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The Communities Growing Together Seminar Series offers an unprecedented gathering of insightful presenters from the community building arena. Keynote addresses and vision statements will be delivered in Bendigo, Churchill and Melbourne from senior government representatives, including Browyn Pike MP, Minister Assisting the Premier on Community Building and interstate guest speaker, Jim Cavaye.

A list of biographies for keynote speakers, panelists and workshop presenters is provided below. A complete set of bio's will be available at each of the seminars.


Mick Bourke
Churchill Conversation Group Presenter
The development of a community newspaper was seen as a high priority when the Trafalgar Community Development Association (TCDA) was formed in 1999 as a result of the devastating impact that job losses and various restructure programmes caused many people in Trafalgar.
Maria Callipari
Melbourne Conversation Group Presenter
Inner Western Region Migrant Resource Centre (IWRMRC) has been servicing the needs of Migrants since 1981. As well as looking after settlement issues the IWRMRC have established unique programs and projects.
Dr Jim Cavaye
Melbourne Keynote Speaker
Dr Jim Cavaye is an accomplished practitioner, educator and researcher in community development with 20 years experience working with rural and regional communities. He is the Director of Cavaye Community Development and works with a wide range of communities, organizations and government agencies across Australia. He has a Ph.D. from the United States in community development and is an international speaker and author.
Dr Yolande Collins
Bendigo Conversation Group Presenter
Dr Yolande Collins is Coordinator of an area study called Social Research, Planning and Development at the Department of Arts, La Trobe University, Bendigo. She lectures in the history and sociology of health and illness, regional history, heritage studies, and social research. Her doctorate, from the University of Melbourne, was concerned with the development of hospitals in country Victoria.
Chris DeAraugo
Bendigo Conversation Group Presenter
Chris DeAraugo is the Chief Executive of Lead On Aust - (est. 1999) community and youth development program. Significant numbers of young people are leaving regional and rural communities across Australia and not feeling connected or involved with their communities. Lead On provides young people with exposure to community, the real connections to community and sense of purpose and involvement.
Di Deppeler
Churchill Conversation Group Presenter
She is a member of the Gippsland Women's Network, and was the coordinator of the pilot Uniting our rural communities project in Gippsland/East Gippsland, 5 years ago. She is also the treasurer of Arts Network East Gippsland.
Prue Digby
Melbourne Panel Melbourne
Prue is the Executive Director of the Local Government Division, in the Victorian State Government. She was previously the Chief Executive Officer for the City of Yarra and prior to this worked as a senior manager at the City of Melbourne. Prue started her professional career as a social worker. Prue has over 20 years experience in providing community and public related services to inner Melbourne in both the government and non-government sectors. Prue is currently on the Boards of the Australian Institute of Management and the Institute of Public Administration Australia.
Ahmed Diyab
Photographer
Ahmed Diyab has been working as a professional photographer for over 5 years. Working with people from different cultural and professional backgrounds Ahmed has won many awards for his photography including the youth photography and exhibition for the Rotary Club of Caulfield and second prize at the Red Hill Show competition. Ahmed has worked as the Co-ordinator of photography for several migrant centers including the South East Region Migrant Resource Centre and the Ecumenical Migration Centre.
Anne Dunn
Churchill Facilitator
Following a period as the CEO of the City of Port Phillip Ms Dunn has returned to her consulting business, working in the areas of chairing, facilitation, mediation, community consultation and organisational development.
Peter Giddings
Churchill Conversation Group Presenter
The Mallacoota Arts Council Inc. (MAC) is a volunteer community organisation, which has an established reputation for presenting innovative, high quality visual arts, music and performance since it was formed in 1980. MAC supports local community arts groups, and brings into this remote rural environment a variety of arts and culture aiming to enrich, challenge and inspire the local and regional communities.
Rob Hunt
Churchill Keynote Speaker
Rob is the Managing Director, Bendigo Bank Group and has guided Bendigo Bank into a unique regional and community banking organisation. He is the architect of the Community Bank model and has active involvement in regional development.
Ray Judd
Melbourne Keynote Speaker
As Director for the Office of Community Building and Community Support Fund Ray Judd has overseen the development and implementation of the Government's Community Building Initiative, including community initiatives and cross government reform. Ray has redefined the role of the Community Support Fund's (CSF) role and making it work particularly for disadvantaged Victorians.
Fairlie Kermode
Churchill Conversation Group Presenter
Fairlie Kermode is the Chairperson of Maffra Area International Inc. that has been involved with several information technology projects in Gippsland during the past 7 years including the Inaugural Maffra Technology Expo held in November 2001. Fairlie is also a member of the Monash University Advisory Council at Gippsland and a Director of Net Alert Ltd. a Board established by the Federal Government to assist families with guidance for their children in surfing the Internet.
Robert Kiddell
Churchill Panel Member
Robert has lived in Gippsland since 1978 when he moved to Sale after completing Jurisprudence and Law degrees. A Barrister, Solicitor and Notary Public with over 23 years experience he now spends most of his time practising his second profession as a financial planner and Managing Director of Ridgway Financial Chambers Pty Ltd and Grand Ridge Agencies Pty Ltd.
Frankie MacLennan
Churchill Conversation Group Presenter
Landcare Coordinators are usually employed by Community Groups to facilitate on groundwork and environmental education. Access to training or other learning opportunities is limited. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment, through facilitators Julie Williams and Frankie MacLennan, ran 3 sets for coordinators as a way to promote learning in skills relevant to the role, which did not require major input of resources
Joy Manley
Churchill Conversation Group Presenter
The Tambo Rambler is a small community newspaper produced monthly by a dedicated group of volunteers for Bruthen and surrounding district. The paper was established 3 years ago as a result of a group of people participating in the Building Communities through Cooperation study circle. The group recognised that better communication was an important key for improving community spirit and decided to try producing their own newspaper
Andrew McCallum
Bendigo Keynote Speaker
Andrew McCallum has held many board positions on state and national bodies including five years as President of the Children's Welfare Association of Victoria (CWAV) and Chairperson of the Child and Family Welfare Association of Australia. In 1999 Andrew was awarded life membership of CWAV. Andrew was the past President of the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS), and during 1999 - 2001 Board and Executive Member of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS). In 2001 Andrew McCallum was elected President of ACOSS.
Colette McInerney
Churchill facilitator
Colette is currently Project Consultant for Cardinia Shire Council. She has worked in the credit union movement for around 20 years and on community development projects for the last seven years. From 1995 to 2000 she was Project Manager of the successful Credit Care Project.
Heather McNaught
Bendigo Display presenter
The Loddon Murray Community Leadership Group facilitates positive change and aims to:
  • develop creative, courageous and confident community leaders
  • build on existing personal and community leadership skills
  • increase awareness and understanding of regional issues, resources, contacts and networks
  • establish a "leadership" network across the community.
  • Kieran Murrihy
    Bendigo Conversation Group Presenter
    The Wendouree West Community Renewal finds residents, government, agencies and the whole community working together to build on the strengths of the local community and find ways to create positive and lasting change. Those involved have shared ideas and created a common vision whilst developing a Community Action Plan (CAP) that speaks for everyone and co-ordinates the resources to make it happen.
    Deb Nicholson
    Bendigo Conversation Group Presenter and Melbourne Panel Member
    Deb Nicholson has the title of "enabler" in her own small business, Upstream Projects, a community/social development consultancy. She is based in Warrnambool and has an extensive background in rural women's advocacy and community capacity building. Deb has most recently worked in Ararat where she coordinated an innovative asset based community development project.
    Regional Connectivity Project
    Melbourne Conversation Group Presenter
    Through the development of Community Enterprise Centres the Regional Connectivity Project aims to assist in revitalising rural communities. It does this by encouraging local business and individuals to use information technology and the internet more effectively, fostering learning in its widest sense and changing attitudes about what is possible.
    Thierry Rolland
    Churchill Conversation Group Presenter
    Coast Action/Coastcare is a joint State and Commonwealth funded program facilitating the involvement of local groups and individuals in addressing the problems of coastal degradation and conserving and managing Victoria's natural and cultural coast and marine environment.
    Mary Salce
    Churchill Conversation Group Presenter
    The Gippsland Women's Network (GWN) was established as an informal network and the GWN, Community Economic Development Committee is auspiced by Arts Network East Gippsland, which has received project funding and sponsorship. GWN has developed and participated in many community development projects, forums and workshops. It is a voluntary network and its projects have actively involved over 800 Gippsland women.
    Viv Sercombe
    Melbourne Conversation Group Presenter
    SCRAYP - Youth arts with an Edge - SCRAYP's underpinning principles build resilience in young people through a long term commitment to meaningful, constructive relationships within schools and the community.
    Dr Jennifer Sheed
    Bendigo Conversation Group Presenter
    Dr Jennifer Sheed is a lecturer in the Institute for Education at La Trobe University Bendigo. She combines teaching with involvement in a range of collaborative research projects. Jennifer is Chair of the Adult Community and Further Education Regional Council, Loddon Campaspe Mallee Region and an advocate for the key role played by learning in community building.
    Helen Sheil
    Churchill Conversation Group Facilitator & Conversation Group Presenter & Bendigo Conversation Group Presenter
    Helen Sheil is a community development educator and researcher with particular interest in the future of rural communities. Helen is Director of the Centre for Rural Communities Inc. located at Monash University's Gippsland Campus.
    Llew Vale
    Churchill Panel Member
    Llew Vale is a prime lamb and veal producer at Toora in South Gippsland. A former councillor and Shire President, Llew is currently Chairman of the South Gippsland Region Water Authority and Chairman of Promontory District Finance Group, which operates the Toora and District Community Bank branch of the Bendigo Bank.
    Women on Farms, West Gippsland
    Churchill Conversation Group Presenter
    Originating from a small group of farming women in West Gippsland 13 years ago who sought to promote their role as farmers, the group has gone from strength to strength offering support to farming women through networks, meetings, farm based activities and the Annual Gathering.
    Jan Wositzky
    Storyteller
    Jan Wositzky is a writer, broadcaster, musician and storyteller. For over 30 years his work with stories has taken many forms: from writing and telling his own stories, on ABC radio and on stage, to listening to the stories of people he meets and recounting them. His two oral history biographies- of Tommy Woodcock and Yidumduma Bill Harney- were best sellers, and in the community area he has written 'in house' books and award winning documentaries within Aboriginal communities and aged care homes, as well workshops for such organizations as the Centre For Rural Studies and performance work telling the stories of organizations such at St Luke's.

       Bendigo
      Dr Yolande Collins
    Chris DeAraugo
    Andrew McCallum
    Heather McNaught
    Kieran Murrihy
    Deb Nicholson
    Dr Jennifer Sheed

     Churchill
      Mick Bourke
    Di Deppeler
    Anne Dunn
    Peter Giddings
    Rob Hunt
    Fairlie Kermode
    Robert Kiddell
    Frankie MacLennan
    Joy Manley
    Colette McInerney
    Thierry Rolland
    Mary Salce
    Helen Sheil
    Llew Vale
    Women on Farms

     Melbourne
      Maria Callipari
    Dr Jim Cavaye
    Prue Digby
    Ray Judd
    Deb Nicholson
    Regional Connectivity Project
    Viv Sercombe

     All Presentations
      Ahmed Diyab
    Jan Wositzky
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