Kim Whiteley is a respected national leader whose expertise and lived experience are deeply grounded in her culture and identity. A proud descendant of the Warramunga Bogan River people, born and raised in Wellington, NSW, Kim brings more than 40 years of leadership across education, health, justice, and land rights — with a strong focus on First Nations strategy, governance, and partnered community engagement.

Kim has held leadership roles within government, community-controlled, and not-for-profit sectors, including Chief Executive Officer of the Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC), Western Zone Director at the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, and Head of First Nations Strategy & Engagement at Cancer Council Australia. She is widely respected for championing cultural safety, advancing governance, driving transformative reform, and achieving measurable outcomes that advance equity and improve services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, families, and communities.

Kim has also contributed her expertise and leadership through service on advisory bodies such as at the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, the NSW/ACT PHN Aboriginal Primary Health Care Executive, and the Cancer Institute NSW Indigenous Advisory Committee. In addition, she currently holds a ministerial appointment as a Board Member of the Homes NSW Aboriginal Housing Office.

As Chief Executive Officer of NATSIAACC, Kim brings her deep cross-sector expertise and cultural authority to champion the voices of Elders and Older People, strengthen national advocacy, and influence policy reform. She is committed to ensuring ageing and aged care services are culturally safe, trauma-aware, community-led, and grounded in respect, dignity, and self-determination.

Cassara Hardie is a proud Dunghutti woman from Northern New South Wales. Born and raised on Dharug Country, Western Sydney, NSW.

Cassara has been working within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Sector for the last 7 years, starting from working in an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation to a state peak body, whilst undertaking a Masters degree in Human Resources Management.

Cassara’s overall passion is to enhance career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in order to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and Communities.

Seraphim is from Sydney and believes in the power of good policy to create fairer, healthier, and more connected communities.

With previous experience as a Policy Advisor, Seraphim brings a proven ability to build strong, genuine relationships with government stakeholders and achieve meaningful outcomes on key regulatory matters. His clear and direct communication ensured important perspectives were not only heard but acted upon.

Currently completing a Master’s in Public Policy at the University of Sydney, Seraphim is committed to supporting policies that deliver real benefits for communities across Australia.

Originally from Sydney, Katherine studied a Bachelor of Science & Nutrition at Western Sydney University and moved to Canberra where she recently completed a Master’s in Public Health (Advanced) at the Australian National University. Katherine brings a passion for social justice and holistic health care and believes equitable policies have the power to positively impact communities and drive purposeful change. Katherine incorporates her qualitative and quantitative research skills with an enthusiasm to learn, advocate for and contribute to, community‑centred and evidence-informed policy reforms, grounded in respect and cultural safety.

Katherine brings strengths in research design, literature review, data analysis and reporting, alongside practical experience supporting program evaluation, stakeholder engagement and administrative systems. Her background includes contributing to sector-wide health promotion initiatives with the Heart Foundation, producing data-driven reports to inform funding and advocacy, and working within regulated environments requiring high attention to detail, confidentiality and governance.

Cody joins us with a strong foundation in business administration, ICT service delivery and operational coordination across government and commercial environments. He brings experience in administrative systems, process improvement, stakeholder engagement and team support, contributing to efficient and well-governed service delivery.

He previously worked with the Australian Research Council and the Department of Social Services, where he supported grants administration systems and stakeholder enquiries within structured compliance environments. Through these roles, he developed a strong understanding of operational controls, and the importance of reliable systems in supporting both people and performance.

Cody is motivated by the opportunity to contribute to positive change that strengthens outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. He approaches his role with a collaborative, solutions-focused mindset and a commitment to supporting respectful, accountable and community-informed service delivery.

Sam is a Health Communications professional with a passion for improving health outcomes in Australian communities. Having recently returned to Canberra following a stint working in Sydney, Sam has a degree in Strategic Communications from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and has worked in agency settings both as a consultant and an insights researcher.

Sam has supported and integrated national health and pharmaceutical campaigns and thrives when communicating technical information to create clear, creative, and evidence-based communication for diverse audiences. Sam brings strong capabilities in stakeholder engagement and earned media across multiplatform environments, with a focus on creating culturally safe, trauma-aware content which resonates with communities across Australia.

Outside of work, you can find Sam out enjoying nature, catching a live gig, or watching local sport.

Josh Kelly is a proud Aboriginal man from Worimi with family ties to Biripi Country, he is a leader, strategist, and passionate advocate for families, and community empowerment. His work is driven by a commitment to creating equitable opportunities for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples through leadership, policy reform, and community-led solutions.

With experience across the public sector, Josh has contributed to workforce strategy, diversity, equity and inclusion, Indigenous engagement, organisational transformation, and Aged Care reform. In his role as Strategic Reform & Intelligence Officer, he will bring together data, insight, and strategic thinking to support better decision-making and stronger outcomes for communities across the Country. He is committed to strengthening partnerships between government and communities, ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islandervoices are central to the design of policies and services across the life course, including for Ageing and Aged Care.

As a father of six, Josh brings both lived experience and professional insight to his advocacy. He is a strong voice for culturally safe education, youth wellbeing, and improved outcomes for Aboriginal children and families, and dignified, culturally responsive support for older Aboriginal People. His leadership is grounded in integrity, respect, and a belief that lasting change comes from listening, collaboration, and empowering communities.

His vision is to help build stronger communities where culture is celebrated, opportunity is shared, older people are respected and supported, with the younger generation being the foundation to build from.