Speaker Information

Speakers Bio’s - A Selection of Our Speakers

BROPHY, Mark
CORBIN, Allana
LEPPARD, Jenny
LOWE, Prof. Ian
DEVNEY, Catherine
ELGIN, Don
MAGEE, Ros
MARTY, Andrew
WELSH, Bob
GROSS, Dick
BROPHY, Mark
	Mark Brophy has worked in the education and training sector for over 22 years in universities, TAFE institutions, industry associations and the government.
Mark initially became interested in study circles during his post graduate studies. For 10 years he continued his research into study circles and in 2002 was awarded a PhD from Victoria University for an extensive participatory action research investigation into the study circle process. He undertook a study tour in the US in 2007 under a Fulbright Scholarship visiting Everyday Democracy (Previously known as The Study Circles Resource Centre) which has assisted over 400 communities across 43 states with hundreds and sometimes thousands of participants. Mark has had several articles published on his research and presented many workshops on study circles across Australia and overseas. He has produced a study circle discussion guide on unemployment, assisted Learning Circles Australia in developing the Democracy Discussion Guide and supported the Aboriginal Reconciliation Study Circle initiative. He has also been a member and facilitator in many study circle sessions on a range of topics in Australia and the US. He is a Board member of Adult Learning Australia and is at present establishing the Australian Study Circles Association.
CORBIN, Allana
	Allana’s story is a thriller of adventure, danger, tragedy and love. Allana delivers an inspirational message, which touches the heart of all who listen. Allana was the survivor of a tragic plane crash in 1990. Prior to the crash Allana was a flying enthusiast. Her passion for flying began at the age of eighteen with her first ride in a hot air balloon.
She was soon parachute jumping and flying planes. The tragic crash left Allana as one of only two survivors of a crew who were, incredibly, on a search and rescue mission themselves. She was trapped in the wreckage of the plane for three excruciating hours while four of her friends died horribly before her eyes. Allana’s injuries were horrific and she was told she would never walk again. Twelve months of intensive rehabilitation paid off as Allana said goodbye to her wheelchair for good. Allana was now able to walk with the aid of callipers on her legs and two walking sticks. Victory was hers, however an even greater battle was to come - the physical scars had begun to heal but the emotional scars had not, and Allana began a spiral dive into depression even contemplating suicide. Hear how Allana overcame these surmountable obstacles and rediscovered her new self. She did not give up hope and went on to achieve the unbelievable overcoming the greatest hurdle of all, the fear of flying. Incredible she did this standing on the wing of a plane 1000ft in the air. Allana went on to achieve her commercial helicopter licence and in 1997 became the first woman to circumnavigate the mainland of Australia solo in a helicopter. Her book, The Best I Can Be tells her story of tragedy and inspiration. She talks about overcoming adversity sharing the things she learned along the way to realise the sky is not the limit.
LEPPARD, Jenny
	Jenny has been Principal of Mt Faulkner Primary School for the past 7 years. Beginning her career as an Early Childhood Teacher, she has always been passionate about the early years and has extended this into the Birth-5 area since 2001, establishing and extending programs in her school.
This was formally recognised in 2004 when her school won a State Learning Together Award for Educational Excellence for their Early Years Programs which provide a range of supportive and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities for pre-school children and their parents. Her leadership in this area was further recognised in 2007 when her school was chosen to be one of the Hub schools for the state government’s Launching into Learning initiative, providing very welcome funding, enabling her to further extend and enrich the school’s current programs. Career Principal – Mt Faulkner Primary – 2001-2007 Principal – Chigwell Primary – 1999-2000 Principal – Maydena Primary – 1998 State Autism Consultant – 1995-1997 Support Teacher – 1993-1994 Early Childhood Teacher – 1984-1990 Qualifications Bachelor of Education – 1984 Master of Educational Studies – 1994 Graduate Certificate in Education (Behaviour) 2004
LOWE, Prof. Ian
	Professor Ian Lowe AO is emeritus professor of science, technology and society at Griffith University in Brisbane, an adjunct professor at Sunshine Coast University and an honorary research fellow at the University of Adelaide. He is also the President of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Professor Lowe was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2001 for services to science and technology, especially in the area of environmental studies. In 2002 he was awarded a Centenary Medal for contributions to environmental science and won the Eureka Prize for promotion of science. His contributions have also been recognised by the Prime Minister's Environment Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement, the Queensland Premier's Millennium Award for Excellence in Science and the University of NSW Alumni Award for achievement in science. Professor Lowe was named Humanist of the Year in 1988. Professor Lowe studied engineering and science at the University of NSW and earned his doctorate in physics from the University of York. He is the author or co-author of 10 Open University books, 6 other books, 50 book chapters and over 500 other publications or conference papers. From 1983 to 1989 Professor Lowe was a member of the National Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Council, chairing its standing committee on social, economic and environmental issues. He was Director of the Commission for the Future in 1988, and chaired the advisory council that produced the first independent national report on the state of the environment in 1996. He is a member of the Environmental Health Council and the Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council He chairs the Queensland Government task force implementing the reform of science education and a task force advising Brisbane City Council on Climate Change and Energy. He is deputy chair of the Queensland Sustainable Energy Innovation Group, which advises the State government on energy innovations. Professor Lowe has conducted consultancies for all three levels of government as well as companies and peak organisations in the private sector. Professor Lowe has been a referee for the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, attended the Geneva and Kyoto conferences of the parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and was a member of the Australian delegation to the 1999 UNESCO World Conference on Science. He was on the steering group for the UNEP project Global Environmental Outlook, an invited participant in the 2000 workshop on Sustainability Science and a referee for both the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program's 2004 book on planetary science and the UN’s Millennium Assessment Report. Professor Lowe has made countless contributions to newspapers, radio, television and periodicals since 1991. He gave the ABC's Boyer Lectures in 1991 and has been a member of the advisory group for Brisbane's Ideas Festival since its inception. He is a member of the board of Major Brisbane Festivals Ltd and is Vice-President of Queensland Academy of the Arts and Sciences. In his spare time, Professor Lowe plays cricket, as probably the oldest serious outswing bowler in Queensland club cricket, sings tenor in choral groups, walks in the Australian bush and overseas mountains, reads voraciously, watches films and is trying to improve his golf game.
Elgin, Don
	“If you can’t win, make the person in front break the record!”
Don Elgin was raised in the NSW town of Tocumwal. Being born without the lower portion of his left leg was not a barrier for this boy who would make his first Australian team at 18 years of age. Don went to the 1994 World Championships in Berlin, where he won a gold medal as part of the 4 x 100m relay team. Following this event, Don’s focus moved from the sprint events to the Pentathlon. The Pentathlon is made up of five events, discus, long jump, shot put, 400m and 100m. To be successful, an athlete must maintain a balance of strength and speed. Don made the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic team where he finished 4th. Currently on scholarship at the Victorian Institute of Sport Don competed in the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games where he won bronze in the Pentathlon. At Athens 2004 he again won a Bronze in the same event, achieving a PB and true to his motto, “If you can’t win, make the person in front break the record” the two competitors who beat him broke the world record. Also at Athens 2004, as an emergency replacement, Don won two more medals, a Bronze medal in the 4 x 100m and a Silver in the 4 x 400m Relays. Don continues to train towards his ultimate goal of being number one in the World in the below knee amputee Pentathlon. In addition to his training schedule and his professional commitments with Australia Post, Don is a regular corporate speaker and highly regarded for his highly entertaining style.
Magee, Ros
	Ros Magee is an Architect with a Masters Degree in Project Management. He has worked in the United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Pacific Rim and Australasia.
Ros is the Managing Director of Spowers and is responsible for a wide range of projects including Lulu Islands Bahrain and the award winning 60L Green Building Victoria, together with hospitals, laboratories, apartments and custodial facilities. He has presented extensively both nationally and internationally on sustainable commercial development and is a regular contributor of papers to the sustainability debate. Amongst his many involvements, Ros is a founding member of the Sustainability Committee of the Property Council of Australia, Victorian Division and an advisor to the Federal Government Leaders Group on the Environment. He is a former Councilor of the Victorian Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and a member of RIBA Urban Affairs Group, London, and UK.
MARTY, Andrew
	Andrew Marty is the Managing Director of SACS Consulting. Andrew is a qualified psychologist in the state of Victoria who has over 18 years of human resource management consulting experience, including extensive senior executive search and selection experience.
Andrew commenced his career in Melbourne, providing HR consulting and executive search and selection services, before heading offshore for four years international experience. While offshore Andrew occupied the role of Regional Director in Asia, and MD in the UK for an international human resources consulting firm. Andrew has conducted Chief Executive and other senior searches in Australia, Asia, and Europe in areas as diverse as Sports Marketing, FMCG, Insurance Broking, Banking and Finance, and Engineering and Construction. Andrew has occupied Chief Executive positions in Hong Kong (with regional responsibility for Asia) and London (with responsibility for the UK). Andrew has also provided Human Resource Consulting services in areas such as Career Transition Management, Team Building, Cultural Assessment and Human Due Diligence. Andrew is a keen student of world wide HR trends and speaks often on these subjects.
GROSS, Dick
	Councillor Dick Gross represents Blessington Ward, which covers the northern half of Elwood and a large part of St Kilda and Balaclava. Dick trained as a lawyer and has a background in consumer and corporate law with the National Companies and Securities commission.
He was a co-founder and the first coordinator of the Consumer Credit Legal Service, a free legal service for low-income consumers. He served on a number of government law reform committees dealing with consumer and debt recovery issues. Dick is also a broadcaster and author. In the past, he has had gigs on SBS, the Nine Network and 774 ABC Melbourne and 3AW as well writing for The Age and the Australian Jewish News. His latest book, A Godless Gospel, published in September 1999, is about atheism. As a councillor, Dick has represented the City of Port Phillip on a number of state and local government committees such as the Pennington Committee on Drugs, AGSPAG Prostitution Committee, Western Region Waste Management Group (as the current deputy chairperson), Municipal Association Of Victoria, and is the Deputy Chairperson of the Association of Regional Waste Management Groups. During the council term Dick will continue to work for eco-friendly and efficient waste management, sensible implementation of Melbourne 2030 and the St Kilda's Edge foreshore strategy. Dick has three perfect children and has not yet been divorced by his wife, Dr Beth Webster.