Sessional presenters are being confirmed continually and will appear here.
Notes for the speakers guidelines. Refer to bottom of page.
Alanna Philipson is a public health professional passionate about early childhood health promotion. She holds a Master of Public Health and a Graduate Certificate in Perinatal and Infant Mental Health. As Principal Program Officer for Connecting2u at Children’s Health Queensland, she leads a universal text messaging supporting families from pregnancy to age five.
Amy O’Grady is the Team Leader of the Gold Coast Early Years HUBS and has dedicated the past 25 years to working across non‑government organisations supporting children and families. With a deep commitment to early intervention, Amy is passionate about creating opportunities for families to thrive and empowering parents to be the best they can be. Her leadership focuses on building strong community connections, strengthening early childhood outcomes, and ensuring every family has access to the support they need to flourish.
Angela Hoy is the Team Leader for Family Wellbeing program within Child and Family Services at Uniting. Angela has a nursing degree with specialisation in Community Health and Paediatrics, with decades of experience supporting families in early parenting support and working in various evidence-based programs including at QEC and Uniting.
Anita Cubit is the Principal of Wonga Beach State School, a K-6 primary school in Far North Queensland. Her school recently won a Department of Education Queensland Showcase Award in the ‘Starting Strong’ (Early Years to Year Two) category for their tailored support, inclusive practices and academic excellence.
Dr Anita Egginton is a disaster resilience specialist with Thriving Qld Kids Partnership. Through the Thriving Kids in Disasters initiative, she collaborates with a wide range of committed and passionate people and groups across the state to involve and support infants, children, young people, and caregivers in disaster management settings.
Anna Kinnane is a Senior Project Officer at Children’s Health Queensland, working within the Connecting2u Program. With a background as a paediatric Occupational Therapist, she is passionate about early childhood health and wellbeing and committed to equitable access to clear, culturally appropriate health information for all families across diverse Queensland communities statewide.
Anna-Marie Kanaan is State-wide Integrated Care Manager at Karitane, leading Child and Family Hubs across NSW. She has designed and implemented community-led programs in Tanzania, Nauru, and with refugee communities in Southwest Sydney. Holding degrees in Geography and Social Development, she is passionate about partnerships and driving positive change.
Brittany Kinsmore’s connection to djimbaya is deeply personal, beginning as a parent when her son was among the first children to attend. She now supports families through BDAC’s Balert Gerrbik program, facilitating culturally safe, community‑led parenting programs grounded in culture, connection and strength. Brittany is a proud Watti Watti woman and a trained facilitator in several evidence‑based, First Nations–informed parenting programs.
Caitlin Craner is a Senior Speech Pathologist with Child Development Service and founding member of the THHS FASD Clinic. In her current role, Caitlin provides education and support to services and families regarding FASD and referral pathways for assessment, facilitating access to comprehensive diagnostic formulation and shaping intersectoral collaborative care pathways.
Candel Nadruku is a dedicated Child & Family Practitioner based in QLD. With a passion for empowering families, Candel provides tailored support to strengthen relationships and promote child wellbeing. Collaborating with communities and professionals, Candel focuses on creating safe, nurturing environments where children and families can thrive.
Cat Uta is a proud Meriam, Kurtijar, Manbarra & Nywaigi woman working as a Project Officer within Wuchopperen’ Connected Beginnings team. Cat is passionate about culturally safe, community-led approaches, system reform across health and education and using data to tell powerful stories that drive meaningful change for First Nations Communities.
Caterina Veidt is a Speech Pathologist with a Master of Rehabilitation from James Cook University, working with young children and families across regional Queensland. Her work focuses on early childhood development within the context of trauma, domestic and family violence, and child protection. She has held roles within Intensive Family Support and currently works in the Intensive Support Service at Act for Kids in Cairns, supporting families with complex needs. Caterina is passionate about practical, relationship-based approaches that strengthen caregiver capacity and improve outcomes for children.
Catherine Cooney, a Melbourne-based social worker and researcher, has over 20 years’ experience in trauma-informed practice and programs supporting women and children. As Head of Program at Brave Foundation, she leads SEPT for young parents. Her work reflects a commitment to evidence-based practice, equity, and pathways for families to thrive.
Cathryn Hunter is a Practice Design Specialist with over 15 years’ experience in research, practice design, implementation, and workforce development. She specialises in translating evidence into practical resources, training, and coaching to support professionals and policy makers across family and community services.
Charli Greenhalgh’s passion lies within creating safe, fun spaces that celebrate each child as an individual, while learning through play based, meaningful experiences. As a Biripi woman, she loves working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children; allowing her the opportunity to respectfully integrate culture, identity and connection to Country within everyday routines.
Christy Armstrong is a Child Development Specialist with Early Years Places – Gold Coast, bringing 30 years of experience in early childhood education and developmental support. She is known for her practical expertise, collaborative approach, and commitment to helping children and families thrive. Christy is the project coordinator for The Benevolent Society’s involvement in the implementation of The Tracking Cube of the Gold Coast.
Claire Benham is a paediatric leader with 26 years’ experience across clinical speech pathology, system redesign, and multidisciplinary leadership. As Director of CHQ’s Child Development Program, she leads initiatives that enhance access, strengthen pathways, and ensure children receive the right support at the right time, grounded in a deep belief in every child’s potential.
Daisy Ramsden is an Early Childhood Consultant and International Bestselling Author with over a decade of experience supporting children, educators and organisations. Through her dynamic presence and science-backed framework, The Emotional Seasons™, she helps families and teams master emotional regulation to cultivate wellbeing, learning and connection in the early years.
Dan Smith is Manager of the Capricorn Communities for Children Facilitating Partner with The Smith Family. Dan works alongside communities to support community‑shaped change, focusing on shared decision‑making to strengthen equity in place‑based early years systems.
Danni Smith has a background in youth services across Child Safety and Youth Justice. Growing up in rural communities shaped her commitment to disadvantaged young people. Now at NASS, she leads neurodiagnostic support programs and uses outcome tracking to strengthen reporting and improve support.
Debra Hannagan is a coordinator at Waardi Limited in Broome, working with Kimberley families, schools and partner organisations to enhance early years outcomes. With over 20 years’ experience in early childhood education, she is passionate about recognising and building upon the strengths of children and their communities.
Dr Diane Cruice currently works with Helath Pregnancy, Kids and Families, Prevention Strategy Branch, Queensland Health. She has a background in Speech pathology, PhD in Public Health with and experience in paediatrics in clinical, research and planning roles. Social determinants of health, well-being and development in children are key interest areas.
Donna Mahoney is a Cairns and Innisfail-based trauma and attachment specialist, known for her integrity, leadership, and results‑driven therapeutic practice. As Principal Practitioner of Innate Therapies Australia, she brings deep regional knowledge and a strong commitment to ethical, community‑focused care in Far North Queensland.
Eloise Markey is an ECT with nine years’ experience in the sector and a postgraduate certificate in Trauma-Aware Education. Her interest is in supporting infants who have experienced trauma, and she is currently working in a research replication project in trauma-informed early learning.
Emily Gerber is an early learning professional and teacher with 20 years’ experience at services across Dja Dja Wurrung country. Since 2022, she has been the Kindergarten Director at djimbaya Kindergarten at Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-Operative (BDAC), leading kindergarten operations and bupup balak wayipungang and Balert Gerrbik programs. Her practice centres equity, relational pedagogy and love‑led learning.
Emma Carmody has 20 years’ experience in child protection and family violence, specialising in practice design, implementation, and workforce development. She works with practitioners and leaders to co-design and embed evidence-informed practice frameworks, tools and training that improve outcomes for children and young people across diverse communities.
Dr Erinn Hawkins is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Psychology at Griffith University, a clinical psychologist and researcher focused on improving access to evidence-based child neurodevelopmental care. She co-developed the Tracking Cube with Mt Isa and now leads its implementation across three Queensland regions.
Esther Memmott is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and Clinical Supervisor with extensive experience in child and family health services. She supervises Early Intervention Parenting Clinicians across Queensland and leads service improvement initiatives. Esther is committed to strengthening professional capacity through training and promoting systemic practice in early intervention and family contexts
Fiona Nave has over 20 years experience working clinically as a Paediatric Dietitian in tertiary hospitals across Australia and England, Fiona is a subject matter expert on nutrition in children. Having an inner working knowledge of clinical environments, and multi-disciplinary professional knowledge and role scope has enabled Fiona to successfully lead prevention in the first 2000 days for Health and Wellbeing Queensland.
With over 40 years experience, Dr Fran McCarthy PhD Education, and qualifications in Educational Psychology and Teaching, her work has focused on creating a culturally responsive, trauma-informed model of education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, grounded in relationships, community, and the voices of children and families. Her research has accumulated over many years working with First Nation communities, New Zealand, Uganda Africa, India and Nepal. Fran looks forward to sharing their experiences at Murray-Toola Damana Ngarra Ngurra in Mount Druitt, Sydney.
Dr Geraldine Harris is the Executive Director of Pathways to Resilience. She brings over 30 years in early childhood leadership, place-based practice and childhood wellbeing. She authors neuro-informed frameworks and advocates for children’s voice, and uses collective neuroscience approaches to strengthen child, family and community wellbeing.
Dr Jen Jackson recently joined Tomorrow Today as Executive Officer. She has previously worked in a range of education research and policy leadership roles in government, university and not-for-profit organisations, with a focus on early childhood development.
Hayley Natoli works for Project Paradigm, a national program of IFYS, that works to support prevention, early intervention, and community capacity building in the effort to ensure children and young people are free from harm through exploitation.
Katherine Allen is a Speech Pathologist at Act for Kids and facilitator of the Little Leaps Supported Playgroup in Cairns. I support children and families through trauma-informed, strengths-based, attachment-focused practice. She works collaboratively to assess and support communication, language, and social skills development, empowering children to build confidence, resilience, and meaningful connections in safe, supportive environments.
Keith Elaisa is of Torres Strait Islander and Rotuman heritage. With 32 years across education, health and community services, he champions self‑determination, cultural capability and advocacy. He supports early years initiatives, reconciliation‑focused dialogue, and elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices through collaborative, culturally responsive leadership initiatives.
Kerri O’Connor is a child health nurse with over 25 years’ experience in North West Queensland. As Nurse Unit Manager since 2015, she champions child health equity and has led innovative integration of the Tracking Cube into community child health practice.
Kylie Ellison is a Registered Play Therapist- Supervisor (PTPA), Registered Counsellor- Supervisor (ACA) and host of the podcast “The Play Therapy Circle”. Kylie is passionate about supporting all professionals who work with children to utilise the power of Child Centred Play Therapy to hear children’s stories and heal through play.
Kym Dunstan is a paediatric speech pathologist with experience across health, early childhood, education and community settings. The past decade has been spent using public health approaches alongside what is known about the early years, brain development and the importance of communication to improve child development outcomes. She is currently Manager of Thriving and On Track (TOTs) in the Logan area, and has just joined Queensland Kids Partnership in the Early Oral Language team.
Leigh Wilks is a research specialist at the Parenting Research Centre. She works on the Parenting Today™ national survey, translating national data into meaningful insights to support evidence-informed practice and policy for children and their families.
Lisa St Pierre is the Early Years Support Coordinator at Wonga Beach State School in Far North Queensland. She works across Playgroup, KindyLinQ, Kindergarten and early transitions, focusing on trusting partnerships, early identification and collaborative pathways that support confident starts to school.
Liz Parriman is Palawa woman born in Lutruwita (Tasmania), living most of herlife in Broome. As a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she has 40 years’ experience in Education and Restorative Justice, and currently works as a Building Babies Brains Facilitator at Waardi.
Louise Cunningham has worked within Child Protection and several community services organisations in Victoria for over 20 years. She is currently a Senior Manager at Uniting Vic Tas and has a passion for developing innovative programs that deliver connected services for children and families, encouraging early support within accessible community settings.
Louise Denoon is responsible for building enduring, collaborative partnerships across the State. In partnership with local government, the portfolio strives to provide all Queenslanders with access to a dynamic library service that supports communities to meet the challenges of the future. It positions State Library, public libraries and Indigenous Knowledge Centres as central to communities’ digital access, support and skills development and as champions of children through First 5 Forever and onsite programs.
Madeline R. Mayberry (MSpPath, BA) is a Senior Speech Pathologist with The Benevolent Society’s Early Childhood Approach program. She earned her Master of Speech Pathology from Griffith University and is currently studying her MPhil through the University of Queensland. Her clinical and research interests are in the areas of supporting infants and young children with developmental delays and using a parent-child relational approach to early intervention.
Michelle Cole is the Principal Partnerships Manager – Capability Development at Queensland Kids Partnership. She has led impactful initiatives in child safety, education, and workforce development, including the QMHC-funded ‘Enabling Workforces and Organisations for Thriving Kids’, co-founded Calmer Kids in 2018 and developed neuroscience-based resources to support resilience and mental health for children, families and communities.
Mikaela Dammers is an Audiologist with extensive experience, having worked for Queensland Health for 20 years. Since commencing as the clinical lead and program manager for Community Hearing Screening in 2021, she has driven significant expansion of services across CHQ and throughout the state. Mikaela is a strong advocate for equitable access to paediatric hearing services and is energised by the future opportunities for our state, particularly as the Putting Queensland Kids First (PQKF) initiative supports the rollout of Community Hearing Screening across Hospitals and Health Services in Queensland.
Miranda Edwards is a Noongar woman from Collie, Western Australia. She was CEO of Lullas Children and Family Centre for 120 Indigenous children, for over 14 years. Miranda is currently the Director of WA EYS and National Workforce Manager for SNAICC – National Voice for our Children.
Murra Thinna Preschool is a community-led preschool located in Murrin Bridge on Wiradjuri Country. Embedded within a community hub, the preschool partners with families and Elders to deliver culturally strong programs that nurture identity, language, belonging and wellbeing for children and families.
Nat Brass and Sarah Hughes are a dynamic coaching team, blending deep expertise in the Science of Reading with playful, engaging facilitation. Together, they coach and inspire educators to embed evidence-based, intentional and joyful literacy practices that build strong foundations for young learners.
Natalie Worthington is the Manager of Child and Family Services at Uniting Vic Tas. Natalie is a Social Worker with extensive years of experience of working in the Child Youth and Families sector, both in statutory services and the community sector.
Nathan Gallagher is a facilitator, practitioner and academic with a love for relational practice and attuned learning. Currently completing a PhD in complex human services with Queensland Kids Partnership as an official industry partner, Nathan has worked for many years across child protection, family violence, early years and primary education and social policy. He also has a passion for filmmaking, photography and playing music – which he is lucky to integrate within human services practice where possible.
Nicole Gentile is an early childhood teacher with over 15 years’ experience and a Master of Special and Inclusive Education (Early Childhood). She has extensive expertise supporting children with diverse needs in education and care settings.
Nisrine El-Choueifati is a speech pathologist, educator and author with over two decades of experience. She is the founder of Talking Triumphs Speech Therapy & Consultancy and champions universal design to embed communication support within everyday early childhood environments for sustainable impact.
Olivia San Gil is a Team Leader at Act for Kids in the Individual Support Services team in Cairns. A Social Worker with over 12 years’ experience, she supports a diverse team working with families facing significant challenges, including safety risks and involvement with tertiary services.
With over 30 years in Early Childhood Education and Care, Paula Dickson at Innate Therapies champions nurturing, relationship‑focused environments where every child feels safe and supported. Guided by the belief that “each child needs a champion,” she now brings her deep experience and strong values into the therapeutic space to advocate for children’s wellbeing.
Dr Rachael Beswick PhD is Director, Healthy Pregnancy, Kids and Families (Population Health Division). She led Queensland Health’s $247m Putting Queensland Kids First submission and is Program Lead for Healthy Kindy Kids. With 13 years’ system leadership, she has secured $1.9m in research funding and authored 30+ publications.
R
hi Sugars is a passionate educator with over 15 years experience in the early childhood sector. Proudly identifying as neurodivergent, Rhi is a fierce disability advocate and also a member of the consumer advisory group for the organisation, Syndromes Without A Name Australia. Her commitment to disability advocacy resulted in the creation of her early childhood advocacy and inclusion support consultancy, The Atypical Educator.
Roger Meany has led policy, strategy and planning for over 20 years, developing trusted relationships with cross-government, non-government, community and industry stakeholders. He is a strong advocate for change and has led influential collaborations to frame the regulatory and policy reform agenda required to create more thriving and equitable communities.
Sally Matheson graduated with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology in 1996. She has worked as a speech pathologist across preschools, schools, community health and acute hospital settings in rural Victoria. In 2018, Sally took on the role as Education Benalla Program Manager at Tomorrow Today, Benalla’s independent community foundation.
Samantha Foster is an Accredited Social Worker with clinical and Allied Health leadership experience in health and child protection services for over two decades, spanning acute and community sectors. Samantha’s leadership also draws from MBA credentials to promote consumer experiences and investment in allied health clinical skills and research, advocating for system change through practice strengths and community partnerships.
Sarah Horton is an occupational therapist from the Pilbara with a focus on rural, remote and paediatric practice. Involved with the Tracking Cube since 2020, she is now Project Manager across North West Queensland, Townsville and the Gold Coast, and a Griffith University PhD candidate.
Sarah Jackson is an early childhood teacher with a Graduate Certificate in Trauma-Aware Education. I currently support children experiencing significant disadvantage and complex trauma, using relationship-based, trauma-aware practice to foster safety, regulation and learning, and to translate evidence-informed theory into responsive, reflective pedagogy.
Sarnia Ralston is Prevention Trainer and Queensland Manager for National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN). She is passionate about the aims of NAPCAN programs, including supporting the prevention of abuse, building parent / carer capacity to tune in to their kids and supporting communities and organisations to deeply listen to their children and ultimately prevent harm before it occurs.
Dr Sharleen Keleher is the Early Childhood Education & Care Statewide Coordinator at the Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health, where she leads the Birdie’s Tree Early Learning Program. She is passionate about cross-sector partnerships to strengthen disaster resilience across early childhood settings and communities.
Sue Wilson is Brave Foundation’s Head of Transformation, leading evaluation, research, and continuous improvement. A qualified Social Worker and Relationships Counsellor with 35+ years’ experience, Sue champions lived experience in service design. Her expertise spans child protection, family services, and quality systems, driving evidence-informed practices for better outcomes for families.
Sylah Costelloe is a proud Nunkul, Gorenpul and Mununjali woman from Queensland currently completing her Diploma in ECEC. Currently working at Murray-Toola Damana Preschool in Western Sydney where the program is child-centred and grounded in culture, relationships and belonging.
Tara Leslie is CEO of Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre in Yuin Country, Nowra, New South Wales. Tara is a proud Aboriginal woman, descendant of the Gamillaray and Yuin nations. Tara has worked for over a decade in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, with experience in health, governance and early childhood.
Associate Professor Tess Gregory is a Principal Research Fellow at The Kids Research Institute Australia. Tess’s research focuses on the development, social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and academic achievement of children and adolescents. Tess’s research utilises large, administrative, population-level datasets to answer policy relevant questions.
Theresa McDonald is a proud Aboriginal woman of Wangkamana and Kalkadoon heritage with over seven years’ experience in child development. A qualified early childhood educator, she is passionate about strengthening healthy futures for children, families and community.
Thomas Wintzloff is a community development leader with Mission Australia, managing place-based services and initiatives focused on children and families in Cairns South. He leads cross-sector work to map early years systems, strengthen collaboration, and use shared data and co-design to improve outcomes for children.
Dr Timothy Rossow is a Clinical Psychologist currently working with the Department of Education. He works with schools across the North and North-West Queensland to provide support and capability building around mental health and neurodevelopment, and champions equitable service for children and young people’s rural and remote mental health.
Associate Professor Yasmin Harman-Smith is the Head of Early Years Systems Evidence at The Kids Research Institute Australia. In her role, Yasmin works closely with policy makers and practitioners to design evaluations in partnership and inform systems that support children and families in the early years.
GUIDELINES FOR SPEAKERS
- Duration: 50 mins timeslot = 40 minutes maximum for your presentation and 10mins for Q&A. Keynote Speaker only.
- Duration: 40 mins timeslot = 30-35 minutes for your presentation and 5-10minutes for Q&A
- Duration: 30 mins timeslot = 20-25 minutes for your presentation and 5-10 minutes for Q&A
- Presentation: If you are using Powerpoint software, please ensure it is the latest version possible.
- Over the 2 days, the day usually commences with a keynote with everyone together, then it breaks out to the sessions. Similarly, another keynote after lunch to bring everyone together then breaks out to sessions afterwards.
- A copy of your presentation is required by Monday 27th April 2026. These are forwarded to the AV Team at the venue to load up for your session and room. Please email them through to cairnsinstitute@jcu.edu.au
Tips:
- Try to avoid any sort of hyperlinked videos in the presentation where you need to reach the internet.
- Make the presentation interactive (eg: get the audience to participate in some way).
- Takeaways (eg: some sort of information resource or flyer) that the delegate can keep/utilise within their own practice.