellington.

Lieutenant General Susan Coyle enlisted as a soldier in the Army Reserves in 1987 before completing a Science degree at the Australian Defence Force Academy and graduating from the Royal Military College in 1992 into the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. She was appointed to Chief of Joint Capabilities Group in July 2024, becoming the first female to lead a warfighting and operational domain.

Lieutenant General Coyle has worked at the tactical, operational and strategic level in a variety of command and staff appointments. She has commanded at every rank, including Commander Forces Command, Commander Joint Task Force 633 (CJTF633), Commander 6th Brigade, Commander Task Group Afghanistan and Commanding Officer 17th Signal Regiment. She has seen operational service as the J6 Communications on Operation CITADEL, and Officer Commanding 104th Signal Squadron on Operation ANODE, Deputy Commander – Afghanistan, transitioning into Deputy Commander JTF 636 on Operation SLIPPER / Task Group Afghanistan on Operation HIGHROAD, and CJTF633 on Operation ACCORDION. Key staff appointments include Head Information Warfare, Director Workforce and Behaviours – First Principles Review, Director Soldier Career Management – Army, Director of Studies Land at the Australian Command and Staff College, Military Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Army and Aide-de-camp to Commander Australian Theatre. 

Lieutenant General Coyle holds post-graduate qualifications in a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, a Master in Organisational Development and Strategic Human Resource Management from the University of New England, and a Master of Management in Defence Studies from the University of Canberra. She is an alumnus of the Harvard Advanced Management Program. 

Lieutenant General Coyle was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for Commander Joint Task Force 633, a Distinguished Service Medal as Deputy Commander JTF 636 / Commander Task Group Afghanistan on Operation SLIPPER / HIGHROAD, and a Conspicuous Service Cross as Commanding Officer 17th Signal Regiment. She has also received a Chief of Joint Operations Command Commendation as Officer Commanding 104th Signal Squadron on Operation ANODE, and a Commander Australian Theatre Commendation as Staff Officer to the Commander Australian Theatre Joint Intelligence Centre. Whilst posted to the United States, she received the U.S. Army Commendation Medal as the 11th Signal Brigade Satellite Engineer.

Susan is married to Mark, an Engineer in the Army, and together they have three wonderful and mostly charming millennials – Jessica, Susie, and Jack. Her hobbies include attending musical theatre, reading anything and travelling anywhere.

I am an experienced Leader in the Department of Education (DoE) in leading, developing and managing multifaceted strategic functions, initiatives and programs that support improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, with the majority of my career in the early childhood education and care arena. Over my career I have held many roles Education focused roles including early childhood practitioner and teacher, roles at TAFE and Universities, ECEC service manager, regulator, policy and program designer and implementer.

My Aboriginal family line began with my Great-Grandmother Kathleen Claire Ryan who was born in Redfern, whose parents were from Ngunnawal Country, (Bungendore) NS, where she spent her childhood in and out of foster care, infants’ homes and orphanages. Nanna then established her life in the lands of the Gadigal people on Eora Country in inner Sydney, at the La Perouse Mission on Botany Bay, NSW.

I was born and spent my childhood in Eora, in the lands of the Dharawal people, (Sutherland Shire) NSW.

I have been privileged to spend my adulthood establishing my family and career in many special places of Australia including Perth WA, Darwin and Katherine NT, Sale, Victoria; and Ipswich and Brisbane QLD.
I continue on my personal and professional Cultural learning journey through the connections I make with Cultural mentors, friends and colleagues. I am committed to enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to be proud and strong in their Culture with strong connections to their family’s story; creating a solid sense of self and sense of belonging that builds the foundations for educational and lifelong out-comes.