Speakers
Sheree Henley
Speaking Topics: Circles of Support, Boards, Podio
Sheree is the founder of The Good Life Builders.
Sheree makes good life building more systematic and less like herding cats! She works exclusively with families who are looking for something more than group homes and day programs for their family member with a disability and are ready to “stop dreaming about a good life and start building”.
With more people with disability and their families seeking included lives for their family member with a disability than ever before, Sheree believes the good life building journey throws families into leadership roles that require much bravery, tenacity, and the backing of a likeminded tribe. So, she’s built a community of likeminded family leaders.
Her mission is to enable people with disability to live the good lives they want where they truly belong in their community by empowering their families to lead and become successful good life builders.
Anita Speed
Speaking Topic: Self Managed Teams
Anita works as a management consultant with individuals and families living with disabilities, and with organisations committed to achieving the best outcomes for people who use their services.
Anita has previously provided Change Management, Leadership Development, Project Management, HR support, Community Development and strategic advice to organisations, facilitating transitions across a wide range of industries in the business and community sectors.
Anita is also Mum to two fabulous young men, one of whom lives with an intellectual disability
Sam Paior
Speaking Topic: NDIS Self Management
Sam founded and directs the Growing Space. She is solo parent to two with disability. Sam has a degree in Architecture with further studies in Journalism, Accessibility Auditing and Design, and Disability, She has worked around Australia and in the USA in senior Public Relations and Crisis Management roles, run as a candidate with the Dignity for Disability party in 2010 and has worked as a parliamentary adviser focused on disability related issues. She is currently a board member of the CountMeIn Foundation, which aims to increase awareness and take up of Universal Design principles in public, commercial and residential spaces, and of Disability Intermediaries Australia, the peak body for Support Coordinators and Plan Managers in Australia. She is also board member of accommodation provider, Lutheran Disability Services and of the newly incorporated Self Manager Hub.
Sam is an appointed Member of the NDIA Independent Advisory Council, and Co-Chairs the NDIS Intellectual Disability Reference Group, and is a member of the Children and Young People Reference Group, the SA Safeguarding Taskforce, the Inclusive School Communities Project steering group and also is an active consumer health advocate and leads two NDIS ILC Projects – one which aims to better support self managing participants, the other which engages disabled people and family members to co-design and deliver useful workshops and e-learning. Sam holds many advisory roles in government and organisations across Australia, and has a particular interest in public speaking and plainly spoken training and communications about the NDIS and disability related topics.
Sam is a 2021 winner of the Impact 25 Probono Australia Awards and the 2020 winner of SA Woman Mum in Business Award
Helen Neale
Speaking Topic: Micro Enterprises
Helen works for Community Living Project (CLP) in SA as the Project Lead of a 4 year ILC Grant project called “Discover Micro Enterprise- Exploring Possibilities.”
She is also mum to Tom, Enterprise Owner of Ground Control by Major Tom, and is passionate about inspiring people with disability to have high expectations about careers and work.
Libby Ellis
Speaking Topic: Setting up Home
At this retreat, Libby is interested to learn from others about what it takes to build and support a trusted team for independent living. Libby is also keen to share what she has learned over a number of years from working with people with disability and their families to create individualised living arrangements. Libby’s brother moved out of a group home and has lived in his own home since the mid 1990s. He has lived with a range of supportive housemates. You can read his story here: 100 Leaders Project – Matthew Ellis (purpleorange.org.au)
Michaela Kennedy
Speaking Topic: Inclusion Tree's Family Governance Model
Michaela has over 30 years of experience in the disability sector – direct support, team leader, area coordinator, departmental manager, executive director, managing director.
Is raising a wonderful daughter – aged 25.
Is managing a cookie baking business and has been marketing a musical duo – 5 years.
Michaela likes working with open and honest people who are committed to building positive relationships, working in a fun and friendly atmosphere, having a laugh, telling and hearing stories. Working with people that are passionate, have a strong work ethic and a high-quality standard to their work. Being heard and understood for my passion and determination. Working with people that are willing to listen to ideas (no matter how wacky), discuss (even if it gets a bit heated), decide on what to do and follow through.
Jenny Richards
Speaking Topic: Employing Staff
Jenny Richards is one of the creators and leaders of the Effective HR Team along with Michelle Gabauer,
The company was created after identifying a gap in support on offer for small to medium sized businesses. We know that these businesses are the experts in their field, but they rarely have a HR-focused team member who has the knowledge and experience to manage a full suite of HR functions.
With this in mind, they developed packages to assist with small projects, system implementation, all the way to on call Human Resource support to manage the whole life cycle of a Team Members journey.
Our team of qualified HR professionals have years of combined domestic and international Human Resources experience across multiple industries including; Tourism & Hospitality, Manufacturing, Retail, Education, Not for profit, Construction, Medical and Health Care, Oil and Gas, Professional Services, The Arts sector, and Self Managed NDIS to name a few.
Our mission is to assist business in exceeding their “people goals” to reach their businesses full potential.
Damion Richmond
Speaking Topic: Financing Specialist Disability Accommodation
Damian has been with Bank Australia for 14 years and holds the role Impact Finance Manager. Damian has been working alongside the disability sector for all this time and over the last four years has looked after all national enquiries and loan applications for home loans for Special Disability Accommodation. Damian works together with the retail home loan teams to assist participants and/or their families navigate the enquiries and process to apply for a home loan for a suitably qualified home. Damian shares a passion to see people with disabilities participate in home ownership where possible.
Geoff Cameron
Speaking Topic: Estate Planning
Geoff is a senior lawyer with Estate First Lawyers. Geoff is a career dedicated estates lawyer with over 12 years’ experience in this area of law. His particular passion is estate planning law. He derives a great deal of satisfaction from assisting clients to implement effective estate planning strategies that are thorough and clever.
Geoff holds a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science & International Relations) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Queensland. Geoff has also completed his Masters degree in Law (majoring in Estate Planning
With his many years’ experience, Geoff is able to effectively advise on all aspects of the estate plan, including testamentary and protective trusts in Wills, special disability trusts, estate planning for superannuation, companies and trusts, asset protection and charitable gifts. Because Geoff has been involved in estate litigation, he provides comprehensive strategies on how to minimise the risk of an estate claim.
Greg Barry
Speaking Topic: Specialist Disability Accommodation
Greg has been closely involved in the SDA space since its inception. He is focused entirely (and independently) upon assisting NDIS Participants on their SDA journeys, particularly in SDA approvals. He brings a unique combination of industry expertise and decades of lived experience as a carer. Greg is greatly enjoying providing these services Nationally.
Bryce Tolliday
Speaking Topic: Specialist Disability Accommodation
Bryce is the Chief Operating Officer and Founder of Wayfinding Australia Pty Ltd, which trades as Access All Ways Consultants, a Company based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Wayfinding Australia provides professional consultancy services, nationally, in the fields of Disability Access, Wayfinding Design, Environmental Graphic Design, Research, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA Housing) and Liveable Housing.
As an accredited SDA Assessor, Bryce and his firm are currently assessing around 400 SDA projects mainly within the eastern states of Australia.
Bryce has been an accredited member of ACAA (Association of Consultants in Access Australia) since 2001. He is a qualified access consultant and is also a professional member of the Society for Experiential Design (USA). He has also been a member of the ACAA Management & Membership Committees and represents ACAA on the AS1428.4.2 Wayfinding Standard committee where he was a member of the principal drafting subcommittee and is also currently assisting ME64 on the AS1428.6 drafting group.
Major projects which he has consulted to include Gold Coast University Hospital ($1.1b Teaching Hospital), Moreton Bay Rail Link, Queensland Cultural Centre, Commonwealth Games Village – Gold Coast and Cross River Rail.
Over the years Bryce’s knowledge, particularly in the area of sensory wayfinding has resulted in his involvement in a number of research projects including Main Roads Queensland – Pedestrian Line Marking, CRC – Construction Innovation – Wayfinding in the Built Environment and the Queensland Health – Wayfinding Collaborative. He was also on the drafting committee for the Queensland Health Wayfinding Design Guidelines.
Bryce is a strong advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, having provided support, assistance or acted as an expert witness in numerous complaints taken under both the Queensland Anti Discrimination Act and the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act. His most recent involvement has been in the Ryan V SCHHS complaint, a complaint made by a Blind man who alleged discrimination in access to the built environment, which was eventually heard in the Federal Circuit Court in Brisbane.
Dr June Alexander
Speaking Topic:
Training strategies that promote capacity building
June Alexander is a lecturer in the Disability and Community Inclusion Department at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia.
June has 30 years’ experience as a Developmental Educator and her previous experience includes CEO of a best practice SA rural disability service. June specialises in training for both staff working in the disability field and people with intellectual disability. Specifically, her research focuses on adult outcomes in employment for people with intellectual disability.