Guest Speakers
Jules Beveridge
Wendy Henning, ICPA Qld President
Wendy Henning, President ICPA Qld Inc
Wendy has lived with her husband Andrew, and their four daughters at “Merchison Park”, a beef cattle property in the Teelba area near Glenmorgan for the past 26 years. Her children were educated at the local stand-alone primary school, Teelba State School for all their primary school years before heading to St Hilda’s School, Southport for their secondary schooling. Wendy’s youngest daughter, Jane, is currently in Year 12. With her girls now residing not only in Queensland, but also interstate, the importance of access to education continues.
Wendy became a member of the Westmar Inglestone Branch not long after the birth of her first daughter Annabelle, in 2000. Her primary motivation was to catch up with other young mums living in the area; Wendy also had an interest in the organization as a school friend had lived and breathed ICPA, including having her father serve a period as State President. Wendy has held the position of Secretary for the branch and has also been on the convening committees for the 2012 conference in Goondiwindi, and the 2013 conference in Toowoomba. Wendy went on to co-convene the 2013 Federal Conference in Brisbane and then convene the 2021 50th Anniversary Federal Conference in Longreach.
A deep-seated passion and belief that all children regardless of how they learn, deserve an equitable education saw Wendy join State Council in 2015 at the Cloncurry conference. She led the Specific Needs Portfolio for many years before also leading Curriculum and then Boarding Schools and Hostels whilst also sitting on other portfolios. The development of the “Orange Book”, by ICPA Queensland in conjunction with Queensland Health, was a major achievement of which ICPA Queensland and Wendy were proud. With her daughter Kate studying Primary Education the relevance of ICPA continues to motivate each day.
Wendy was elected Vice-President in 2018 and held the position until 2023 when she was elected President. Wendy has a number of goals she would like to achieve in this role and along with continuing the work of previous presidents. Raising the profile of ICPA Queensland and ensuring there is not only a strong connection with all stakeholders but also with branch members is of prime importance. Wendy also wants to ensure the work of the organization is relevant and secure in the years ahead, including for all ages and stage-of-life and education. With her third daughter Peggy having a keen interest in pursuing a trade through an apprenticeship, Wendy knows that post-formal schooling is as important as early childhood, primary years, secondary years and tertiary access and opportunities. The next generation of members will be the ones who see the organization flourish for the next 53 years. Wendy strongly encourages members to bring their issues forward to help ensure that every child everywhere has equitable access to education regardless of where their families live.
Mrs Patricia Mitchell (OAM) – Patron, ICPA Qld
Mrs Patricia Mitchell (OAM) is Patron and Life Member of ICPA Qld Inc. She was instrumental in forming the Augathella ICPA Branch in 1973, was inaugural Secretary of Charleville School of the Air P&C ICPA Branch when it formed in 1976. She joined Cloncurry Branch in 1979 and was made a Life Member in 1986.
In 1977, Patricia was elected to Queensland Council ICPA and was Queensland President from 1982 till 1986. From 1982 –1985 she was a Federal ICPA Councillor and Federal President from 1985- 1988.
As President of ICPA Queensland Patricia was a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Distance Education in Queensland which recommended the formation of a School of Distance Education from the existing four Correspondence Schools and five Schools of the Air. She was then on several committees that implemented the recommendations of the Advisory Committee and planned new Schools of Distance Education.
During this time, Patricia was also Commissioner on the Commonwealth Schools Commission and member of the Catholic Education Commission Committee for the Education of Country Children, member of the Home Schooling State Review Committee and numerous other State and Federal committees.
As well as her ongoing commitment to education in rural and regional Australia, Patricia has been very involved with the Arts. She is a former President of Regional Arts Australia as well as being a Life Member and former President of Queensland Arts Council. She helped establish Arts House in Canberra and Chaired the Regional Arts Fund Panel in Queensland.
Because of her experience in these fields, Patricia was appointed to the Council of the Australian War Memorial from 1997 – 2004. Patricia was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on Australia Day 1996 for service to rural education and the arts.
In 2019 Patricia, who has been Patron of Queensland ICPA since 2002, and had been awarded Life Membership of Queensland ICPA in 1996, was awarded ICPA Federal Life Membership in recognition of her continued ongoing support of ICPA.
Louise Martin – Federal President, ICPA Australia
Louise Martin is married, with twin girls born in December 2005. She lives on a sheep and cattle property 30km from Tambo. The girls did prep and year one with Charleville School of Distance Education and then completed primary at the Tambo State School, catching the bus to school, after the family moved closer to Tambo. The girls completed their 6 years of boarding education at Stuartholme School in Brisbane in 2023. They now have their adult training wheels on with mixed success thus far.
Louise was born and raised in the Augathella district. She did correspondence through Charleville School of the Air for primary schooling. Her Year 7 class was the pilot group for the current Distance Ed program. (Miss Varcin is the only teacher Louise remembers from all those years!) She went on to board at Stuartholme for Years 8-12 before heading to Longreach Pastoral College. Once out in the real world, she worked for several years jillarooing, before heading overseas. For five years she worked as James Packer’s polo groom – a position that allowed her to see the world – of which she feels most fortunate.
Louise moved to Tambo in 1995 to take a position as the bookkeeper/cattle manager at Lansdowne. She held this position for 10 years and ended up marrying the neighbour! During Louise’s years at Lansdowne, she completed a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing and Agribusiness, externally over a seven-year period, which she is very proud of accomplishing.
From the time she moved to the Tambo area, she has always played an active role in the community. She served on a number of local committees including the Tambo Stock Show, Tambo Polocrosse Club and Tambo Arts Council. She is currently a member of the local RADF committee. Louise joined the Tambo branch of the ICPA several years ago and started playing an active role in 2012 when she attended the Goondiwindi conference as the lone Tambo branch delegate. Louise joined State Council in 2013 at the Toowoomba conference and was vice president from 2015 until 2020. It was an Honour to serve as President of ICPA Qld from the 2020 virtual conference until retiring at the conference in 2023 at the Julia Creek.
Louise was elected as Federal President of ICPA in July 2023 in Darwin at the annual conference and is currently on a steep learning curve adjusting the federal advocacy, a challenge which she is relishing
Louise enjoys being part of a dedicated, passionate and professional team who work tirelessly to ensure our rural and remote children get an equitable education.
Dr Christian A.C. Rowan MP
Dr Rowan is the Shadow Minister for Education and Shadow Minister for the Arts in the 57th Queensland Parliament. He is the State Member (LNP) for the electorate of Moggill.
Dr Rowan was previously Shadow Minister for Communities, Shadow Minister for Disability Services & Seniors and Shadow Minister for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Partnerships. He has also been Shadow Minister for the Environment and Heritage Protection and Shadow Minister for National Parks and the Great Barrier Reef. He is a former Deputy Chair of the Health, Communities, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee and was a previous member of the Mental Health Select Committee.
Dr Rowan is a Patron of Upbeat Arts, an Honorary Ambassador for Diabetes Queensland, and a previous Vice-Patron of Surf Life Saving Queensland.
Dr Rowan is a Specialist Physician in Addiction Medicine. He is a Visiting Medical Officer - St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital, The Wesley Hospital and Greenslopes Private Hospital. Dr Rowan is an Associate Professor in the School of Medicine and Dentistry at Griffith University and a Clinical Tutor with the Uniting Care Clinical School. Dr Rowan is a member of the Uniting Care Queensland Human Research & Ethics Committee and the St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital Medication Safety Advisory Committee. He was previously a member of the Queensland Mental Health Commission’s Mental Health & Drug Advisory Council and the Queensland Ministerial Rural Health Advisory Council.
Dr Rowan is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians’ Chapter of Addiction Medicine, the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, the Australasian College of Health Service Management, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and the Royal Society of Public Health. He is also a member of the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs. Dr Rowan completed his Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery degree at the University of Queensland.
Dr Rowan is a former Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Uniting Care Health and previous Executive Director of Medical Services at St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital. He has held senior corporate executive roles and positions within Queensland Health.
Dr Rowan has a Master of Diplomacy & Trade from Monash University, specialising in international relations, contemporary politics, strategic defence, global health and public policy. He has been a member of the Australian Defence Force – RAAMC; 2nd Health Brigade; 2nd Health Battalion; Alpha Company (previously 1st Surgical Company); Rank: Captain.
He is a former President of the Australian Medical Association of Queensland and a previous member of the Australian Commission on Safety & Quality in Health Care – Primary Care Advisory Committee. He has served on numerous organisational and company boards, including Wesley Medical Research, the Australian Government’s Remote Vocational Training Scheme and various Divisions of General Practice.
Dr Rowan is a recipient of an Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine Distinguished Service Award and a Lantern Award for Excellence in Problem - Oriented & Partnership Policing - State Highly Commended (Project Aegis).
Dr Grant Webb, A/Assistant Director-General Schools and Student Support, Department of Education
Over the past 40 years Grant Webb has undertaken a number of teaching and leadership roles across a variety of educational contexts, both nationally and internationally.
Grant has extensive experience working in both primary and secondary schools as well as in the tertiary sector. While working for the Department of Education in Queensland, Australia, he has been a classroom teacher, Learning Support Teacher, Educational Consultant and School Principal.
Grant is currently an Assistant Director-General with the Queensland Department of Education and has responsibility for:
Mr Michael De’Ath, Director-General, Qld Department of Education
Mr Michael De’Ath was appointed Director-General of the Queensland Department of Education in 2021, bringing more than 30 years’ experience in educational, public and private sector leadership to the role. His driving motivation is to build a sustainable culture of system improvement that creates stronger and more equitable outcomes for Queensland state school students. This objective is captured in the education strategy, Equity and Excellence: realising the potential of every student, which is grounded in evidence and was developed in collaboration with state school leaders.
Since his appointment, the Director-General has led the review and realignment of the department to enhance the responsiveness of central and regional services to the needs of schools.
A hallmark of the Director-General’s leadership style is his comprehensive implementation of system change – leading operational, structure, cultural and strategic reform simultaneously to ensure that all parts of the organisation are working collaboratively towards a uniting vision.
Mr De’Ath has extensive leadership experience as a school principal, regional director, deputy secretary and Director-General in several jurisdictions and in the education, health, and social services portfolios. In addition to his teaching qualifications, he holds a Masters in Educational Administration and an Executive Masters Public Administration from the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.
The Honourable Di Farmer MP, Minister for Education and Youth Justice
The Honourable Di Farmer MP is the Queensland Government Minister for Education and Minister for Youth Justice, and Member for Bulimba.
Di grew up in Central Queensland and was taught the value of education as the most powerful tool we have to achieve progress and change.
In December 2023, Di was sworn in as the Minister for Education and Youth Justice. It is an important combination because if someone is in the youth justice system – they almost certainly disengaged from education from an early age. Di knows that investing in our education system to make sure students stay engaged with their learning prevents more difficult issues later in their lives, which is just one of the reasons for why the Queensland Government made kindy free in 2024.
Di is a strong believer in the importance of access to high quality education no matter where someone lives or what their circumstances are.
Education and teachers are the answer to a better future for all Queenslanders.
Stacie Hansel, Deputy Director-General, Schools & Student Support, Department of Education
Stacie is an experienced and effective education leader who has served the Queensland state school system as a teacher, principal and system leader since 1996. Her extensive career has taken her from the gold fields of Charters Towers to the cane fields of Bundaberg as a teacher, head of school, deputy principal and principal. She has worked with school communities across Queensland in urban, rural and remote locations—including primary and secondary schools—to achieve increased alignment between policy, curriculum and pedagogy responsive to the context of each school and community.
Hon. Corrine McMillan MP, Assistant Minister for Education and Youth Justice
Corrine McMillan MP was first elected to State Parliament in 2017 as the Member for Mansfield. She was appointed as the Assistant Minister for Education and Youth Justice in December 2023. Corrine has an extensive and luminous career in Educational Leadership and Public Administration.
Corrine began her career with the Department of Education, Training and Employment in 1995. Prior to being elected to Parliament, she was the Principal of Cavendish Road State High School. Corrine also performed a number of teaching and non-teaching roles in the Department of Education, including Acting Regional Director, Metropolitan Region where she supervised 430 Brisbane schools, Head of Department and Deputy Principal. Corrine has been awarded many outstanding achievements whilst in the position of Principal. She received a National Australia Bank Impact Award in 2012 and was one of three Australian Principals to be awarded an Australian Public Education Foundation Scholarship to study at Harvard University in 2016.
With a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Australia, a Master of Educational Studies from the University of Queensland, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Newcastle, her educational journey is impressive.
Corrine, a political agitator and Australian Labor Party member since 2010, has been actively involved as a Member of the Queensland Teachers’ Union for 28 years. Her 2015 Churchill Fellowship research on global education systems and educational leadership, showcased in many publications, highlights her commitment to education reform.
Corrine’s diverse background in education, extensive leadership experience and knowledge of adolescents ensures a thorough understanding of the factors that contribute to young people offending. She has an unwavering commitment to school improvement and maximising the educational outcomes of Queensland children.
Carly Crompton, nbn
Carly Crompton is nbn's Community Engagement Specialist for North Queensland and works with community groups, not for profits, schools, etc, to deliver scams awareness, internet safety and digital ability sessions across North Queensland.
Digital Child
Professor Lennie Barblett AM
Lennie Barblett AM is a Professor of Early Childhood in the School of Education at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia. She has had a varied teaching career in the bush and the city with a most enjoyable time with Meekatharra SOTA before she went back to teach teachers at university. Lennie is a Chief Investigator in the Centre for Excellence for the Digital Child. She has been invited to contribute to the work of numerous state and national committees and working parties focusing on curriculum reform, ethics and teaching standards. Lennie recently worked with a national team in re-writing the national frameworks for learning, the Early Years Learning and My Time Our Place frameworks.
Philippa (Pip) Amery
Pip is an Early Childhood Teacher and a Research Assistant and PhD Candidate in the ARC Centre for Excellence for the Digital Child at Queensland University of Technology. Her PhD project seeks to understand first-time mothers’ everyday digital practices, looking at mother-infant interactions and mothers’ accounts. Prior to her PhD, Pip taught in both rural and city contexts, starting her teaching career in Wallumbilla and later Proston in the South Burnett. Her rural teaching experience has shown her first-hand the importance of supporting and advocating for educators and families in rural and remote areas. Pip is now based in Brisbane.
Jacqueline Wilton, Chief Executive Officer, Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Jacqui is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
She has served as a teacher, Head of Department, Deputy Principal, Dean of Studies and Head of School in a range of Queensland schools. Before being appointed as CEO, Jacqui led the development and implementation of reforms to Queensland’s senior curriculum and assessment systems as Executive Director at the QCAA.
Jacqui is an accomplished strategic leader with a proven track record in delivering large-scale reforms in complex multi-stakeholder contexts. With over 15 years of senior leadership experience in both system and school contexts, Jacqui has a strong interest in assisting and supporting schools and service providers across kindergarten to Year 12 to strengthen curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment experiences.
Jacqui holds a Master of Business Administration, Master of Educational Studies (Leadership and Policy), Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) and Bachelor of Education (Secondary). She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has been recognised with awards from the Queensland branch of the Australian Council of Education Leaders and the University of Queensland.
Jo Butterworth, Executive Director, Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority
With over 20 years of experience across three schooling sectors, Jo Butterworth brings a wealth of knowledge to the role of Executive Director, Curriculum Services at the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA). Being part of a dynamic organisation that is leading the development of future-focused curriculum and assessment is one of Jo’s core passions. In a previous role, she played an integral part in the redevelopment of the new QCE syllabuses and quality assurance processes, then applied this expertise whilst on the educational leadership teams at two secondary schools.
As Executive Director at the QCAA, Jo has led the response to Artificial Intelligence and chaired the Artificial Intelligence Working Group to provide national guidance on using AI safely and ethically. Each experience has provided Jo with a deeper understanding of how the decisions we make about curriculum and assessment influence our young people and prepare them for pathways beyond school.
Kristen Coggan, Regional Tech Hub
Kristen Coggan is a highly experienced regional communications professional who lives near Condamine, on The Western Downs in Southern Queensland. With a deep understanding of the challenges faced by rural, regional, and remote (RRR) communities, Kristen's passion for reliable connectivity in these locations has driven her career for the past 9 years.
Kristen holds the pivotal role of Communication, Engagement and Regional Partnership Lead at the Regional Tech Hub (RTH), a federally funded independent telecommunications advisory service for rural, regional, and remote Australians. Her contributions to the RTH have been instrumental in advancing the cause of reliable connectivity in these areas.
Kristen has experienced firsthand the profound impact that dependable communication has on business, education, and social well-being. Kristen understands that reliable connectivity is crucial for educational, running businesses, accessing healthcare services, conducting research, and enjoying various forms of entertainment. Kristen believes that reliable, affordable, and suitable connectivity starts with basic connectivity literacy and helps people understand what their options are and how to go about achieving this goal.
Nikki Bouris, TAFE QLD, Educational Team Leader, Faculty of Nursing, Community Services & Education Support
Nikki started her educational journey, as a teacher aide in Education Queensland and Independent schools, completing the Certificate III and Diploma in Education Support. Discovering her passion for the education sector, she furthered her studies completing the Bachelor of Vocational Education and Training.
Nikki has been teaching Education Support programs at Tafe Queensland for over 14 years. During this time, she was Co-Lead for Tafe Queensland’s state product, designed and developed training product, and delivered to vocational students. It was working shoulder-to-shoulder with students that inspired Nikki, as each student brought their own experience to learning. Building trust and authentic relationships with each student, Nikki could uncover the individual needs, identify learning barriers, then implementing adjustments and adaptions to support their learning. Currently in the role as Educational Team Leader, Nikki leads the Brisbane Education Support teachers towards excellence in teaching, and to recognise each student has their own unique journey.
POP
POP is an online Speech Therapy service founded to address the exact needs felt by many of us in this room. Our founder, long-time ICPA supporter and Speech Pathologist Heidi Begg/Trusler, knew there was a better way to provide accessible, high-quality services to rural and remote communities. Having experienced this need firsthand, Heidi grew up in outback Queensland, between Bollon and Cunnamulla, and watched her mother struggle to find support for her brother who has Down Syndrome. Even as Heidi moved into the workforce as a Speech Pathologist, she still saw families facing the same battle to access the services they needed.
So, SPOT, now known as POP, was born! Starting out in 2016 with only a handful of Speech Therapists and clients (all through ICPA!), Pop has grown to become a leader in telehealth speech pathology. Today, Pop has 50 Speech Pathologists across Australia and has supported thousands of children and adults in gaining confidence and achieving growth.
As we continue to evolve, we remain committed to our mission: to deliver excellence in online speech therapy and learning services, empowering all families to reach their full potential.
Danielle
Danielle started her career in the disability sector, acute and rehabilitative hospital settings, and community health facilities, before transitioning to work in private practice at Pop and has been with us for over 4 years. She’s experienced in providing clinical services in language, literacy and Orofacial Myology.
Danielle grew up on her family’s cattle property in Central Queensland and has returned to the same area to live on her own property. Having spent most of her life in a rural area, she understands the difficulties with accessing services which is what created her passion for providing services to people with limited options, all made possible by Pop.
Kate
Kate is a Senior Speech Pathologist with a passion for delivering high quality services that focus on the unique needs of each client and their family. She has worked in rural, regional and metropolitan settings in hospitals, community health centres and schools. Kate is also one of our Heads of Speech Pathology and has acted as our CEO. She spends much of her time teaching and empowering our leaders and junior speech pathologists to be the best they can be! When she’s not at work, Kate is a mother to 4 primary school aged children, step mum to 2 older children, wife to a busy husband and active member of her kids’ school and sporting communities. Her experience as a mum helps her to understand the joys and challenges that parenting brings and helps her to empathise with and support families on their journey.
Richard Stokes CEO ABSA
Richard Stokes is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA). He has worked in boarding schools since 1980, firstly in Adelaide and then in Brisbane at St Peters Lutheran College, and then as Dean of Residential Care at St Joseph’s Nudgee College, a boarding school of nearly 600 boys. Richard held that role until he retired from a direct boarding role at the end of 2005.
Richard’s passion in his work at ABSA includes staff training, advocating for boarding schools and most importantly, as drafting Chair for the Standards Australia committee for the National Standard for Boarding Schools, lifting the standard of our schools to be the best they can be.
Richard is happily married to Karen and has two adult children who both enjoyed growing up in the boarding environment!
Tec-NQ
Tec-NQ is a North Queensland-based vocational education facility that partners with industry and community to deliver trade-based career opportunities through training and education. The unique, trade focused, senior school is complimented with a purpose-built boarding facility for senior school students originating from locations across regional and remote Queensland.
Tec-NQ emerged as a solution to address the trade skills shortages in 2005. As an alternative to traditional schooling, it was established to deliver the same outcomes, in a work-based training environment. Originally known as The Australian Technical College, North Queensland, the main campus is located in Townsville, along with the boarding facility, while two smaller schooling campuses are located in Mackay (2011) and Cairns (2020).
Hannah Leith is the Executive Manager Client Services at Tec-NQ. Her role sees her work closely with industry to connect young people with the skills and partnerships needed to follow their passion and begin their pathway to a bright future. A passionate storyteller, she loves nothing more than using her experience in marketing and stakeholder engagement to share the incredible opportunities in vocational education and business in her region.
The Winchester Foundation
The Winchester Foundation was established by the late Mrs Beryl Neilsen OAM to provide educational assistance to children and young people living in rural and regional areas. Beryl Neilsen Winchester Scholarships endeavour to provide rural families with the same educational opportunities as those given to students living in the cities. This assistance is provided via Winchester Scholarships designed to assist with the study costs of successful applicants.
