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Defining Strength | Delivering Innovation will combine lively keynote speakers with expert panels and insightful breakout sessions throughout the two days. Keep visiting, as more details will be added as our speakers and presenters are confirmed in the leadup to August.

Keynote Speakers

Thursday 5 August | Social Innovation

Jan Owen AM has been an Executive Director of Social Ventures Australia (SVA) since 2002. Prior to this, Jan was Founder and inaugural Chief Executive of the CREATE Foundation. She has more than 25 years experience in the Not for Profit sector, including establishing and operating numerous organisations and cross-sectoral partnerships.

Jan serves on the boards of Social Firms Australia, the CREATE Foundation, the International Women’s Development Agency, Inspire Foundation and the International Board of Advisors of the Medical Knowledge Foundation. She is the author of “Every Childhood Lasts a Lifetime” (1996). SVA is an independent non-profit organisation which aligns the interests of philanthropists with the needs of social entrepreneurs to combat some of Australia’s most pressing community problems.

With a focus on accountability and impact, SVA provides funding, mentoring and business tools to a carefully selected portfolio of non-profit organisations led by outstanding social entrepreneurs.

Friday 6 August | Strength of the Sector

Colin Ball has worked extensively, written prolifically and carried out significant research in a wide range of fields, including the non-profit, non-governmental sector.

He has very wide international experience, and has undertaken assignments for a number of international and inter-governmental agencies including the UN, EU, OECD and Oxfam. He has a long track record of service to the international Commonwealth, and was Director (2000-2004) and Deputy Director (1998-1999) of the Commonwealth Foundation.

Through his research for the OECD to prepare the report Towards an enterprising culture, published in 1989, Colin gained an international reputation in the field of enterprise education. His 1995 report for the Commonwealth Foundation, Non-Governmental Organisations: Guidelines for Good Policy and Practice, based on 3 years of research and consultation, is still regarded as a landmark publication on the subject, and has been translated into over a dozen languages.

Over the recent past, as well as enjoying an association with the Centre for Philanthropy and Non-Profit Studies at Queensland University of Technology, Colin has worked with the Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) in New Delhi, and with Jobs Australia. He is currently writing a book on the voluntary/community sector, under the title It’s the Community, Stupid! His first novel, Dupuytren’s Contracture: A tale of distortion and deception will be published in October 2010.

Colin has also worked as a teacher, educational administrator, public servant, broadcaster and journalist.

Special Guest Speaker | Thursday 5 August

Suraya Pakzad is a woman’s rights activist who fiercely believes in the potentials of girls and women. Her vision is to craft a sustained environment to empower women of Afghanistan through advocacy in favour of their rights and by creating opportunities for them to achieve education, participate in decision making processes and express their views to build a prosperous Afghanistan.

As a response to denial of rights of Afghan  women and their treatment in the society  as second-class citizens, Ms Pakzad founded the Voice of Women Organization (VWO) NGO in 1998 and began to teach girls how to read in groups across Afghanistan. Since 2001, when Afghani women to some extent could operate to pursue their aspirations in a rigid society, VWO began to function openly. Her work to protect women and girls at risk as well as advocacy for women’s right puts her in constant danger in a traditional society in Afghanistan.

Ms Pakzad is the Executive Director of Voice of Women. This NGO runs a range of projects that support the most disadvantaged and oppressed women and young girls in Western Afghanistan. Her shelter programme provides refuge to girls and women at risk as well as allows them to engage in literacy and income generation activities. The Australian office of Voice of Women opened in Adelaide last year and is currently located at Amnesty.

Ms Pakzad’s work with women in jail and children in conflict with law aims to establish the rights of the victims of abuse. She also focuses on community paralegal and psychosocial aspects to support the most marginalized.

Ms Pakzad is the first and only woman in Afghanistan who has trained women entrepreneurs to run a restaurant, and a latrine production centre in Herat. She has also been internationally recognized as one of the most  brave women in this current world. In March 2008, she was honoured by the State Department of United States of America to receive the Women of Courage 2008 award. In December 2008, her work was recognized and she was awarded the National Medal (Malali  Medal) by the President of Afghanistan. In May 2009, because of her challenging work she was recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the world’s influential persons.

Ms Pakzad has also been nominated for 2009, Voice of Peace award by the Peace Organization, United States of America.

Suraya Pakzad was born in Herat, Western Afghanistan. She graduated from Kabul University, Faculty of Literature in 1990.

Speaker Biographies

Lynn Arnold

Dr Lynn Arnold AO commenced in the role of Chief Executive of Anglicare SA on March 10, 2008, after eleven years with World Vision International where he held roles such as Senior Director (Board Development and Peer Review), Regional Vice President for Asia and Pacific and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for World Vision Australia.

As Anglicare’s Chief Executive, Lynn is responsible for overseeing South Australia’s largest non-government agency promoting 'justice, respect and fullness of life for all'. Anglicare SA has over 1300 staff and 1000 volunteers with an annual budget of approximately $80million.

Lynn is currently national co-chair for anti-poverty week and is one of three South Australian reconciliation ambassadors. During his time as CEO of World Vision Dr Arnold also served on the Australian Foreign Minister’s Aid Advisory Council, and the Australian Council for Overseas Aid.

Lynn holds a PhD, as well as a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from the University of Adelaide. He also holds a diploma in senior company administration from the Escuela Superior de la Alta Dirección de Empresas (ESADE) in Barcelona, Spain. In 2004, he was awarded the Order of Australia (AO) for his services to Australia through the South Australian Parliament as Premier, and internationally through development and humanitarian aid assistance. In 2001 he received the Centenary Medal for his services to the Australian community.

Claire Bossley

Claire is Executive Director of the Don Dunstan Foundation. In this role she recommends strategy to the Board of the Foundation that will achieve greater cultural appreciation, a more just distribution of global wealth, democratic and inclusive forms of government, improved freedom of individuals to control their own lives, and the protection of human rights. Current foci include Aboriginal employment, refugee settlement and climate change and its impact on people experiencing disadvantage.

Claire has a background in education and the utilities. She has been with the Don Dunstan Foundation for 18 months.

Mary Buckskin

Mary Buckskin is the CEO of the Aboriginal Health Council of SA Inc  (AHCSA) . She has worked in Aboriginal health for well over 25 years at both the state and national level. Mary has a nursing background with qualifications in general nursing and midwifery. She has held a number of different positions throughout her career in Aboriginal health including clinic nurse, community health nurse, senior policy officer, Aboriginal hospital liaison officer and  clinical educator. She has worked for both government and community controlled organisations. She has been with the AHCSA since September 2002. She is also a current board member of Nunkuwarrin Yunti Aboriginal Health Service (Adelaide) and a past board member of the Aboriginal Elders and Community Care Services Inc (Adelaide) and Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service (ACT).

Brenton Caffin

Brenton Caffin is the founding CEO of The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI), which exists to identify and support the innovative ideas, methods and people that will contribute to and accelerate positive social change in Australia.

Brenton began his career in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, later consulting to Australian and British governments on public policy, performance improvement and change management.  He returned to South Australia to pursue his passion for public sector reform through executive positions with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Government Reform Commission and WorkCover. 

Brenton has degrees in economics and international relations and a Master of Public Administration from Flinders University, where his research focused on public sector innovation.

Ron Edwards

Dr Ron Edwards is a founding board member of the Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation supporting Indigenous youth.  He was awarded a Doctorate in Education (University of Western Australia, 2006) which investigated the factors that can promote social inclusion within society, particularly in an educational context.  Ron has been actively involved in programs that seek to enhance social inclusion amongst Indigenous, homeless and disabled people, as well as in the establishment of low fee Anglican schools.  He was a Member of the House of Representatives from 1983-1993 and now works as a project consultant in the private sector.  He is a member of the Australian Government’s Social Inclusion Board and is Chairman of the National Compact Sector Advisory Group.

Janet Giles

Janet Giles is the Secretary of SA Unions, elected in 2003.

She started the working life as a teacher in country South Australia in 1980 and was a union rep and regional delegate for the teachers union from the beginning. She worked as a country organiser for the AEU before moving to Adelaide in 1984 where she continued her union involvement as delegate, executive member and was actively involved in the labor council.

She was elected Vice President then and President of the SA branch of the Australian Education Union from 1992- 2002. She was also Federal Vice President of the AEU for part of this time.

She currently sits on the ACTU Executive and a number of Government committees in South Australia in the areas of OHS, Workers Compensation, Industrial relations and training and skills.  She is a member of the Premier’s Council for Women and the SA Strategic Plan Audit Committee, the Training and Skills Commission and is a director of Statewide Superannuation.

In 2007 she headed up the Your Rights At Work Campaign in South Australia; in 2009 she was appointed a Reconciliation Ambassador for SA. She has a strong interest in issues facing Aboriginal people, young workers and women.

Karen Grogan

Karen Grogan is the Director of the Centre for Participation and Community Engagement at the University of South Australia and was previously the Executive Director of the South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS). Karen has 20 years' experience in education and community services, with a focus on economic and social development. Her experience has spanned the arenas of school transition, disability, youth, mental health and Aboriginal affairs, in urban, rural and remote areas of Australia. Karen has held senior positions in private, government, community and Aboriginal organisations. Karen has undertaken studies in Social Science, Adult Education, Communications and Business, and is currently undertaking doctoral studies.

In order to raise awareness of the social justice and economic arguments for building strong sustainable communities for all Australians, Karen has served on a range of government, business, community and academic steering and advisory committees and published a range of policy and position papers dealing with social and economic development, poverty and disadvantage.

Mark Henley

Mark Henley currently works for UnitingCare Australia working on Energy Policy and for UCW Adelaide as Manager of Advocacy and Communication.  Mark has been working in community services in SA for 33 years, is a SACOSS life member having served both as Chair and Executive Director, and was instrumental in establishing the Youth Affairs Council of SA.  He has a degree in economics, is working towards a Masters in Public Policy, and has been an active advocate for low income people, with current focus on energy affordability and gambling issues. He has also been a keen observer of the Third sector for many years, a period for unprecedented change.

Mark has also had a long standing interest in social innovation, being involved in early innovation in the provision of housing services for homeless young people as well as labour market program development.  He also developed a community business that produced the first ever chocolate Easter bilbies that were sold.  He presented at the SA social innovation conference in 2008, highlighting SA community sector innovation.

Currently Mark chairs the Board of Community Benefit SA, sits on a range of energy consultative bodies and occasionally escapes social policy by growing rare and uncommon fruiting plants.

Elizabeth Ho

Elizabeth Ho is Director of the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre at the University of SA devoted to community engagement in key civil society and sustainability matters. The Centre has won an SA Great Education Award, has Nelson Mandela as its international patron, and has been led by Elizabeth since 1999.

From 2008, and apart from her leadership of the Hawke Centre, she has also worked with Bob Hawke to secure funding for a new International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding, devoted to research and advocacy, now being set up at the University of South Australia.

In 2006 she was appointed by the Premier as a South Australian Business Ambassador and in the same year was made a National Fellow of the Institute for Public Administration Australia (IPAA) for outstanding contribution to public sector administration in education and libraries.

In 2008 she was selected as one of 1000 Australians to participate in Prime Minister Rudd’s 2020 Summit and contributed to the Governance stream with a particular focus on community and citizenship.

In 2009 she was appointed Deputy Chair of the Migrant Resource Centre of SA providing settlement services to refugees, selected by the Minister for the Status of Women for inclusion in the 2009 SA Women’s Honour Roll of 100 notable women serving the community, and was appointed a governor of the national environmental organisation, WWF Australia.

Gabrielle Kelly

Gabrielle Kelly is a film-maker, digital media executive, social entrepreneur and strategist and the current Director of the ground-breaking Adelaide Thinkers in Residence Program. This program is designed to introduce rapid innovation into policy, programs and structures within government and private business in order to advance the state of South Australia.

Powerful strategic capability in a global business environment underpins her reputation as an innovative leader and a visionary change agent, with a systems-wide understanding of change management. She has significant public and private experience and leadership in Australia and the USA, working on policy alignment, cross-government capability and new digital product development for a global market.

Joslene Mazel

Joslene Mazel has worked in the public sector for about 25 years, and started her career as a social worker in the Department of Correctional Services. Joslene went on to complete a Law Degree and was the Department’s inaugural representative in the Justice Strategy Unit in the Attorney General’s  Department. Joslene then took up a position in Cabinet Office in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and over time took on an increasing responsibility for issues relating to Aboriginal South Australians.

Prior to Joslene’s appointment as Chief Executive of the Department for Families and Communities in August 2008, her most recent role was as head of Aboriginal Affairs.

In summary Joslene’s background has been almost exclusively related to social justice and to addressing some of the significant disadvantages that sections of our community encounter.

Evelyn O'Loughlin

Currently CEO of Volunteering SA & NT, Evelyn has 15 years experience in senior and executive management roles both in South Australia and in Europe; and has wide experience in dealing with staff and Boards. She holds a Bachelor of Education degree and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  Evelyn initially taught as a Secondary School teacher in Port Pirie and then spent 6 years in State government positions - in community education, public relations, community health and children services roles.

 From there Evelyn spent a period of eleven years overseas with two London based organisations – a private company and a large multinational corporation. More recently, Evelyn has worked with large numbers of volunteers and developed policies & procedures affecting both employees and volunteers.

Working locally and internationally has also given her extensive experience in communicating with people from a range of cultures and nationalities. A first generation Greek-Australian herself, Evelyn recognises that people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD), have particular needs and require specific representation.

Evelyn has had extensive practical experience in the not-for-profit sector, initially as General Manager of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia Inc. Pursuing her personal passion for representing “Communities of Interest”, she is at present Chair of Multicultural Aged Care; Board Member of the Migrant Resource Centre SA and Carers SA; and a member of the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Policy Council.

Michael O'Neil

Michael O'Neil is the Executive Director of the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies (SACES) of the Adelaide and Flinders Universities. The Centre has been in operation for over 28 years and in that time has undertaken well over 1,000 consultancy and research projects including projects for SACOSS on funding analysis and cost indexes for community providers.

He recently completed a number of high level Strategic Reviews for the South Australian government of community based labour market and education and training programs - South Australia Works and the Adult Community Education Programs.  The Centre has also been evaluating for the Victorian Government, disability programs to assist those with a disability transition into work and independent accommodation.  Michael is a participant in a major international benchmarking exercise to monitor the quality of life of cities.s

He has been active in the preparation of economic and social profiles for regions, local councils and provincial cities within South Australia.  He has undertaken a number of major studies into the impact of the gambling industry, for the Tasmanian, Victorian and South Australian governments.  He is currently completing several studies into the gambling industry including youth and gambling, reregulating the gambling industry (and the Commonwealth needs to intervene) and the socio-economic impact of gambling participations by local government areas across three states. 

Suzi Quixley

A long time activist, academic and face-to-face worker, Suzi has enjoyed a varied career in the community services and health industries over the past 30+ years.  Since 1989, much of her work has been through her business - ESSQ Community Services Consultancy.  Suzi has mainly worked with social justice organisations throughout Australia, providing training, writing, organisational development, research and individual professional development/supervision.  She has also lectured in Youth Work and Women’s Studies at Edith Cowan University (Perth, 1986-89) and in Community Services Management at Nanyang Polytechnic (Singapore, 1999-2003).