NAC Directors
Vanessa Martin (Chair and Noongar Director)
Vanessa was elected by the Directors of the Noongar Advisory Company as the Chair of the Board at the company’s first meeting. Vanessa is a Noongar Yorga from the Hayward/Knapp/Reynolds moort (families) and a direct descendant from the Minang, Koreng, Wudjari of the Wagyl Kaip and Nyoongar - Bardoc people east of Esperance on the South East Coast of WA.
Vanessa has extensive experience in working in the public, private and not for profit sectors in various senior leadership roles. She is currently Chair of the Marr Mooditj Training Aboriginal Corporation, a Board member on the Swan River Trust, Chairperson of the Noongar Boodjar Language Cultural Aboriginal Corporation and a Director of the Noongar Advisory Company which guides the operations of the Noongar Boodjar Trust for the Noongar Native Title Settlement.
Vanessa has helped develop and manage the implementation of State Government and private sector Companies Aboriginal employment and training strategies, as well as play a significant role in liaison, consultation and negotiation with key stakeholders in the State's Aboriginal community.
Glen Kelly (Noongar Director)
Glen is a Noongar man from South West Western Australia. He has 25 years’ experience in the areas of Aboriginal affairs, native title, community and cultural development. Glen was appointed as a Member of the National Native Title Tribunal in March 2021.
Glen has served as the CEO of the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, CEO of the National Native Title Council, a Director of KPMG’s Indigenous Services, Chair of the WA Aboriginal Lands Trust, a Member of the Reconciliation Australia Board of Directors, Principal of Djilba Consulting, and CEO of the Forum for Directors of Indigenous Organisations.
Julie Keene (Independent Director)
Julie has more than 20 years of non-executive director experience across the community services, aged care, disability, education and tourism industries. Julie is a chartered accountant and has held senior executive roles at Bankwest, Murdoch University and HBF. She was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of MyIntegra, a service intermediary in the disability sector.
Julie is a Graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and is currently a non-executive director of St John of God Healthcare, Curtin Heritage Living, SensesWA, Keystart, as well as a Commissioner with the Insurance Commission of Western Australia.
Julie was born in Perth, on Whadjuk Noongar country, and aside from living overseas for a few years, has lived in and around Perth her whole life.
Russell Barnett (Independent Director)
Russell (Russ) has over 20 years of experience in complex strategic and policy analysis across a range of industries in the Australasian and Asia-Pacific Region. He is a Partner with Perth based consulting firm Australian Venture Consultants, where he leads the policy and strategy practice with a primary focus on the extractive, primary industries and their allied industries, regional development and First Nations economic development.
Additionally, Russ presently holds an honorary position with the Australian National University’s First Nations Portfolio and is an Independent Director of Nyamba Buru Yawuru Limited and two of its subsidiaries, Chair of the Western Rock Lobster Council, Independent Director Anindilyakwa Royalties Aboriginal Corporation and a trustee of the Anindilyakwa Mining Trust.
Russ holds a bachelor of commerce, graduate certificate in mineral economics and a masters of business administration.
Gary Smith (State nominated Director)
Gary was born in Geelong Victoria on land held under the custodianship of the Wadawurrung nation and spent the latter part of his life (27 years) living on Whadjuk Noongar country with his wife and two children.
In a career spanning 40 years, Gary currently enjoys the opportunity to make a positive difference to society, with two key enabling roles of Chancellor of Murdoch University and Co-Chair of Reconciliation WA, and now as one of the founding directors of the Noongar Advisory Company.
For much of his career until retirement in 2019, Gary performed in leadership roles within the global professional services industry, with the global advisory firm, KPMG.
Gary is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has been a Management Consultant with multiple decades of business and advisory experience, covering Leadership and Culture, Strategy, Facilitation, and Project Management.
In addition to his business roles, Gary has long felt the importance of being a leader that participates powerfully across multiple communities, by giving time and expertise for the benefit of societal advancement. In support of this goal, Gary has developed significant experience supporting not-for-profit organisations in the capacity of both Board and Chairman roles, with a strong focus in recent years on the achievement of improved Reconciliation outcomes for both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Western Australians, and the development of leadership skills of Indigenous Peoples.
Pamela Kaye (Trustee nominated Director)
Pamela is a lawyer and chartered secretary with 18 years’ experience working with Aboriginal clients. She has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors company directors’ course. Pamela has oversight of Perpetual’s native title team and builds high performing teams.
Pamela has a heart for community and is frequently asked to participate in difficult or controversial projects because she has broad experience, can think innovatively and deliver solutions. Pamela has significant management experience and has built broad community consent to controversial projects through structured systems of engagement. This has involved managing stakeholder engagement, government relations, mining projects, tenure and environmental approvals.
Pamela specialises in implementing complex governance structures to ensure that boards and advisory councils make informed decisions, based on professional advice, which are in accord with community goals and aspirations.