The Aboriginal Affairs Executive Committee (AAEC) was established in 2020 and is responsible for:

  • providing strategic, across government leadership and endorsement of work plans developed in response to the strategic priorities
  • identifying risks to enhance opportunities for collaboration across working groups
  • considering the whole of government landscape and advising agencies, Senior Leadership Committee and/or Cabinet on any concerns or unintended impacts programs or projects that may have, including precedent setting, unintended impacts on other agencies, or negative impacts on broader government priorities
  • monitoring significant across government high value/risk programs and projects
  • identifying and supporting training, mentoring and support for senior aboriginal public servant co-chairs and officers engaged in the working groups.

Membership

The committee is made up of chief executives and Aboriginal senior leaders in the South Australian public sector:

  • Nerida Saunders, Executive Director, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Attorney-General's Department
  • David Brown, Chief Executive, Department for Correctional Services
  • Adam Reid, Chief Executive, Department for Industry, Innovation and Science
  • Cole Butler, Aboriginal Supply Chain Liaison, Department for Infrastructure and Transport
  • Daniel Colson, ICU Manager of Operations, Department for Correctional Services
  • David Reynolds, Chief Executive, Department for Trade and Investment
  • Joanne O’Connor, Senior Psychologist, Youth Justice Assessment and Intervention Services, Department of Human Services
  • Judith Lovegrove, Executive Director, Aboriginal Health, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network
  • Loretta Romeo, Principal Policy and Projects Officer, Strategic Policy, Projects and Partnerships, Department for Correctional Services
  • Martin Westwell, Chief Executive, Department for Education
  • Paul Heithersay, Chief Executive, Department for Energy and Mining
  • Sandy Pitcher, Chief Executive, Department of Human Services
  • Scharlene Lamont, Executive Director, Aboriginal Services, Department for Correctional Services
  • Tyrone Hughes, Senior Project Officer, Aboriginal Workforce Projects, Rural Support Services, SA Health

Working groups

Each working group consists of approximately 16 members, with more than 50% Aboriginal representation, who are drawn from across the South Australian public sector. The working groups have been convened under the oversight of the AAEC to address the following strategic priorities:

  1. Over-representation of Aboriginal South Australians in the criminal justice sector
  2. Economic participation
  3. Supporting growth in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations
  4. Building capacity in vulnerable families.
Strategic priorityChief executive Co-ChairAboriginal Senior Leader Co-Chair
Over-representation of Aboriginal South Australians in the criminal justice sector

David Reynolds

Scharlene Lamont
Joanne O'Connor
Economic participationSandy PitcherCole Butler
Tyrone Hughes
Supporting growth in Aboriginal Community Controlled OrganisationsMartin WestwellDaniel Colson
Building capacity in vulnerable familiesPaul HeithersayJudith Lovegrove

Getting involved

Want to be added to the stakeholder list for regular updates?
Email aaec-secretariat@sa.gov.au with the subject “Please add me to the mailing list.”

Have a specific question you want to ask?
Contact one of the following: