30 January, 2020

The NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) is pleased to announce the appointment of an independent Board to lead NSWALC Employment and Training (NET).

NET was established in 2019, is Aboriginal controlled and NSWALC is the sole shareholder.

Appointments to the NET Board have been made after an extensive merit based competitive selection process.

NET aims to increase the number of Aboriginal people achieving economic independence through improving access to training and jobs in growth industries, as a Vocational Training and Employment Centre (VTEC) provider.

NSWALC Chair Anne Dennis said the Board has high levels of expertise in a range of relevant fields.

“I’m delighted that the directors have agreed to use their substantial professional skills to steer the company direction in supporting Aboriginal people to secure and retain sustainable employment.

They are experts in their fields, and come from areas such as procurement, the reconciliation movement, industry, and the Land Rights network.”

The NET Chair Glenn Johnston is a nationally recognised procurement expert who is also a Board member of Supply Nation and the AIATSIS Foundation.

He is passionate about Indigenous business engagement and creating Indigenous employment and career pathways.

“I firmly believe that assisting Indigenous businesses to grow and develop opens up a world of opportunity for increased Indigenous employment.

As a new VTEC provider, we are in a strong position to improve Aboriginal people’s access to training and jobs in growth industries in the state,” he said.

NET Deputy Chair Professor Mark McMillan is the Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor for Indigenous Education and Engagement at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and a long-time Board member of the Trangie Local Aboriginal Land Council.

“Education and training are vital to sustainable work and NET has the opportunity to create a truly locally relevant employment solution for Aboriginal people,” he said.

“Our point of difference is our connection to Local Aboriginal Land Councils and the Aboriginal communities we serve. We can make a powerful difference.”

NSWALC NET Ltd Director Biographies

Glenn Johnston (Chair) is a proud Darug man from Western Sydney.

Glenn has more than 30 years of commercial, procurement and logistics leadership experience in both private and public sector and is a nationally recognised, passionate advocate for Aboriginal business development and employment.

He is a Director and Deputy Chair at Supply Nation and a Director of the AIATSIS Foundation Board.

Currently employed by Transport for NSW as the Director, Procurement Sustainability with a focus on the positive social, economic and environmental impacts that procurement can deliver.

Professor Mark McMillan (Deputy Chair) is a Wiradjuri man from Trangie, NSW.

He is a Professor and Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor (Indigenous Education and Engagement) and Chair of RMIT Academic Board at RMIT University.

In 2013 Mark was awarded the National NAIDOC Scholar of the Year award.

Mark has received his Bachelor of Laws from The Australian National University, a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from The Australian National University, a Master of Laws and a Doctor of Juridical Science from the University of Arizona, a Certificate II in Indigenous Leadership from the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre and a Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Heritage, Language and Culture from Charles Sturt University.

In 2001 Mark was admitted to the Roll of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory as a Legal Practitioner.

His research interests are in the areas of human rights, particularly the expression and fulfilment of those rights for Indigenous Australians.

He is currently working on an ARC grant relating to ‘conduct of lawful relations’ from contact to Treaty. He intends on expanding his research outcomes to include the application of ‘constitutionalism’ for Indigenous Australians, with an emphasis on the use of current constitutional law for the protections envisioned for Indigenous people in the constitutional referendum of 1967.

Cecilia Anthony (Director) is the daughter and granddaughter of migrants from Sydney, NSW.

Cecilia is a strategy and engagement expert with specialist knowledge working with and for diverse communities across a range of policy areas, including education and employment. She is the Director of Cultural Perspectives, a consultancy focussed on work with Australia’s multicultural communities. At the core of her work ethic is the belief that all communities have a right to self-determination and to have their voices heard.

She is the elected co-chair of Reconciliation NSW, and a board member of the Evatt Foundation.

Cecilia has been involved in Aboriginal policy, advocacy and affairs for 20 years to support equity and advancement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in NSW and nationally. She has worked in the area of Aboriginal employment as a senior public servant, ministerial advisor and as a freelance consultant.

Karen Cooper (Director) hails from St George in South West Queensland, part of the Kamilaroi nation.

Karen has been involved in establishing education, employment and training services in Aboriginal and remote communities for over 25 years.  Her professional background has assisted communities develop infrastructure and sustainability.

Karen has held senior roles leading the delivery of programs and services to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organisations.  She has engaged with all levels of government whilst working for public listed companies and the not-for-profit sector.

Karen, through her private consulting business, currently works with Boards and Senior Executive Leaders in developing and executing strategy, establishing governance frameworks and managing organisation risk.

Amanda McCarthy (Director) is a proud Mithaka woman based in Bathurst New South Wales, Australia.

Amanda has been involved with employment, training and development for over 10 years, using her background in human resources to drive Aboriginal Employment in both the private and public sector.

She is the Director Aboriginal People and Culture with the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and Chairperson of the DPIE Aboriginal Support Network.

Ms McCarthy is an elected board member of NSW Aboriginal Land Council Employment and Training Ltd.

Kate Russell (Director) is a proud Aboriginal woman from Lake Macquarie.

Kate has been involved in employment and education programs across the public, private and non-profit sectors both in Australia and overseas.

She is a member of Biraban LALC, a Director for the Diversity Council Australia and the Director – Diversity and Culture for the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.

Through her personal and professional experience, she has seen that educational and employment pathways are key to economic empowerment.  She has strong HR generalist skills, good governance, experience across multiple levels of government, and a thorough understanding of the VET sector.