Members

Dr Victoria Whitington (Presiding Member)

Professor Barbara Spears AM (Deputy Presiding Member)

Mr Phillip Allen

Professor Sarah Blunden

Professor Sally Brinkman

Mr Richard Coates

Ms Helen Connolly

Ms Dawn Davis
Dawn Davis is a consultant with significant executive leadership experience and responsibility for creating, guiding and implementing national initiatives, state-wide systems and programs and regionally based and local service delivery in the education and early childhood sectors in Victoria, NT and SA. She has worked at all levels, from national policy development to implementation of policy in schools, early childhood centres and local communities. Her wide-ranging leadership and management responsibilities have covered strategic policy and planning, resource management, regulatory oversight, improving outcomes for children and young people, school and system improvement, curriculum, program development, stakeholder management, research and innovation, professional learning and service delivery. Areas of responsibility have included early childhood (birth to 8), schooling (birth to 18), middle years and senior secondary reform, indigenous education, parenting programs and initiatives for Indigenous children and families and vocational education and training. Dawn also brings extensive experience in human services including youth policies, income support, and family policy and programs. She has had responsibility for key government reforms to improve outcomes for children, including the development of the national Early Years Learning Framework, the Preschool Curriculum in NT and the Victorian birth to 8 and transition to school frameworks.

Mr Paul Di Iulio

Ms April Lawrie

Ms Patricia Walton
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

Dr Neil Wigg
