STAFF TEAM:
Karrina Nolan is a descendant of the Yorta Yorta people. She is an experienced manager and organiser of complex programs and initiatives in Aboriginal communities and has worked as a facilitator, trainer, researcher and strategist alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, young people and communities for over 25 years. Most recently, Karrina has been building the capacity for self-determination in the context of economic development, climate change and clean energy. She supports communities’ capacity to organise, act decisively, share knowledge and make informed decisions which take into account long-term community needs as well as country and culture. As a Churchill Fellow, Karrina worked with First Nations women in Canada, the USA and Australia collating lessons to grow women's leadership capacity and engagement in community and civic life. She dedicated an Atlantic Fellowship to determining how to best build clean energy projects by and for First Nations people.
Karrina is the Executive Director of Original Power.
Jade Lillie is known for her work as a leader, executive, facilitator, and specialist in community and stakeholder engagement. Jade works as a consultant, facilitator and advisor for organisations specialising in strategy, facilitation, stakeholder engagement, co-design, executive leadership recruitment, governance, people and culture. Her clients are Australia-wide, spanning the creative, cultural, community, private and public service sectors. She has worked in government (local, state and federal) and not for profit sectors with experience in regional, remote and metropolitan locations across Australia and SE Asia. She has worked in intercultural environments for over twenty years. In 2018, she received the prestigious Sidney Myer Fellowship for her thought leadership in community engaged practice and advocacy following her role as the Director and CEO at Footscray Community Arts Centre (2012 – 2017). She is the curator and editor for The Relationship is the Project, a book about how to engage effectively with communities with over forty contributors from across Australia. She is a passionate advocate of knowledge-sharing, co-design and self-determination and the proud Co-Chair for All the Queens Men.
Jade is the Chief of Staff of Original Power.
Wynona Karena is a descendant of the Arrernte People of Central Australia. With a strong background business development, marketing, communications and strategy development, Wynona is passionate about engaging, motivating and guiding stakeholders to achieve equitable outcomes, through developing accessible approaches that promote shared benefits and associated changes and impacts. Wynona contributes her breadth of skills and unique understanding of First Nations issues to assist in the initial development and implementation of the First Nations Clean Energy Network, as well as support the ongoing projects of Original Power.
Wynona is the Operations Coordinator.
Madison (Madie) Sturgess is a cleantech specialist with experience across tech start-ups, agriculture, film and TV, and international development sectors. Her cleantech experience includes developing microgrid projects and clean energy cooking alternatives with remote Haitian communities by way of Washington DC, and researching and developing energy innovation opportunities and policy reform for agriculture and communities in regional Queensland. Madie is passionate about fit for purpose solutions for sustainable development, the democratisation of energy, and the larger transition to circular economies - none of which is possible without consulting the communities they serve.
Madie is the Clean Energy Senior Project Lead.
Scott McDinny is a descebdant of the Garrwa/Yanyuwa people from Borroloola in the NT’s Gulf of Carpentaria. He is an experienced community organiser and a Director of the Borroloola Ngardara Cooperative, a community-controlled initiative driving the development of our Ngardara Solar Microgrid project, the first community-owned utility-scale microgrid in the Northern Territory.
Scott has ten years experience in construction and civil qualifications supporting the delivery of our homeland and community solar projects across the NT, and is an accomplished musician with a passion for supporting young mob into skilled jobs in the renewable energy sector.
Scotty is the Borroloola Community Coordinator.
Conrad Rory is a descendant of the Garrwa/Gurdanji and the Chair of Ngardara Cooperative, a First Nations community-controlled organisation representing the Borroloola community in the NT. Its purpose is the improvement of energy security for households and the wider community through access to lower cost, more reliable renewable energy.
Conrad is the Borroloola Community Coordinator.
Chantell Johns is one of several young community leaders who guided the Northern Territory community of Marlinja’s clean energy ambitions from vision to reality - they are installing a community-owned and developed microgrid in June.
Chantell is the Community Project Coordinator - Marlinja.
Lauren Mellor has close to two decades experience working in community development and organising capacities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Northern Territory and Queensland to implement self-determined solutions to complex community needs. She has led programs and teams of people in the design, implementation and assessment of community-driven projects and has experience delivering community energy planning scenarios, standalone and grid-connected solar and battery storage projects and renewable energy law and policy reform to ensure First Nations people play a leading role in the clean energy transition.
Lauren is the Clean Energy Communities Coordinator - Northern Territory.
Col is the Clean Energy Communities Operational Support Officer.
Maddy Hickman has over a decade's experience working in the clean energy space, across renewable energy projects and human resource management. She has led initiatives to develop energy literacy and in promoting job creation across various communities, in working across the delivery of small and large-scale renewable projects, as well as in managing the people and culture function to develop people-centric organisations. Maddy is deeply passionate about the transformative potential of renewable energy in intersecting with and leading to improved socio-economic outcomes, fostering greater equality, self-determination and resilience in remote communities.
Maddy is the Clean Energy Project Lead.
Alison Orme began her career in law reform, working for state and federal government agencies including the Australian Law Reform Commission and the Federal Department of Health, before spending almost a decade as a senior political and media advisor in NSW and Federal Parliament. Most recently she was Communications Director at the Sunrise Project, responsible for overseeing communications strategy to drive campaigns to hasten the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. She is passionate about harnessing the power of everyday people to achieve change and holds an Arts/Law Degree from the University of Sydney.
Alison is the Campaigns and Communications Director.
Maggie Wood is an experienced campaigner, project manager and strategist with a strong background in capacity building and working alongside communities to implement self-determined solutions. Prior to joining Original Power, Maggie was the Programs Director of the Conservation Council of WA, responsible for driving policy reform on climate change, clean energy, and environmental protection. Maggie is from country Western Australia and is passionate about ensuring the people that live in work in regional areas don’t get left behind.
Maggie is the Senior Campaigner - Defence of Country.
Jonathan Kneebone is an experienced lawyer, advocate, strategist and systems entrepreneur with a deep understanding of policy, legal, financial and economic systems. Jonathan has over 20 years’ experience establishing and enabling collaborations, fixing entrenched and extractive systems, and advocating for an inclusive and regenerative economy that privileges and incorporates First Nations people, knowledge, views and experiences. Jonathan has worked in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-controlled organisations and alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities across Australia. Jonathan has led an array of significant commercial negotiations, major projects, and test cases on behalf of Traditional Owners, and has worked closely on economic development and economic inclusion policies and projects. Jonathan is a Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity, holds an Arts and Honours degree in Law from the University of Melbourne, a Masters of Laws from the University of Dundee (and was awarded the Laszlo Gombos Prize as the top-ranking LLM student), and is a board member of several organisations working respectively in the fields of mental health, the arts and community economic development. Prior to joining the First Nations Clean Energy Network Jonathan worked in the private sector with an organisation pioneering the growth of a circular and regenerative cleantech business.
Jonathan is Director of Policy and Engagement for the First Nations Clean Energy Network.
Georgia is Project Manager, Events and Communications for the First Nations Clean Energy Network.
Kate Finlayson is a communications professional with over 20 years expereience. Kate has negotiated media, engagement and campaign outcomes for government, private industry and not for profits in Australia and globally. She is skilled in consulting with stakeholders, building strategy and reaching key audiences with compelling narratives and calls to action that generate change.
Kate is the Communications Director for the First Nations Clean Energy Network.
Cat Beaton is a passionate, outcome driven, creative project manager with over 20 years’ experience across not-for-profit organisations. She has experience working with First Nation’s communities producing events, programs, media, strategies, campaigns, and communications. Cat has come to work for the Network following five years as a Project Officer at Umeewarra Aboriginal Media in Port Augusta, South Australia. Cat loves travelling in the regional areas, building relationships and making projects happen. Cat is now based in Port Adelaide on Kaurna Country.
Cat is the South Australian Community Coordinator for the First Nations Clean Energy Network.
Kaneya is a proud Wiradjuri, Yaegl and Kamilaroi man. He previously worked for many years with the Department of Defence as a Contracting/Policy Officer in the field of aerospace acquisitions. Kaneya was inspired by his participation in the First Nations Clean Energy Network's PowerMakers 2023 capacity building program to bring his experience and knowledge to the Network as their Engagement and Policy Lead to further empower First Nations individuals and businesses to not only take part in the clean energy transition, but to lead all aspects of it.
Kaneya is the Engagement and Policy Lead for the First Nations Clean Energy Network.
BOARD MEMBERS:
Sharon Ford is a descendant of the Wangan and Jagalingou People of Central Queensland. Through personal and professional experiences, Sharon has developed a thorough understanding of the challenges our people face in protecting community interests and establishing effective and functional self-governing communities. Sharon is an Indigenous Governance and Management Consultant with over 20 years’ experience working with Indigenous Corporations, including nearly a decade of experience in the Native Title Industry. Sharon is passionate about empowering Aboriginal people to exercise our right to make decisions that affect our families, cultures and country.
Kado Muir is a Wati, a Goldfields Aboriginal cultural and community leader and an anthropologist/archaeologist with many years’ experience working in Aboriginal Heritage, Language preservation and maintenance, traditional ecological/education and native title research.Kado is a community based cultural heritage and environmental activist. He has led campaigns against uranium mining in Western Australia and is part of that national network. He has been fighting mining industry to adopt responsible practise in Aboriginal heritage and to stop destroying Aboriginal sites and sacred places. Kado is a cultural leader who has preserved his Ngalia language and helped develop Australian curriculum content incorporating Aboriginal knowledge into education curriculum. He is currently deputy Chair of the National Native Title Council, a board member of Native Title Services Goldfields and chair of the Wakamurru Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, the PBC for Manta Rirrtinya Native Title Determination. Kado operates a number of businesses including an Aboriginal art business, a Sandalwood company, a Cultural focussed podcast and a heritage consultancy business. He is an advocate promoting alternative community based enterprises, especially through his PhD university partnerships for research on Wealth in First Nations. Kado grew up from an early age living in the bush and his passion is to look after country, community and culture.
Alex Kelly has a background in arts, strategic communications, organising and filmmaking with expertise in impact producing. Alex was impact producer on In My Blood it Runs as well as Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything. Alex also has a speculative futures practice; The Things We Did Next. Alex is founding member of the Unquiet Collective and lives on beautiful Dja Dja Wurrung Country with her family.
Lara Watson is a Birri Gubba woman from Central West Queensland and the Indigenous officer with the ACTU. She has been involved with the Trade Union movement for almost 15 years, starting as a workplace delegate and moving into community campaigning as a Yr@w co-ordinator. She ran the anti-privatisation campaign ‘Not4Sale’ in Queensland, and worked on numerous Indigenous campaigns, including the fight for Muckaty, Queensland Stolen Wages, the NT Intervention. She is currently running the ‘Wage Justice’ campaign for Community Development Workers in remote communities through the First Nations Workers Alliance.
Genevieve Grieves is a Worimi woman from mid north coast New South Wales who has lived in Narrm (Melbourne) for many years. She is an award-winning artist, researcher, educator, curator, filmmaker and oral historian who has accumulated twenty years’ experience across the arts, culture and education sectors. Genevieve has consistently won recognition and awards for the variety of projects she has undertaken throughout her diverse career including online documentaries, film, art and exhibitions. Genevieve holds a prominent leadership role in the arts and cultural sector, contributing to the development of key organisations while attaching importance to mentoring emerging First Peoples creatives. She was the lead curator of the First Peoples exhibition, Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at the Melbourne Museum, which opened in November 2013. Genevieve has previously worked with the Koorie Heritage Trust as an oral historian, and then on both the Mission Voices website for the ABC and as a field producer on First Australians for SBS television. She has also produced a documentary called Lani’s Story. Genevieve holds a PhD in Indigenous Studies (University of Melbourne), Grad Dip History (University of Melbourne) and BA Communications (University of Technology Sydney). Currently, Genevieve is developing a range of creative projects – across public art, film and video, audio and online content – under the auspices of her company, GARUWA.
Brian Bero is a Principal, Director and Co-founder of Jaramer Legal. He is a Meriam man who is passionate about empowerment and socially responsible economic development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Brian is a senior commercial lawyer who has advised State and Federal Governments and large corporations such as Telstra, NBN Co, Oracle and Qantas, as well as Australia’s big banks. He has a broad corporate/commercial practice including advising on complex contract negotiations and agreements, litigation, risk, compliance and regulatory matters, privacy, corporate structure and governance issues, probity, strategic government direction, technology and telecommunications matters, international instruments, and extensive experience in general procurement advice. He has also advised on Government specific agreements, MOUs, both at local and international levels. Brian is currently the Deputy Chair of Ilbijerri Theatre Company, and a Director for Aboriginal Community Housing Ltd.
Brad Hopkins joined AEMO Services from its establishment and currently serves as General Manager – Commercial. Brad is passionate about climate change and decarbonisation and has spent the past 20 years developing and financing clean energy projects around the world. Brad played a leading role in designing and implementing the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap and the recently announced Commonwealth Capacity Investment Scheme. Since returning to Australia in 2016, Brad has led some of the largest and most complex renewable energy transactions and energy policies.