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.

Phil is a Palawa man, of clan group Pore.dareme and his country is Lutrawita. In 1991, his family moved from Tasmania 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.

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.

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.

Ann-Marie is the Executive Director, Community and Family Services, Department of Human Services. In this role she oversees: Safer Families Services comprising services to families and children; the Early Intervention Research Directorate (EIRD) inclusive of research, planning and strategy development and implementation, and child safe environments; and Community Services which supports policy development, funding and sector engagement across the youth, volunteers and multicultural portfolios, as well as carers and LGBTIQ interests, delivery of community services on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands, and metropolitan Aboriginal youth programs. Ann-Marie’s previous role was in the Department for Education where she oversaw the areas of Engagement and Wellbeing, Disability Policy and Programs, and Support services for children and young people She also led the development and reform of key services that were commissioned post the Nyland Recommendations including Child & Family Referral Assessment Networks (CFARNS) and the Child Wellbeing Program. She has an extensive background in health and welfare services where she has worked in both the acute health sector, community based health services and non-government services.

Dr Barbara Spears is Professor of Education and Social Development, at the University of South Australia. 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, she 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; and 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.

Vivienne has over 34 years experience related to the care and education of young children and 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. Vivienne has a particular interest in positive psychology, increasing personal resilience and wellbeing and the role of positive interventions in the early years to support relationship based care in building strong attachments, resilience and healthy brain development for infants and toddlers in out of home care.

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. She 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 after five years.

Jo joined the National Disability Insurance Agency in January 2015 and is currently in the role of National Relationship Manager – SA, NT, WA and Queensland. Over the past three years she has been active in the development and implementation of the NDIS in positions of 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.

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). He 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 Masters 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.

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. Immediately, before 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). She 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.