A new chairperson and two new directors have been appointed to the Board of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) at Redfern. The new chairperson is current NCIE director Alison Page, formerly from La Perouse in Sydney.

Ms Page is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, operates a commercial Indigenous design business and was a member of the Australian Government’s Expert Panel for Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Peoples. She has been joined by Anthony Ashby, who runs a specialist accounting, taxation and business consulting company and is currently deputy chair of Indigenous Business Australia (IBA). The other new director is Dugald Russell from Sydney who has been heavily involved in the establishment of national Indigenous services company Supply Nation.

Announcing the appointments to the NCIE Board, ILC Chairperson Dr Dawn Casey said they will deliver additional financial expertise and strengthen the corporate governance of the organisation.

Dr Casey also welcomed the appointment of current NCIE Director Terri Janke of Sydney as the new Deputy Chair of the NCIE board. Ms Janke replaces ILC Director Graham Atkinson from Melbourne in that role with Mr Atkinson continuing as an NCIE  director.

Dr Casey acknowledged outgoing NCIE Chairwoman Shelley Reys and thanked her for her hard work and efforts in oversighting the important work being undertaken at the Redfern complex.

“In her two-year tenure as Chair, Shelley has overseen strong growth in both the level of collaborative activity and the reputation of the NCIE,” Dr Casey said.

“As a business woman in her own right, I respect the need for Shelley to meet her growing business commitments. Her legacy at the NCIE is valued and Shelley will work with Alison Page over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition and handover of the chairperson position.

Dr Casey also thanked outgoing NCIE director Roslyn Morgan.  “After five years on the Board of the NCIE, due to other commitments, Ros will cease her role as a director.  I would like to thank Ros for her tireless support since 2009. Ros has contributed more than just her time as a director of NCIE as she has worked on a voluntary basis at the centre in Redfern and her fundraising and philanthropic work has provided the NCIE with a strong foundation”.

“The NCIE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ILC and having subsidiaries chaired by an ILC director assists in aligning corporate strategies and co-ordination across the full scope of all ILC subsidiaries which also include major tourism and agricultural businesses across Australia.

“The new appointments will ensure that the NCIE will continue to be a pacesetter in harnessing widespread community, business and philanthropic support for innovative approaches and programs which are supporting the development of young Indigenous people throughout Australia.

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