Dheeraj leads the Digital Media team at the NSW Department of Education and Communities Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre (CLIC). He is responsible for exploring and developing online engagement strategies using social networking, collaborative management tools, rich media content delivery and emerging technology application frameworks to enhance user experiences.

He brings over 10 years’ experience in advising businesses in analysing and developing engaging user and enterprise-level applications focusing on collaboration and user-driven processes. He has successful led teams through delivering enterprise digital strategy and change management leveraging online and mobile technology.

Mardi Stewart is a dedicated communications practitioner with more than 20 years of experience. Mardi’s career is built on extensive experience in all areas of communication targeting a diverse range of clients and stakeholders. She has developed and managed a variety of communication campaigns on a range of budgets, requiring innovative and specialised communication solutions.

Mardi currently leads a dedicated team of communication professionals as the Director, Internal and Strategic Communications at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

Prior to this, Mardi managed her own consultancy for 10 years and had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis, Astra Zeneca and Eli Lilly along with leading not-for-profit organisations.

Mardi is savvy at working within tight budgets and developing ‘big picture’ strategies that identify communication challenges and offer creative solutions.

Suzie Matthews is the Manager of the Late Night Economy for City of Sydney, who is working to make Sydney a truly world class night time city.
Working in crime prevention and public policy field for over a decade, last year Suzie used her Churchill Fellowship to examine how other global cities are delivering safe, diverse and sustainable night time economies.

At this conference she’ll be talking about how Sydney has engaged with its business, visitor and resident community to shape the future nightlife of the City.

Megan Lewis is the Planning and Purchasing Manager for Ageing, Disability & Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services, NSW Northern Region.

Megan has worked with people with disabilities, their carers and families throughout her career. For almost 25 years she has brought her wide ranging skills to her work. From her beginnings in visual arts, she brings a creative approach to her strong focus on social justice and inclusion, ensuring that people are supported to live the lives they choose in their own communities.

After completing her Masters degree in Public Administration, Megan is focused on garnering citizen knowledge to drive reforms in planning, policy and practice.

Gemma Cunningham BSc is a Community Liaison Officer with the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Program, a unit within South Australia’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). She manages the complex communities and industry bodies of the CLLMM Region and her work has brought about measurably increased levels of community engagement.

Gemma graduated with a Bachelor of Science “Sustainable Environments” degree – majoring in Conservation and Wildlife Ecology – at the University of Adelaide in 2006.

She was previously employed as a Communication and Education Officer, Event Manager and Eco Tour Guide at South Australia’s Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary, and as a Community Liaison Park Ranger in DENR’s Northern Lofty District.

Gemma’s community engagement work made a major contribution to Awards for CLLMM in 2010 from the Public Relations Institute of Australia National Golden Target Awards, the Banksia Awards, and Safer Communities Awards (AGD).

Gemma presented at the 2010 International River Symposium in Perth on the importance of Community Engagement in the CLLMM region during prolonged drought resulting in severe environmental degradation and local economic impacts. She also presented at the 2011 International River Symposium in Brisbane on Building Community Resilience during both extremes of water availability.

In 2011 the priority shifted from a community in drought to a community dealing with flooding rains. Therefore engagement methods had to be evaluated with priorities now focussing on the implementation phase of the programs Long Term Plan as well as building resilience for the environment and communities to prepare for future cycles of drought.

An Agricultural Science graduate of the University of Queensland, Andrew has spent much of the last two decades living in Asia and working at the forefront of Australia’s beef export markets, marketing prominent northern Australian beef brands. A career move into agri-politics in 2011, has provided the opportunity for greater community service and policy involvement towards the future direction of beef producer productivity and sustainability.

Lee Robson is currently Manager Community Engagement at the City of Greater Dandenong.

Starting out as a secondary teacher and later tertiary lecturer at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, she moved into a career in Local Government spanning over 20 years. At municipalities including Diamond Valley, Banyule, Mornington Peninsula and Greater Dandenong, she has worked within a variety of community based program areas including recreation, family and youth services, social planning, community and public arts and community development.

She has a B.Ed (Melbourne University) and diplomas in fine arts and business management.

Nick Davey is General Manager for TechnologyOne’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution. Nick has worked with CRM products for almost two decades – prior to joining TechnologyOne, he was the Lead Strategist and Business Architect for Brisbane City Council’s multi-million dollar Customer Experience Transformation (CET) project, and head of the Cap Gemini CRM implementation at Ipswich City Council.

In his native UK, Mr Davey spent six years establishing his own successful CRM consulting business, and built up a wealth of experience in the government, pharmaceutical, healthcare and telco markets. He also helped develop and lead the Oracle CRM practice in the UK and subsidiary countries, including Denmark and South Africa.

Sara is a senior communications and stakeholder management executive with more than 22 years of experience across Australia, Asia and Europe. Her roles have spanned the areas of stakeholder engagement and community consultation, facilitation, corporate communications, reputation management and issues management, media relations and crisis communications.

At Manidis Roberts, Sara was responsible for managing the careers and deliverables of over 40 communications professionals in her role as communications practice group leader. She is currently providing strategic communications advice on one of Australia’s largest nation-building infrastructure projects. Prior to this, Sara held various community relations and stakeholder management roles, including communications advising clients on their online engagement strategies.

Sara’s experience spans water and wastewater, infrastructure, land development, sport and tourism, manufacturing, mining, forestry, health, food and clothing, and financial services.

Fiona heads up the Citizen Engagement and Participation Unit at the Ipsos Social Research Institute.  A psychologist with almost 20 years experience in market and social research, she is highly skilled in a wide range of conventional and advanced qualitative and participatory research methodologies and techniques, including deliberative events, bifocal workshops, ethnography, and participant observations.  She has designed and directed a number of large scale and complex community engagement projects, including the Global Cities Study, Vision 2020, Consumer Consultations to Develop the Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service, and various community and stakeholder engagement projects for Victoria’s Department of Sustainability and Environment.

She is a highly experienced group facilitator, and regular guest speaker at ASMRS training courses in qualitative research techniques.  Fiona has also published articles on a range of topics including adolescent sexuality, the ‘why and how’ of consumer consultations, human rights, and best practice in development of partnerships in higher education.  She is a full member of the AMSRS and member of IAP2.

Julie Delvecchio helps organisations define their crucial decisions, understand their impact on stakeholders and inform/involve them through the process of change.  Julie leads the team responsible for consultation between the City of Sydney, residents and stakeholders on all the City’s major projects.

She was instrumental in developing the award-winning communication and consultation campaign on Sydney’s long term vision for the future – Sustainable Sydney 2030.

Prior to joining the City, Julie was responsible for all communication for the NSW fire service, notably, the ferocious bushfires of Christmas 2001.

She has worked as an adviser to Government minister whose portfolios included community services and the advancement of women.
Julie started her career as a journalist on The Sydney Morning Herald and later wrote on education and health.

She has an undergraduate degree in Communications, a Master Degree in Management and was a recipient of the Macquarie Graduate School of Management award for strategic behaviour.

Julie has a passion for social media and its potential to transform how organisations engage with communities.