MONSIGNOR DAVID CAPPO AO (Chair)

...is a Catholic Priest and social policy leader. A qualified social worker, Monsignor Cappo is Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Adelaide – a role that also makes him deputy to the Archbishop. When Premier Mike Rann came to power in 2002, he established the State’s first Social Inclusion Board and appointed Monsignor Cappo as Chair – a role he continues to hold. In May 2006, Monsignor was appointed Commissioner for Social Inclusion to further strengthen his ability to influence and implement social policy across the South Australian Government.

Through these roles, he has spearheaded social policy reform for the State to address a range of pressing social issues including school retention, homelessness, youth offending and mental health. Monsignor Cappo was made an Officer in the Order of Australia – the nation’s second-highest honour – in the 2007 Australia Day Honours. He also has recently been appointed vice-Chair of the Australian Social Inclusion Board set up by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Monsignor Cappo is an Independent Adviser for the Executive Committee of State Cabinet and also is a member of the Economic Development Board of South Australia. A former National Director of the Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission, he has – and continues to make – major contributions to national social policy development. 

BETTINA CASS AO

...is Professorial Fellow at the Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales. Her research explores issues including labour markets and social policy, the distribution of paid and unpaid work; interconnections between family care-giving and employment; comparative studies of family policies; social security and tax policies and labour market transformations in Australia and other countries. She is particularly interested in policies aimed at promoting social inclusion. Previously, she was Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Sydney, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Sydney and Professor of Australian Studies in the Center for Australian and New Zealand Studies, Georgetown University, Washington DC. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.

KERRY COLBUNG

...is the Director of the South Australian Aboriginal Sports Training Academy. She previously held the position of Regional Indigenous Service Development Officer with the Eyre Regional Health Service. She has worked for both the Federal and State Governments in a variety of service delivery, program and policy roles, including the Social Inclusion Unit. Kerry was the former Chairperson of the South Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council and holds a Diploma of Business and a Bachelor of Adult & Vocational Education from the University of South Australia.  She is a Graduate of the University of New South Wales and Thammasat University (Thailand) People’s Diplomacy, Human Rights and International Law Program. Kerry was the first Aboriginal woman elected to a South Australian Local Council. 

BILL COSSEY AM

...retired in 2004 from the position of Chief Executive of the State Courts Administration Authority, a position he held for five years. Prior to this, Bill held the roles of Chief Executive in a number of State Government agencies, and has more than 35 years' experience in the public sector. Recently retired, he is keenly interested in exploring ways in which the public sector can respond in a more systematic way to the challenges presented by the Social Inclusion agenda, with an emphasis on joined up approaches. Bill has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Adelaide.

GRAEME HUGO

...is University Professorial Research Fellow, Professor of the Department of Geographical and Environmental Studies and Director of the National Centre for Social Applications of Geographic Information Systems at the University of Adelaide.  His research interests are in population issues in Australia and South East Asia, especially migration.

He is the author of over three hundred books, articles in scholarly journals and chapters in books, as well as a large number of conference papers and reports.  In 2002 he secured an ARC Federation Fellowship over five years for his research project, "The new paradigm of international migration to and from Australia: dimensions, causes and implications".  He is currently working on reports on Migration and Development for the Australian Government and for the Asian Development Bank.

ALWYN McKENZIE

...is based in Port Augusta and is the Principal Policy Officer with the South Australian Government's Aboriginal Affairs & Reconciliation Division of the Department of Premier and Cabinet. Originally coming from a trade background, he has worked for many years in trying to overcome the many disadvantages that Indigenous people currently endure in Australian society. His work has seen him engage at a community, local, state, national and international level. The other key board that Alwyn currently sits on is Desert Knowledge Australia. 

MARY PATETSOS

.... holds positions that enable her to have extensive knowledge of the economic, infrastructure and social needs of South Australia. Mary has studied Sociology, Social Work, Psychology and Economics with practical experience with government and community sectors. She is currently the Acting Chief Executive Officer at the Migrant Resource Centre of SA.

Mary is also a Commissioner of the Local Government Grants Commission as well as the Board of the SA Housing Trust and South Australian Affordable Housing Board. Mary also chairs audit and finance committees in Government. Mary sits as a member of the Public Space Advisory Committee of the Department of Planning and Local Government. Mary is also a Director on the Board of Aged Care Homes (ACH Group) and numerous other not for profit boards. The combination of drivers that enable industry, commercial and community interests to thrive underpins the work of all these Boards.

MARGARET WAGSTAFF

....has held a range of senior public service roles in South Australia and Victoria, in both metropolitan and regional areas. Since leaving the full-time workforce, she has held board positions in the health, child protection and community education fields. She currently represents the Commissioner for Social Inclusion on the Community Engagement Board for South Australia's Strategic Plan and is chair of the Local Government Boundary Adjustment Facilitation Panel. She also works as a human services consultant in South Australia and Victoria. Major areas of consultancy relate to services for children with a disability and their families, child protection services, out of home care and local government.

LORNA HALLAHAN

….is a lecturer in social work at Flinders University where she teaches social work practice and ethics and is a member of the Social and Behavioural Research Ethics Committee.  Her doctoral studies focussed on disability theory and theology and she continues research in disability politics and policy. She has over twenty-five years experience working in movements for social justice and involvement in the governance of community organisations. 

As well as being a member of the South Australian Social Inclusion Board, Lorna is Chair of the SA Minister’s Disability Advisory Council, Deputy Chair of the National People with Disability and Carers Council, member of the South Australian Reproductive Technology Council and Chair of the Julia Farr Group. She speaks and writes regularly on contemporary issues in the disability sector and ethical issues faced by the workers of human services.

PAULINE PEEL

... has more than 20 years experience as a Senior Manager in complex and diverse organisations across community, government and private sectors both in Australia and overseas. Pauline is currently Deputy Chief Executive, Sustainability, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation with the Department of Premier and Cabinet. 

Pauline was responsible for driving Indigenous reforms including the COAG reforms to Close the Gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Queensland and 11 years with the Brisbane City Council driving many economic and social justice initiatives.  Previously an active member of many boards, Pauline received a Centenary Medal in 2001 for her services to the community and the arts.