Sir Roland Wilson Foundation

From Services Australia, Sharna is a proud Wuluwarra and Pitta Pitta woman, born and raised in Mount Isa Queensland. Sharna began her career in the public service as an APS2 and has since secured a wealth of knowledge through various jobs in service delivery; fraud and compliance; business improvement; human resources; parliamentary services, and; agency transformation.

Throughout her career Sharna has observed significant gaps between the intent of policy, to the delivery on the ground. Sharna aims to utilise the Master of Public Policy to empower her with the knowledge to close the divide between policy intent and program delivery.

Her goal is to support the public service to establish a best practice for seeking input from end users and communities in the development and implementation of policy and programs.

Claire is a Torres Strait Islander (Maluilgal from the western islands) who grew up on Badu Island. She has a Bachelor of Education from James Cook University and started her career as a primary school teacher. Motivated by the drive to improve the educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students on a large scale, she took up the opportunity to move to Canberra to work in the Australian Public Service (APS). Throughout her APS career, Claire has undertaken various leadership, policy, coordination and program management roles, across a range of agencies, including the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the Australian Public Service Commission, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

Education has been an area of significant focus throughout Claire’s career. She has worked predominantly on national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education policy and managed a range of flagship government initiatives and programs aimed at improving education outcomes. She has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Canberra and recently completed her PhD at the Australian National University, under a Sir Roland Wilson Pat Turner scholarship. Claire’s thesis (currently under examination) focused on the Commonwealth’s role in redressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educational inequity.

Claire is a senior executive at the Commonwealth Department of Education and leads the Research Policy and Programs branch. Her branch aims to ensure that Australian researchers have access to cutting edge national research infrastructure and that the research system is meeting the current and future needs of research students and the research sector.

Deborah is a Branch Manager at the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), leading the Culture and Empowerment Branch within the Country, Culture and Connection Group.

Since completing the prestigious Pat Turner Scholarship, Deborah has held significant positions, including Senior Manager of Policy and Strategy at the Northern Land Council and Senior Adviser to Minister Plibersek. Her passion lies in achieving long-term outcomes through impactful policy interventions. With over 20 years of experience in the Australian Public Service (APS), Deborah has sharpened her expertise in policy and strategy roles.

Deborah holds a Master of Public Policy from Charles Darwin University, a program tailored to northern contexts. This education has equipped her with a robust theoretical and practical understanding of public policy design, implementation, and evaluation, particularly in Indigenous, and northern regions.

Adina joined the Public Service as a graduate in 1999, working in a range of offices across the Human Services and Social Services portfolios. She has worked in the Department of Social Services on family policy and in the department’s program performance reporting area. Adina has also worked across strategic, corporate and program areas in high level projects.

Adina undertook a masters by coursework with a focus on public policy. In her study, Adina considered the influence public policy has on complex policy systems, the trends shaping leaders and levers for guiding decision making and leadership. Returning to the APS in 2022, Adina is using her postgraduate knowledge to influence her contribution to policy and contemporary policy frameworks.

In his role in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Martin plays a key role in identifying and protecting Australia’s unique heritage, primarily focused on First Nations cultural heritage, cultural landscapes and iconic natural places.

Martin studied a Master in Forestry, which included undertaking a review of the Australian forestry sector’s performance since the Industry Commission’s 1993 Adding Value to Australia's Forest Products Inquiry Report.

Since his return to the APS, Martin has moved into heritage where he has brought valuable expertise and insights on ways to utilise environmental science to protect the landscapes that support Australia’s rich First Nations cultural heritage and our unique flora and fauna.

Martin’s goal is to advance the voice and self-determination of First Nations communities across Australia, particularly in areas where First Nations people are able meaningfully contribute to the decisions that affect Country. Since his return, Martin has overseen a number of highlights including leading the Australian Government’s efforts to recognise internationally the wishes of the Butchulla people to reclaim K’gari as the traditional name for Fraser Island; the appointment of First Nations people to advisory boards for World Heritage places; and leading the development of funding agreements with state agencies to eradicate invasive pests from sensitive ecosystems.

Anthony works at the Department of Social Services, contributing to the design and integration of performance and partnership functions under the Department of Social Services Grants Hub. He has over 20 years’ experience in the Australian Public Service, spanning several portfolios including Industry, Education, Health, Social Services and the Australian Public Service Commission. Seventeen of these years have been dedicated to working in Indigenous Australian policy and program delivery areas.

Anthony’s research uses a mixed-methods approach to examine the values and priorities that drive decision making by Australia’s federal public servants as they make critical choices about public spending (through grants) for social welfare.