our Board
Karen Milward, Yorta Yorta
Chair
Karen is a proud Victorian Yorta Yorta woman, born and raised in Melbourne. She owns and operates Karen Milward Consulting Services and has done so since 2004.
Read more
Lauren Ganley, Kamilaroi
Director
Lauren is the Head of Telstra’s First Nations Strategy & Engagement where she leads the strategy and ongoing governance of engagement with First Nations people and communities across Australia.
Read more
Ian Hamm, Yorta Yorta
Director
Ian is a Yorta Yorta man who has been actively involved in the Victorian Indigenous community in a personal and professional capacity for over 30 years.
Read more
John Jeffery, Wiradjuri
Director
John Jeffery is an Aboriginal man of the Wiradjuri Nation of central New South Wales.
Read more
Stan Kalinko
Director
B.Com, LLB, Higher Diploma in Tax Chair, Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Read more
Karen Jacobs, Whadjuk
Director
Karen is a bloodline descendant and a Traditional Owner of Whadjuk Country in the Perth area, Western Australia.
Read more
OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM
Stephanie Harvey, Chief Executive Officer
“I commit to leading with hope and optimism, with my vision and energy locked on to what life could be for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ‘beyond the gap’.
My motivation is that we all get to reach our potential. What we do at Community First Development works; it changes people’s lives – in the way they want it to change.”
Steph is a Bidjara woman from Queensland and a third sector leader with a career that spans government, community and NFP.
Steph has significant experience working with First Nations peoples in Australia and internationally. She is a Director of The Healing Foundation and the Australian Regional and Remote Community Services (ARRCS), a member of the Aboriginal Hostel Ltd’s Cultural Committee and was a member of the Charity, Philanthropy and Fundraising Advisory Group to the National CoVID19 Coordination Committee.
Steph has also been a judge for many of the Telstra Business Awards and Telstra Business Women’s Awards. She has qualifications in business and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Management.
Steph devotes considerable energy to her passion for the rights of vulnerable people. She is committed to social and economic equity and the principles of self-determination.
Sharon Babyack
General Manager
Impact and Strategy
“My role is one of continual learning. I learn from our team in the field, my First Nations research colleagues and from the communities we work with. I am passionate about promoting self-determination for First Nations people. It is the principle we work to; an approach that has proven positive impact.”
Tom Layton
General Manager
Operations
“I hope that we quickly move beyond the gap to a nation that is the envy of the global community. Envied for the health and life outcomes First Nations people achieve, for the way we champion and celebrate First Nations culture, and support a national dialogue that embraces cultural differences.”
Ruth Hilton-Bell
Chief Finance Officer
“Being part of making a positive difference to support self-determination for Australia’s First Nations people is rewarding. I like that we live our values and that those values align with my own. I hope that future opportunities available to First Nations peoples be no different to those of all Australians.“
Kathy Farrell
General Manager
Supporter Engagement
“I would like to see First Nations communities achieve the outcomes they have identified as being important to their community. I enjoy sharing their success stories through Stepping Stones; creating awareness and knowledge of the valuable contribution of our First Nations people.”
