2020 Chief Executive & Young Professionals Breakfast
On 20 February 2020, IPAA Queensland was delighted to host nearly 600 public purpose workers at Brisbane City Hall for our first flagship event of the year, the Chief Executives & Young Professionals Breakfast.
Guests were informed and challenged by Professor Megan Davis’ powerful keynote address It’s time. Keeping focused on Reconciliation, and the panel discussion with Megan, Kerry O’Brien and Dr Chris Sarra revealed some inspiring insights.
READ our wrap up of the event on the IPAA blog below. IPAA members can also view the full recording of the event on their member portal.
About Lizzie Orley (Master of Ceremonies):
Lizzie Orley is a Kamilaroi woman with ties to Kefalonia, Greece and is currently a radio announcer based in Brisbane, QLD.
Her love for yarning started quite early. As soon as she could talk and walk, Lizzie would often worry her parents by wandering off during outings to strike up a conversation and spin big yarns with anyone she could. During her primary school years you’d find her tape recording pretend radio shows with friends, impersonating celebrities and recording the “greatest hits” from their “So Fresh” CD’s.
Now at 29 years, Lizzie has worked within the radio broadcasting industry and Indigenous media for over a decade, allowing her to pursue her passions for storytelling, yarning, learning through people and connection, raising awareness on First Nations issues and supporting community.
Lizzie currently hosts the Murri Hour and Deadly Choices Radio on 98.9FM and hopes to continue supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and informing the wider community on First Nations issues through the power of community radio and storytelling.
About Dr Megan Davis:
Professor Megan Davis is Pro Vice Chancellor Indigenous and Professor of Law, University of New South Wales.
She is an Acting Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court, an expert member of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and, was formerly Chair and expert member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2011-2016). Professor Davis is a constitutional lawyer who was a member of the Australian Referendum Council and the Expert Panel on the Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Constitution. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and the Australian Academy of Social Sciences and a Commissioner on the Australian Rugby League Commission.
Professor Davis supports the North Queensland Cowboys and the QLD Maroons.
About Dr Chris Sarra:
Dr Chris Sarra, Director-General, Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships. He is highly regarded for his work in pursuing more positive outcomes for Indigenous communities. He was the first Aboriginal principal of Cherbourg State School, leading a team which dramatically transformed school attendance, literacy and numeracy outcomes.
A proud Queenslander, Aboriginal man, and educator, Dr Sarra has dedicated his career to influencing policy reform in education and beyond. Having led positive change and the pursuit of excellence in education, he has continued to influence policy reform through the establishment of the Stronger Smarter Institute.
Dr Sarra is currently a Professor of Education at the University of Canberra and Founding Director of Strong Smart Solutions. Dr Sarra has been recognised for his contribution, commitment and vision both nationally and internationally.
He has served on several boards including as Chair of the Stronger Smarter Institute, Co-Chair of the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, Commissioner of Australian Rugby League Commission, Cowboys NRL House and Queensland Performing Arts Centre Trust.
His formal qualifications include a Diploma of Teaching, a Bachelor of Education, Master of Education, PhD in Psychology with Murdoch University and an Executive Masters in Public Administration from the Australia New Zealand School of Government.
About Kerry O’Brien:
Kerry O’Brien is one of Australia’s most distinguished and respected journalists with six Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism including the Gold Walkley, and the Walkley for Outstanding Leadership. Other industry awards include a Logie for public affairs coverage.
He has been a journalist for 49 years covering print, television and wire service, as a reporter, feature writer, columnist and foreign correspondent. He has specialised in national politics for the ABC, as well as the Ten and Seven networks, and was press secretary to Labor leader Gough Whitlam.
For ABC-TV he was the editor, presenter and interviewer for the 7.30 Report over 15 years, the presenter and interviewer at Four Corners for five years and at Lateline for six years. He has interviewed many world leaders including Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, as well as many influential figures in the arts, science and business. For 20 years he was also the face of the ABC’s election night coverage.
Kerry’s acclaimed four-part interview series with former Prime Minister Paul Keating was broadcast on the ABC in 2013, and his book expanding on those conversations was published in 2015.
This event was proudly supported by:
About IPAA Queensland
IPAA Queensland advances the professionalism, capability and integrity of public administration and public purpose work and promotes pride in service.
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