Members
Dr Anne Glover AO (Presiding Member)
For the past twenty years, Anne has worked in the Asia Pacific region, designing, implementing and evaluating international development programs. Her work has focused on supporting partner countries to progress their development goals and reform agendas, while also providing policy and technical advice in early childhood and primary education, community and stakeholder engagement, and system performance monitoring. Anne’s professional interest is early childhood, and she has a long involvement in the early childhood care and education sector, as a practitioner, academic and researcher.
Mr Graham Jaeschke (Deputy Presiding Member)
Graham joined The Smith Family as General Manager of South Australia in June 2008 after working in State and Federal politics for 15 years. In November 2011, he was also appointed as the General Manager for Northern Territory. Graham’s work involves helping those affected by disadvantage to get the most out of their education, assisting them to create better futures for themselves. The Smith Family supports students in over 80 partner schools and provides program support to over 16,000 disadvantaged students in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Graham also manages the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program for the organisation. He was previously Co-Chair of Anti‑Poverty Week in South Australia and was also a member of the Australian Early Development Index Coordinating Committee. Graham is also a former member of the Children’s Week Committee. Currently, Graham is on the Committee and is also the Child Safety Officer for the Glenunga Rams Football Club. Graham has a BA (Hons) in politics and geography from Flinders University.
Mr Phillip Allen
Phil is a Palawa man, of clan group Pore dareme and his country is Lutrawita. In 1991, he moved from Tasmania with his family to take up employment at the University of Adelaide. He has largely been involved in working with Aboriginal families and in particular, the young people in those families. Phil has for many years, across a range of positions, endeavoured to re-introduce ‘culture’ back into young people’s lives; history has depleted that knowledge, and in recent years he has brought to the 21st century the ancient ideas of ‘sitting and doing your learning’ through the use of all the arts. This method of learning is ancient, did work and does work. For Phil it is a natural fit as he is a semi-professional musician and artist and so combining his knowledge in these areas adding to his cultural knowledge, has resulted in outstanding outcomes.
Professor Sally Brinkman
Sally is a paediatric epidemiologist with the majority of her research focusing on societies’ impact on child development. Sally is the Head of Child Health, Development and Education at the Telethon Kids Institute and Director of the Fraser Mustard Centre, an innovative initiative of the Telethon Kids Institute in partnership with the Department for Education in South Australia, to enhance research translation into policy and practice. Sally is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Adelaide. Sally has over 200 publications covering topics such as child development, early education, child physical activity and nutrition, poverty, inequality, and teenage pregnancy prevention. Internationally, Sally consults to various Governments and has active research projects in Lower and Middle Income Countries (including Laos, Tonga, Tuvalu, Samoa, Indonesia, Kiribati and Peru) working with donor organisations (World Bank, UNESCO and UNICEF) to monitor and evaluate policy and programs to enhance child health and development. She has a commitment to practical, pragmatic and translatable research.
Dr Yvonne Clark
Yvonne is a Kokatha/Wirangu woman from South Australia and a clinically endorsed psychologist with her PhD. Yvonne has extensive experience as a psychologist, academic and researcher within government, private, community controlled, university and institutional sectors. As a clinician she has worked mainly with children, adolescents and their families in various contexts. Yvonne is currently a Senior Research Fellow with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) working as chief investigator (CIA) on a research project to explore and promote healing and recovery among Aboriginal children, young people and parents who have experienced intergenerational trauma and lateral violence.
Ms Helen Connolly
Helen became South Australia’s inaugural Commissioner for Children and Young People in April 2017. Helen has extensive experience in executive leadership roles in a range of not-for-profit organisations. Prior to taking the role as Commissioner, Helen was the Executive Director of Australian Red Cross in South Australia and Chair of the South Australian Council of Social Service Inc (SACOSS). Helen is a long-time advocate for building respectful partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and organisations and has established networks and relationships through her position as a Co-Chair of Reconciliation SA. Throughout her career, Helen has taken an active advocacy role on the main policy issues that impact on the well-being of Australian families and children, with a strong focus on early intervention and prevention strategies.
Ms Kelly Ryan
Kelly is presently a member of the South Australian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Kelly is also undertaking a PhD in human rights and child protection law under an Australian Postgraduate Award at the University of South Australia. Prior to her appointment to the South Australian Civil and Administration Appeals Tribunal, Kelly sat on a number of boards in the child protection and welfare sector, including the South Australian Council for the Care of Children. Kelly has many years experience in commercial and civil litigation, and public health law. She has worked at some of the Nation's leading law firms, and prior to her admission she was associate to the then honourable Justice Bruce Lander. Kelly was a registered nurse before completing her law degree at Flinders University, working principally in emergency medicine, including paediatric emergency.
Professor Barbara Spears
Barbara is Adjunct Professor of Education and Social Development, at the University of South Australia: Education Futures. She is recognised nationally and internationally for work on youth voice, cyber/bullying, sexting, mental health, wellbeing, and the role of technology in young people’s social relationships. With a particular interest in pre-service teacher education and the translation of research to policy and practice, Barbara has led the following major projects: review of the National Safe Schools Framework (the overarching wellbeing policy framework for all Australian schools); A Public Health Approach to Sexting; Youth Exposure to and Management of Cyber-Bullying Incidents in Australia; and the Safe and Well Online Study: Young and Well Co-operative Research Centre, a collaboration between end-users and industry partners. She is a member of the Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion.
Ms Vivienne St John Robb
Vivienne has over 36 years experience related to the care and education of young children, managing a number of long day care services in Victoria and South Australia as well as part of the co-ordination team of a Family Day Care Scheme, TAFE lecturer and as a private consultant. She is the current Chair of the Adelaide University Child Care Services Board. Vivienne has a particular interest in the role of positive interventions in the early years to support relationship based care in building strong attachments, resilience, wellbeing and healthy brain development for infants and toddlers in out of home care.
Ms Patricia Walton
Tricia was appointed Chief Executive of Carclew in 2008, and oversees a
state-wide multi-arts program for children, young people and early career artists. Tricia has a background of 30 years in community arts and cultural development, regional arts, youth arts, adult education and small publishing ventures. She is experienced in strategic leadership, not-for-profit governance, organisational change and policy development. Past roles include director of the regional arts program at Country Arts SA and manager of Kurruru Aboriginal Youth Performing Arts. Tricia chairs A>R>T, a group of artists and educators supporting arts rich learning. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the South Australian Governor’s Leadership Foundation and has recently stepped down as a non-executive director of the Australian Dance Theatre.
state-wide multi-arts program for children, young people and early career artists. Tricia has a background of 30 years in community arts and cultural development, regional arts, youth arts, adult education and small publishing ventures. She is experienced in strategic leadership, not-for-profit governance, organisational change and policy development. Past roles include director of the regional arts program at Country Arts SA and manager of Kurruru Aboriginal Youth Performing Arts. Tricia chairs A>R>T, a group of artists and educators supporting arts rich learning. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the South Australian Governor’s Leadership Foundation and has recently stepped down as a non-executive director of the Australian Dance Theatre.
Ms Joanne Wickes
Jo joined the National Disability Insurance Agency in January 2015 and is currently in the role of Branch Manager, Compensation Recoveries. Over the past three years she has been active in the development and implementation of the NDIS in positions of National Relationship Manager – SA, NT, WA and Queensland, Branch Manager Communications, Regional Manager SA and far west NSW, and Director Engagement and Funding. Prior to this Jo worked for The Body Shop, personal care retailers in Australia and the UK and then took on the role of Manager with The Big Issue street paper, establishing it in South Australia and across other Australian states. Jo has also been involved in the community sector in senior positions with Anglicare SA, Oxfam Australia Trading and Time for Kids and in voluntary roles with Homelessness SA and Housing Legal Clinic; developing programs and services relating to homelessness, family crisis support, emergency relief, social justice, social enterprise, project start-up and alternative care plus media, marketing and communications.
Dr Neil Wigg
Neil is a Paediatrician with clinical specialisation in developmental disability. He has held Executive Management positions in community child health services in South Australia (1983-98) and Queensland (1998-2013). Neil has retired from clinical practice and has served as a member of the Advisory Council of the Women’s and Children’s Health Network in SA. Neil has a Master of Policy and Administration and has held academic appointments at Universities in Adelaide and Brisbane. In his involvement with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians he contributed professional leadership and education at State, national and international levels. Neil’s major research contribution was in the Port Pirie Lead Cohort Study, examining the impact of environmental lead exposure on children’s health and development. His key professional interests include child health, population health, child development, and service and policy evaluation.