Overview

MC - Ms Margot Foster PSM

Margot Foster has been a champion for the development of educational leaders in a highly strategic way for almost 40 years. She has consistently supported educational leaders to see leadership of student learning and the development of student agency at the core of their work. Margot brings together evidence-informed principles with the experience and expertise of educational leaders and a sophisticated understanding of the need for system and school-leaders to be able to respond to increasingly complex school and pre-school contexts. Her most important contribution to educational leadership is the way in which she has shaped the culture, conventions and expectations of educational leaders.

Australian Council of Educational Leaders, 2019 (citation excerpt)

The Honourable Blair Boyer MP

Blair lives in the North Eastern suburbs of Adelaide with his wife and three daughters.  He grew up on the family farm in rural South West Victoria, not far from Mount Gambier.

He was elected to represent the State electorate of Wright in 2018 and was appointed Minister for Education Training and Skills in March 2022.

Blair is passionate about education and believes that a strong, affordable and accessible public education system is the key to equality.

Dr Anita Heiss AM

Dr Anita Heiss (Wiradyuri Nation) is an award-winning author of 19 books. She is an
international speaker with a background in Australian First Nations literature calling her
audiences to action on issues that she is passionate about. She is a board member of
University of Queensland Press, Aboriginal Art Co, Circa Contemporary Theatre and the
National Justice Project. Anita is a Professor of Communications at the University of
Queensland and an Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and the GO
Foundation.

Dr Anita Heiss AM appears by arrangement with Claxton Speakers International.

Dr Chris Dolan

Chris Dolan has a long history in educational leadership in the SA state schooling system, including working as a principal and assistant regional director in the latter part of his school career.

After completing a PhD in 2018 examining the constitutive impact of policy on the principalship, Chris led a University of South Australia research project in 2019-2020, in partnership with SAPPA and SASPA, investigating the experience and management of conflict and tension in the lives and work of principals.

Chris continues to teach in the Masters program at the University of South Australia and will, in 2023, embark on new research with primary, secondary and area school principals in a project titled ‘Illuminating Principal Practice’.

Angela Falkenberg

Angela Falkenberg is an experienced school and community leader whose personal leadership commitment is to support students, educators, and families to have skills of resilience and optimism and for leaders to be and lead well.

She has curated a range of ‘fit for purpose’ high impact culture building and self-care strategies that make a positive difference and shares them with authenticity and humour.

Angela’s teaching career began in indigenous education in the NT and has included roles in primary and secondary education with a focus on students and families experiencing educational disadvantage. She also led a three-year health care project in the neonatal nurseries of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and is a past president of charity SIDS and Kids SA. She holds a master’s degree in special education and continues to embrace the joy of life-long learning.

Angela is in her 6^th year as President of the SA Primary Principals and has held leadership positions in both primary and secondary schools, in system roles (behaviour coach, literacy leadership coach) and led the recruitment and development of teachers to SA’s Aboriginal and Anangu Schools.

In July 2023, Angela will take up the role of President of the Australian Primary Principals Association.

Angela is also a rational optimist as she can’t see the point in being anything else.

The Honourable Jay Weatherill AO

The Honourable Jay Weatherill AO is the Director of Thrive by Five, responsible for delivering the Minderoo Foundation’s early childhood agenda.

Jay was Premier of South Australia for over 6 years and Minister for 16 years in portfolios including Early Childhood. He holds Law and Economics degrees from the University of Adelaide. He was an Industry Professor at the University of South Australia and is an Ambassador for Reggio Children.

Jay is also currently part of The Global Early Childhood Funders group, “an informal network of foundations who seek to communicate and collaborate in pursuit of better impacts for young children and their families”.

Jay was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Australia Day Honours list for his work in early childhood development and tertiary education.

Rochelle Borton

Rochelle Borton is the owner and founder of EduInfluencer’s, Australia’s leading professional development program for students and teachers.   Rochelle holds a Master’s degree and is trained in behavioural intelligence and loves partnering with school leaders to unlock individual and team potential. She has also spent time supporting young people to develop leadership capability both in Australia and internationally as part of the Junior Chamber International, a not-for-profit in more than 100 countries across the world. After being involved in her first educational startup, Rochelle noticed an opportunity to provide professional learning to greatly enhance behaviour change and self-reflection. She started with one, four-part workshop series partnering with a single school, to now leading a growing team and running over 30 workshops across 30 schools a year in Australia.

Dr Richard Harris SC OAM

Dr Richard “Harry” Harris has worked in anaesthesia, diving and aeromedical retrieval
medicine in Adelaide, South Australia.
His passion for cave diving goes back to the 1980s and has taken him to the corners of the
globe in search of new adventures.
Harry and his colleagues have explored caves to 245m depth, and shipwrecks to over 150m,
in dives lasting over 16 hours. He is an enthusiastic UW photographer and videographer
who is now also building a career in documentary films.
Harry has a professional and voluntary interest in search and rescue operations, establishing
the first sump rescue training course in Australasia. By building relationships with emergency
services locally he has been preparing for such an event. The 2018 Thailand cave rescue was
an opportunity to put this training to work.
In 2018 he received the Star of Courage, Australia’s second highest civilian award for
bravery, and the medal of the Order of Australia for his role in the Thailand cave rescue.
Harry is the 2019 Australian of the Year for South Australia and the joint 2019 Australian of
the Year with his dive partner Craig Challen.

Dr Richard Harris SC OAM appears by arrangement with Claxton Speakers International.