A breakdown of the latest appointments in the Australian Public Service and across the public services of the states and territories.
APS Senior Executive Service
Band 1
Rebecca Price is the next executive director of corporate services at the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Marina Muttukumaru and Janine Bennett have been promoted to assistant secretaries at the Department of Health and Aged Care.
Other federal
Chief Medical Officer retires
Professor Paul Kelly has announced his decision to retire as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Department of Health and Aged Care.
He has been CMO since 2020 after joining the department as Chief Medical Adviser in 2019. He has also served as the head of the interim Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) since the beginning of this year.
Professor Kelly’s last day in the department will be 21 October. Arrangements to fill the roles of CMO and head of the interim Australian CDC are yet to be confirmed.
Apart from overseeing the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Paul Kelly is well known for leading the FluCAN project. Photo: APPC.
New members join aviation advisory body
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King has welcomed Rob Walker as the new chair of the General Aviation Advisory Network (GAAN), which also has Greg Tyrrell joining as a new member.
Each individual will serve for three years, until 2027.
Mr Walker has more than 30 years’ experience in stakeholder engagement and public affairs in the aviation sector, currently serving as chief executive officer of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia.
Mr Tyrrell also brings extensive experience to the network, including as the executive director of the Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems – the peak body advocating for the drone and advanced air mobility sectors in Australia, a group whose membership has grown to 4500 under his leadership since 2014.
Minister King also thanked outgoing members Dr Reece Clothier and Catherine Fitzsimons for their service to the network.
DCA loses Lisa Annese to CEW
The CEO of Diversity Council Australia (DCA), Lisa Annese, is set to head up Chief Executive Women (CEW), an organisation dedicated to supporting women into leadership positions.
Ms Annese has led DCA, one of CEW’s key partners, since 2014, with responsibility for growing its membership to 1400 organisations.
Before this, she worked as a diversity practitioner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth and at the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, where she developed the first census of Australian Women in Leadership and the first Business Achievement Awards and created the Employer of Choice for Women citation.
Lisa Annese will begin her new role with Chief Executive Women on 6 January, 2025. Photo: DCA.
Appointments made to AIATSIS Council following CEO naming
Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy has announced new appointments to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) Council, following the recent naming of Leonard Hill as its CEO.
The council’s new chairperson is Professor Clint Bracknell, with Michelle Deshong as deputy chairperson.
Its four new members are Professor Lynette Riley AO, Rodney Dillon, Mark Yettica-Paulson and Jayde Geia.
Australian Statistician reappointed
Dr David Gruen AO has been reappointed as the full-time Australian Statistician to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for five years, beginning on 11 December.
He has served in the role since 2019 after transitioning from Deputy Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and in the Department of the Treasury.
Alongside his current role, Dr Gruen was appointed by the Australian Public Service Commissioner as the inaugural Head of the Data Profession.
This new APS stream ensures the entire public service has the data capabilities to harness the growth in the availability and value of data across the workforce.
Assistant Minister Dr Andrew Leigh has labelled Dr David Gruen (above) as one of Australia’s best and most experienced economists. Photo: IPAA.
Fresh faces for New Colombo Plan Advisory Group
Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Tim Watts has announced a fresh set of members joining the New Colombo Plan External Advisory Group.
The New Colombo Plan has supported 50,000 alumni and 41 Australian universities to connect with more than 2500 institutions to deepen Australians’ links to the Indo-Pacific. Ten years on from its creation, the External Advisory Group will co-design the next phase of the New Colombo Plan, ensuring it delivers benefits for participants and broadens Australia’s national understanding of our region.
Those joining the new group are:
- Grace Corcoran, diplomacy program lead, Asialink
- Professor Nicholas Farrelly, pro vice-chancellor, University of Tasmania
- Professor Jessica Gallagher, deputy vice-chancellor, Adelaide University
- Phil Honeywood, CEO, International Education Association of Australia
- Renae Lattey, chief executive partner, King and Wood Mallesons
- Ashok Mysore, member, Victoria Trade and Investment Advisory Board
- Luke Sheehy, CEO, Universities Australia
- Peter Varghese AO, chancellor, University of Queensland
- Elena Williams, ANU Indonesia Institute
- Hayley Winchcombe, engagement manager, Mandala Partners.
New round of appointments to AAT and ART
The Federal Government has made six new appointments to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and three to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), the latter of which began operations on Monday (14 October).
The appointees are:
- Dr Jennifer Beard
- Jodie Camden
- Deborah Dinnen
- Maritsa Eftimiou
- Tigiilagi Eteuati
- Richard Hooker
- Craig Mulvey
- Jack Nalpantidis
- Deborah Ziegler.
States and Territories
Partnership to strengthen Victorian and SA border towns
The Victorian and South Australian governments have announced a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Victorian and South Australian Cross-Border Commissioners to support border communities.
It outlines key priorities for Victoria and South Australia’s border communities, including support for health service planning, border policing, skills and training, and emergency management. From improving accessibility to essential services and enabling more job opportunities, the agreement will continue to back the demands of border communities.
Changes for TAFE SA board as chair retires
TAFE SA board chair Joanne Denley is retiring from the role after five years at the helm.
During her tenure as board chair, Ms Denley provided guidance and vision for TAFE SA as it navigated training through the COVID-19 pandemic, participated in the Roadmap for the Future of TAFE SA and launched the 10-year TAFE SA Strategic Plan 2023-2033.
She joined the TAFE SA board in 2012 and has been a passionate advocate of vocational education and training.
Ingrid Haythorpe will take over as CEO on 15 October after sitting as a member of the board since the beginning of this year.
The new members joining her are:
- Andrew Clarke
- Helen Strickland
- Sharon Gollan
- Professor Susan James Relly
- Nicolle Rantanen Reynolds.
Ingrid Haythorpe is a former deputy chief executive in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and a former chief executive of the Attorney-General’s Department. Photo: Peg Consulting.
Appointment of new magistrate in Tasmania
The Tasmanian Government has appointed Leigh Mackey as a new magistrate for the island state.
Attorney-General Guy Barnett said Ms Mackey would fill the vacant position that arose following the previous Deputy Chief Magistrate Michael Daly’s appointment as an Associate Judge to the Supreme Court earlier this year.
Since 1999, Ms Mackey has been a partner at Ogilvie Jennings, one of Tasmania’s longest-established legal firms. Before that, she served as a solicitor at Jennings Elliott for more than seven years.
Leigh Mackey is the current chairperson of the Tasmanian Parole Board and the state’s Air Rescue Trust. She also sits on the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, Police Review Board and Disciplinary Tribunal. Photo: Ogilvie Jennings Lawyers.
