Speakers

Amanda Jackes is the Managing Director and Co-founder of Woodfordia Inc, producers of the iconic Woodford Folk Festival, the innovative festival of The Planting, the national regional touring programme Festival of Small Halls and the holiday camping escape Lake Gkula Camping.  Woodfordia Inc also established the 500 acre venue Woodfordia, a cultural parkland dedicated to the arts and humanities which is underpinned by strong environmental leadership. Woodfordia Inc is a creative and ambitious organisation whose ideology is uniquely expressed in its 500 year plan. Amanda is an enthusiastic leader who achieves through combining creative, practical, optimistic and measurable approaches to community, cultural and environmental engagement.

 

The Woodford Folk Festival is a vibrant celebration of Australia's rich cultural diversity, featuring over 2,000 local, national, and international artists and musicians across a wide array of genres and art forms. During its six-day run, the festival transforms the rural site of Woodfordia into a bustling hub, effectively becoming the 67th largest town in Australia with an aggregate attendance of around 100,000 people. This significant gathering contributes an estimated $32 million annually to Queensland's economy, underscoring its vital role in the state's cultural and economic landscape. Recognised as the largest assembly of artists and musicians in the country, the festival offers a diverse program that includes music, dance, cabaret, circus, comedy, workshops, debates, street theatre, films, and visual arts, reflecting its commitment to inclusivity and creative expression.

The founder of Domestic Violence Education Relationship Training (DVERT), Wendy Mulcahy has worked in the criminal justice system for nearly 20 years. She has extensive experience working as a criminal defence lawyer in the area of domestic violence and has represented many defendants charged with offences of violence against women. Wendy is a trained and qualified National Mediator and Family Dispute Resolution Mediator, who has highly developed communication and negotiation skills.

Wendy was appointed to the Queensland Parole Board in 2020 for 18 months. While working as a Professional Board Member, she was part of a team responsible for assessing parole applications for parolees. Concerningly, many applications involve a history of serious violence against women and domestic violence. This role, although limited to 18 months, provided an appreciation of the consequences of domestic violence outside of her defence role as a criminal lawyer.

Through her extensive legal career, Wendy has gained valuable insight and a unique understanding of the complexity of domestic violence, patterns of perpetration and key drivers and motivators of violence against women.

Wendy has an impressive educational background and is an accomplished and well-respected legal practitioner. Her career background enables her to bring a wealth of experience and real perspectives to domestic violence training and education.

Wendy is passionate and dedicated to educating men and young men to understand the insidious nature of domestic violence and working towards eradicating violence against women.

DAVID MUIR AM

 

David Muir is a retired legal practitioner and former partner of the national firm HWL Ebsworth having first being admitted to practice as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1979.

Apart from David’s law profession, he is a founding and current director of Foodbank Queensland Limited which was established in 1995.

 

Qualifications 1975 – Bachelor of Economics (University of Queensland) 1978 – Bachelor of Laws (University of Queensland) 1979 – Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (Queensland Institute of Technology) 1993 – Certificate of Training (International Association of Arson Investigators)   Professional Memberships Queensland Law Society Australian & New Zealand Institute of Insurance & Finance Australian Professional Indemnity Group (Qld) and Committee Member Australian Insurance Law Association of Queensland Association of Risk and Insurance Managers of Australasia Limite

  David currently holds directorships in the Clem Jones Group of Companies. He is the Chair of the Executors of the Estate of the late Dr Clem    Jones OA and Chair of the Clem Jones Group and Chair of the Clem Jones Foundation.

  David is Chair of the Real Republic Limited.He was an elected delegate to the Constitutional Convention held in Canberra in 1998.

  He is a founding director and former Chairman of Crime Stoppers Queensland Limited.David is an honorary life member of the Queensland        Association of Fire Investigators Inc.

  He is a former President of Amnesty International Queensland Inc and Vice President of Amnesty International Australia Limited. He is a           former President and current member of the Lions Club of Brisbane Metropolitan Inc.

  David has been invested as a Knight of Honour of the Order of St John of Jerusalem for his services to the community. In 2020 he was made    a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Nigel has specialist skills in property and major infrastructure projects, together with several decades experience as a Chair and Company Director.

His particular skill sets include leading, positioning and adding value to large complex property and infrastructure opportunities. He has driven some of Australia’s most successful property outcomes including The Riverside Centre and Central Plaza buildings in Brisbane. The latter was, at the time, the largest office transaction in Australia.

All of the major projects Nigel has been involved in have included comprehensive indigenous engagement and interface with leaders from all levels of government and across the political spectrum. Additionally, he has had significant global experience working alongside politicians and members of the Royal Families through his roles as Honorary Swedish Consul and as Chair of the Commonwealth Games.

Following two highly successful decades with JLL, culminating in roles as Joint Managing Director in Queensland and on the Executive running the Asia Pacific operations, Nigel has undertaken a wide range of roles including Chair of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation and Chair of the Commonwealth Games Infrastructure Authority. The delivery models and infrastructure for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, including the Games Village, was delivered well ahead of time and on budget.

Nigel was a director of Queensland Airports Limited for 5 years, a director of South Bank Corporation and chair of the highly acclaimed $215m restoration of Brisbane City Hall, as well as ANZAC Square.

His current roles include Chair of Brisbane Sustainability Agency (wholly owned by Brisbane City Council)  and Chair of the Brisbane Airport Community Aviation Consultation Group.

Recent responsibilities include Director, Deputy Chair and Chair Audit and Risk of the ACT City Renewal Authority; Chair of South Bank Finance and Commercial Committee; and Chair of The Menzies Health Institute of Queensland, Griffith University

Nigel, the former Queensland Honorary Consul for Sweden for 18 years, is a Retired Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, The Australian Property Institute and a Graduate and Fellow of The Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Nigel has an Honorary Doctorate from Griffith University.

A former Past President of the Queensland Division of The Property Council of Australia, Nigel was awarded an OAM in 1994 for services to the property industry and an AM in 2017 for his contribution to economic development programs and the preservation of historic buildings. He was also made a Commander of The Royal Order of The Polar Star by the King of Sweden.

Rachel Healy is the Chief Executive of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane, Queensland.

Rachel has worked in senior roles in the cultural sector for more twenty years including as Director of Performing Arts for Sydney Opera House, General Manager of Belvoir St Theatre and Executive Manager Culture for the City of Sydney.

With Neil Armfield, Rachel served as Joint Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival from 2015 - 2022. Their tenure as Adelaide Festival’s longest serving Artistic Directors was marked by unprecedented critical acclaim and growth, in which box office doubled, private giving reached 40 times previous levels, attendances increased by 54%, and the number of major events secured exclusively for SA significantly increased visitation and generated gross expenditure of $386.6M.

Rachel has served on more than 30 arts boards and government/industry advisory bodies including the Sydney Opera House Trust, Live Performance Australia, and the Major Performing Arts Board of the Australia Council (now Creative Australia). Rachel served as Chair of the Australian Government’s Creative Economy Taskforce in 2021-22 and prior to her move to Queensland was Joint Chair of Adelaide University’s Creativity and Culture Industry Advisory Board, Chair of Carclew (SA), and non-executive director of Performing Arts Connections Australia.

In 2019 the University of Adelaide awarded Rachel the honorary degree of Doctor of the University for her ‘exceptional dedication and service to the Arts in Australia’ and the following year Rachel was awarded the Arts Leadership Award by Creative Partnerships Australia.

Before being appointed Chief Executive of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Rachel worked as a cultural industries contractor and consultant, including as Curator of Ideas and Special Events for the 2024 Vivid Sydney Festival.

"It doesn't just happen. A lot of work goes into it. It's all about the art of story-telling and the pictures and video to back that up."

MARK SYMONS

Education - Bachelor of Business – Communication, Double major – Journalism and PR, Queensland Institute of Technology

Employment

• Network 10 Brisbane – 1984 to 2000

Started as a cadet reporter in 1984. After general reporting for some years was assigned the court round and covered newsworthy trials including the corruption trial of former police commissioner Terry Lewis and the perjury trial of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. Became political editor and covered the 1995 and 1998 Queensland State Elections

• Seven Network Sydney – 2000 to 2003

Started as a senior reporter in the lead up to the Sydney Olympics. Covered the dawn service at Gallipoli, the Bali bombing and returned for the start of proceedings against the first terrorist to go on trial, Amrozi the so-called “smiling bomber”.

• Senior media advisor for various ministers in the Queensland State Government - 2003 to 2009

Worked for Tony McGrady, Desley Boyle, Tim Mulherin and Judy Spence across a wide range of portfolios including Police, Environment, Primary Industries, State Development and Child Safety.

• A senior media advisors for Premier Anna Bligh - 2010 to March 2012

Organised the media for the Premier’s trips to the regions and organised media across all portfolios for cabinet meetings held in the regions.

• WWF-Australia - Feb 2013 to Present

As senior media advisor my job is to get WWF in the news on our priority issues