Inspired Leadership Series

Ingrid Stonhill is Katherine Town Council’s first female Chief Executive Officer in its 44-year history for which, in 2023 she was awarded an honourable mention at the national ‘Women In Local Government’ awards. Before joining Katherine Town Council, she worked for diverse not-for-profits where she led whole-of-business structural change and redesigned management processes to transform underperforming organisations into high-performing social enterprises that achieved a healthy surplus. Ingrid advocates for community development and campaigns for economic development opportunities to make Katherine a great place to invest, work and live.

Deb Jones created Clubhouse Territory in 2013 so she could make sure everyone, regardless of ability, could play sport. That goal quickly evolved into something bigger. Today, Clubhouse Territory welcomes over 4000 participants each year to its events, which encourage people from all walks of life to participate and get involved in arts, sports, education, and health programs.

Tahlia Biggs, a proud Barkindji and Ngyiampaa woman born and raised on Wiradjuri and Duduroa Country, on the Murray river border of Albury/Wodonga, is a dedicated professional with a wealth of experience in youth engagement, community development, leadership programming, and advocacy.  As a young, queer, Blakfulla from regional NSW/VIC with many passions, she brings an intersectional lens to any project she’s involved in. Over her career, Tahlia has served in advisory roles for The Commission for Children and Young People and the Office for Women in Victoria. A career highlight as Chair of the Advisory to co-design Victoria’s inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Leadership Program, ECHO (Elevating Community Healing Ourselves). Tahlia is striving to become a multifaceted artist and storyteller, who creates works and experiences that foster intergenerational healing, community connection, humour, hope and highlights strengths-based narratives for First Peoples.

Ben Graetz was born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory and is a descendant of the Iwaidja and Malak Malak Clans in the Northern Territory and of Badu Island on the Torres Strait Islands of Australia. Ben has worked in the performing arts sector for over 26 years as a Performer, Creative Director & Producer, Programmer, Writer, MC and Director. Ben is the Founder of BRG Productions, a 100% owned and run Blak Business. He is also the Co-Director of Party Passport, which produces events that celebrate diversity and inclusion, with a focus on First Nations LGBTQIA+ Brotherboy & Sistergirl communities. Most recently Ben was the Co – Festival Creative Director of Sydney World Pride 2023 and is currently the Creative Director for the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA). Ben is passionate about the performing arts sector in Australia and the Northern Territory, particularly around First Nation, disability and LGBTQIA+SB arts, culture & advocacy.

Emma Bennison has over twenty years’ experience as a CEO and non-executive Director. Currently, Emma is Chief Innovation Officer with Life Without Barriers, where she provides empowering, inspiring, and collaborative leadership that drives the development and implementation of strategic change and engagement initiatives in relation to disability advocacy and community services delivery across the organisation and beyond. Prior to commencing her current role, Emma fulfilled five years as CEO of Blind Citizens Australia. Emma also chairs the Attitude Foundation, serves on Tasmania’s Ministerial Arts and Cultural Advisory Council and is a singer/songwriter who released her first solo album, Fine Line, in 2015. In 2020, Emma won the national Aspire Award for community development and advocacy and was the recipient of a full MBA scholarship for outstanding not-for-profit leaders from the Australian Scholarships Foundation and Kaplan Business School.

Grace Williams is an award-winning social entrepreneur, shaping grassroots capacity across Australian communities. As Founder and Director of Citizen Tasmania, Grace mobilises community efforts to overcome human rights challenges for refugee, migrant, and asylum-seeking individuals in Australia by providing access to education, employment, and social connection. Through legal and policy advocacy she supports communities to shift from surviving to thriving. A passionate filmmaker, creative and cultural practitioner, Grace works with national and global organisations like the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and Echoing Green to create innovative programs that build the capacity of young people to tell their own stories and participate in democracy.

Cameron Cahill is all about shattering norms and spicing up the public sector with a dash of boldness and a passion for blowing minds. Battling a chronic low boredom threshold, Cam rides the thrilling roller coaster of work life. Imagine orchestrating culture revamps, leading belonging initiatives, or transforming organisations. As a proud feminist and Gender Equity champion, he’s led and contributed to numerous initiatives, taking immense pride in his work with groups like Women’s Health Goulburn Northeast and WLA. Continually reflecting on his role as a man in this space, Cam is critical of undue praise for men just doing what’s right and just in this space. Expect Cam to shatter dull corporate stereotypes, but remember, he’s always learning and striving to be better – so be sure to hold him to account.

Martine Delaney is known around the world as the first person to play Division 1 Football for both Men’s and Women’s teams. In Australia, she is also known as being the manager of an internationally successful Aboriginal singer-songwriter, a stand-up comic, briefly dead, ghost tour guide, book in a Human Library, and a Federal election candidate. Her work as an advocate for LGBTIQA+ rights has resulted in the founding of Australian Marriage Equality, achieving passport reforms for trans and gender-diverse Australians, and, after a 15-year campaign, world-leading birth certificate law reforms in Tasmania. Her work also includes community development and social justice – child protection and youth justice within the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. Most recently she has become a successful screenwriter, creating, writing, and co-producing a documentary for SBS and becoming the only Tasmanian to have written for an Emmy-nominated drama series, ABC’s First Day.

Elizabeth Lang is an impactful, dynamic, and visionary leader, currently serving as the Founding CEO of Diversity Focus. This research and training consultancy is dedicated to fostering inclusive workplace cultures, with a focus on racial and gender equity. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science, a Master of Human Rights and is currently completing a doctorate at Curtin University. Beyond academia, she provides advisory services and contributes to several boards, including Chair of the Perth African Nations Sports Association (PANSA) Inc., member of the Hospitality Disability Network WA (HDNWA), member of the Refugee Council of Australia, and panellist of the Refugee Advisory Panel (RAP) for the Australian government Department of Home Affairs. Elizabeth was named in the 2021 Global 100 Under 40 Most Influential People of African Descent. She’s received prestigious awards, including the 2023 Business Migrant Award and the 2024 Telstra Best of Business Award for Accelerating Women.

Commissioner Darren Klemm has more than 27 years of experience in fire and emergency services, having served three years with the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service before joining the WA Fire Brigades Board in 1993. Originally posted to Perth Fire Station, Commissioner Klemm served as a firefighter at various metropolitan fire stations. Promoted to Assistant Commissioner in 2012, he successfully delivered and implemented a number of high-level strategic reforms, including delivering key aspects of the DFES response to the Report of the Perth Hills Bushfire, as well as significant structural and cultural reform in the training and professional development of DFES personnel and volunteers. Commissioner Klemm is a member of a number of national committees concerned with emergency management in Australia and holds a Graduate Certificate in Management from the Australian Institute of Management.

Tom is the legal practitioner director of Tom & Co Legal and is currently the Chair of DADAA,  deputy chair of Technology for Ageing and Disability WA (TADWA), and on the board of the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, Avivo and St Gerard’s Catholic Primary School. In 2023, Tom was nominated for the Lawyer of the Year Award by The Law Society of Western Australia and successfully won the title.