Moderator
Michele Barry, Chair, Engagement Institute
With over 20 years’ experience in engagement, strategy and transformation across a number of sectors, Michele brings a wealth of experience in Public Health, Emergency, Human Services, Local and State Government, and Executive leadership.
Michele has an academic background in Health Promotion, Public Health and Business Administration and is passionate about engagement and reaching new segments to create and deliver better outcomes.
Panel
Amy Hubbard, Co-Founder / Director / Practice Lead, Capire
Amy Hubbard is one of Australia’s most recognised and creative stakeholder and community engagement specialists. Amy delivers community engagement training, undertakes formal evaluations, and is a highly regarded and skilled facilitator.
She has worked extensively with state and local governments on significant infrastructure, urban renewal, and public policy projects in Australia and overseas.
Amy developed the renowned Capire Engagement Triangle which has been used by thousands around the world. She runs regular webinars and Learning Labs and authored many of Capire’s popular publications including tool kits and guidelines.
Dr Emanuela Savini, Practice Lead / Director, Public Value Studio
Emanuela is both a researcher and practitioner, dedicated to supporting people to participate in decisions that affect their lives and to create the change they want to see in their communities.
With a background in local government, she understands intimately the challenges and constraints faced by institutions, and is skilled at bridging the two worlds. Her work is grounded in finding shared purpose and practical ways forward, creating opportunities where communities and organisations can work together toward meaningful outcomes. She’s known for keeping momentum alive, championing community members, and staying connected long after a program ends, because the relationships built through this work truly matter.
Emanuela is also the Practice Lead for Democracy and Citizen Engagement at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra. Her research explores how governments adapt and embed engagement practices, with a strong focus on building the capacity for democratic innovations within public institutions.
Donna Groves, Managing Director + Principal Consultant, Comacon
Donna is a stakeholder/community engagement and communications professional with over 30 years’ experience. Donna specialises in infrastructure, natural resources/energy and governance projects and has worked on over 200 infrastructure, natural resources and energy projects throughout her career.
Donna is the Managing Director and founder of Comacon, but she is very much a working consultant. She leads both the Community Engagement and Wellbeing divisions for Comacon and is currently working on developing and implementing a number of groundbreaking community (including delivery team) wellbeing plans for major infrastructure and energy projects.
Donna was also one of the of the founders and co-chairperson of the National Community Engagement for Infrastructure Forum (NCEIF) and is a current member of the IAP2 Australasia Advocacy committee. Donna is strong advocate for community wellbeing to be a focus of infrastructure planning and has delivered a number of keynote addresses on the topic.
With a background in psychology and planning, Donna brings a full suite of skills to community engagement and wellbeing planning, implementation and leadership.
Donna is also a published author (Shine was released in 2023) and a wellness warrior. She hosts the SHINE podcast, the SHINE blog and is in demand as a keynote speaker.
As well as her passion for community and personal wellbeing, Donna is an avid sportswoman. She is a retired netballer, a current football (soccer player), a netball coach and sits on the boards of numerous sporting organisations.
Louise Crossman, Political Strategist
Louise is a government relations consultant with more than two decades of experience working across government as a political adviser and public servant.
Louise has a deep understanding of the political and policy landscape at both the Federal and ACT levels. She was an adviser to Andrew Leigh, Julie Collins and Ed Husic during the Rudd-Gillard Government and has held senior positions in the ACT Barr Labor Government, including as the Senior Planning Adviser to the then-Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister Mick Gentleman.
During her extensive career Louise was responsible for delivering a number of major national reforms that required the agreement and consensus of all states and territories. She is regularly called on for her campaigning experience and has been central to a number of state, territory and federal elections.
Louise was the first elected President of the ACT branch of the Labor Party and a former Labor candidate. Louise has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the Australian National University, and Masters of Employment Relations from Griffith University.
Prof Sara Bice, Co-Founder and Director, Next Generation Engagement
Leading social license expert, Sara Bice is Professor, Co-Founder and Director, I2S (Institute for Infrastructure in Society) at the Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University, where she serves as Special Advisor, Executive Education. Prior roles within Crawford include Head, Policy and Governance Department.
Sara is Past President, International Association for Impact Assessment, the world’s leading organisation for impact assessment practitioners, researchers and clients, representing almost 7,000 members in 120 different countries. She is an award-winning author and facilitator, with recent awards including the College of Asia and the Pacific Teaching Excellence Award, ANU Vice-Chancellor's High Commendation for Education Excellence and the 2020 IAIA Outstanding Service Award for service to the profession of impact assessment.
Sara is Co-Founder and Director of ANU spin-off, Next Generation Engagement. She serves on the Certified Environmental Practitioner Scheme Advisory Board for the Social Practitioner Specialisation Certification Scheme. Past roles include time in Beijing as Professor (Special International Guest) at Tsinghua University School of Public Policy and Management and Deputy Director, Melbourne Energy Institute.