Speakers
Our speakers represent a wide range of expertise and experience, reflecting the collective effort and cross-sector collaboration needed to achieve zero homelessness. Learn more about them below.
Lorraine McGrath
Chief Executive, Simon Community Scotland
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Lorraine began her career in mental health, moving into social care in 1990 and for the past 30 years she has held executive/senior management roles. She has been Chief Executive of Simon Community Scotland since 2012, an organisation that for 57 years has been wholly dedicated to combatting the causes and effects of homelessness in the West of Scotland, employing over 300 staff and reaching more than 10000 people each year.
She has represented organisations internationally and nationally including contributing directly to the development of Scottish Government strategies on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, National Drugs Mission, Self Directed Support, Suicide Prevention, veterans mental health and those that experience mental health issues in combination with other needs such as addiction.
Lorraine is passionate about delivering impact and empowering the people who receive support and the front line staff supporting them to achieve the very best they can. She is constantly surprised and inspired by the resilience of people and their ability to overcome the greatest of harm and trauma and by the ability of staff to find solutions for the most intractable of issues.
Dr Kate Raynor
Director, Centre for Equitable Housing, Per Capita
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Dr Kate Raynor is the Director of the Centre for Equitable Housing. Her career spans digital communication, academia and consulting, with previous roles as Post Doctoral Research Fellow and coordinator of housing research at the University of Melbourne and Principal Social Consultant at Umwelt Environmental and Social Consultants. She holds a Bachelor of Urban Planning and a PhD in Urban Planning from Queensland University of Technology.
Kate is passionate about the role of research and advocacy in supporting a more just housing system. Kate is an acknowledged thought leader and expert in social and affordable housing and has published widely in academic journals, industry reports, news media and articles. She has provided commentary across radio, tv and print media and is a regular contributor to The Conversation where her articles have reached over 160,000 viewers. She has lead research projects on older women’s homelessness, experiences of stigma and housing satisfaction in public housing, housing stress during COVID-19, access to crisis accommodation for survivors of family violence, just transitions in Australia’s renewable energy zones and perceptions of high-density housing.
She is currently a member for the City of Melbourne Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, formerly a member of the Lord Mayors Charitable Foundations Affordable Housing Challenge committee and a frequent guest lecturer at the University of Melbourne and Monash.
Hon. Nat Cook MP
South Australian Minister for Human Services
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Nat Cook is the South Australian Minister for Human Services and Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well. She has been an elected Member of Parliament since 2014.
She was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Housing and Urban Development in the previous Labor government.
Nat is a lifetime local of Adelaide’s southern suburbs, a fierce advocate for her local constituents and a dedicated mum.
Nat’s passions lie in health and disability care, ending homelessness, and making our families and communities fairer and safer places in which to live.
Having spent nearly 30 years as a Registered Nurse in specialty areas such as intensive care and brain injury rehabilitation, Nat is honoured to hold the title of Adjunct Associate Professor with the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of South Australia.
After losing their son Sam to a violent and unprovoked one-punch assault in 2008, Nat and husband Neil formed the Sammy D Foundation to educate young people about the consequences of violence.
On becoming the Minister in 2022, Nat committed to a proactive and collaborative approach to delivering improved policy and services for marginalised South Australians.
In 2024, Minister Nat Cook added the portfolio, Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well, where she will focus on improving the lives of senior South Australians and promoting the benefits of an age-diverse, accessible workplace and community.
Hon. Michelle Lensink MLC
South Australian Shadow Minister for Housing and Human Services
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Michelle Lensink was elected to the Legislative Council in the South Australian Parliament in 2003.
Prior to entering politics, Michelle worked as a physiotherapist, aged care executive and ministerial adviser.
Her parliamentary career has included holding various portfolios including Human Services, Water and the River Murray, Early Childhood Development, Environment and Conservation and the Status of Women
In March 2018, Michelle was appointed Minister for Human Services in the Marshall Liberal Government. For four years she was responsible for a number of frontline policy areas, including homelessness and social housing, domestic and family violence, youth justice, communities, volunteers, disabilities, women and youth.
Since 2022, she has held responsibility for the portfolios of women, planning, housing affordability and urban development and social and community housing.
Michelle is married to cameraman Scott Perry. In 2015 she became the first serving female Member of the Legislative Council to have a baby (Mitchell) giving her living experience of the challenges of juggling a career and family.
Hon. Robert Simms MLC
Greens spokesperson for Housing and Human Services
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Robert Simms MLC is a Greens Member of the Legislative Council in the Parliament of South Australia.
He served as a City of Adelaide Councillor and Senator for South Australia, before joining State Parliament in 2021. He was re-elected for an 8 year term at the March 2022 election.
Robert has advocated a range of measures to tackle the housing crisis, including introducing a Private Members Bill to cap rent prices, and he negotiated major reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act to end no-cause evictions. He currently has a bill before Parliament to set minimum standards for rental properties.
Other priorities in the State Parliament have included advocating for 50 cent public transport fares and introducing free breakfast and lunches in all public schools.
Keiran Snape
Deputy Lord Mayor, City of Adelaide
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Keiran is a local resident having lived on Wright St in the City South for over seven years.
Prior to being elected, he served as President of the City South Association and on the Adelaide Park Lands Association Committee. He strongly believed that bringing council and community closer together is the key.
Areas of focus for Keiran include integrity and accountability, bringing good governance to council, fixing our footpaths, protecting public assets including community centres & libraries, helping those who are experiencing homelessness and mitigating the effects of climate change.
Maria Palumbo
Chief Executive Officer, Junction Australia
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Maria is a highly accomplished leader in the State’s housing and community services sector. Known as ‘a business head with a social heart,’ she has made a significant impact in affordable housing over her 25-year career.
In executive roles for the Department for Families and Communities, she led strategy, funding, and regulation of community and affordable housing, as well as reforms in homelessness and domestic violence. As CEO of Common Ground Adelaide, she developed key housing projects, including a $15.5 million apartment building for single parents and a $10 million unit development for Aboriginal people sleeping rough – both the first of this type in SA.
Maria later led the largest housing transfer in SA as Director of Housing Strategy at Renewal SA. She became CEO of Junction in 2017, leading a period of significant expansion.
Under her leadership, Junction’s turnover reached $51 million in 2022/23, a 45% increase from 2017/18, and she established a $500 million affordable housing pipeline.
A single mother of three, Maria is dedicated to uplifting others. She was a finalist for SA Telstra Business Woman of the Year in 2019 and won UDIA SA’s Women in Leadership Award in 2021.
Sandy Pitcher
Chief Executive, South Australian Department of Human Services
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Sandy is an accomplished public-sector leader, with experience leading agencies in the South Australian and Victorian public sector.
Sandy is currently the Chief Executive of the South Australian Department of Human Services, which encompasses the portfolios of disability, family support, family violence, women, ageing, youth and a range of social supports.
Prior to this role, Sandy was Deputy Under Treasurer with the South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance.
During her time in Victoria, she was the inaugural Secretary of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, an agency which includes child protection and women’s policy. Throughout 2020 Sandy led the Victorian COVID-19 response, returning the state to COVID-19 zero.
Sandy was the first woman appointed to lead the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources in 2015, delivering on the state’s ambitious Climate Change agenda. She has also held roles at the UK’s Commission for Racial Equality and as Director of the South Australian Office for Women.
In 2012, Sandy won the Telstra Businesswoman of the year ‘Community and Public Sector’ category, and in 2013 she was inducted as an IPAA National Fellow.
Educated at the University of Adelaide, Sandy has degrees in law and the humanities.
Monica Novick
Director Partnerships, Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health
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Monica has over 30 years experience in the health and community working across local, state and commonwealth in health and community service policy, governance and reform. She is passionate about consumer led approaches, partnership, collaboration and integration to deliver better outcomes for consumers and how we innovate and embed change in the wonderfully challenging and complex system that is health.
She has worked as the Director Partnerships for the last 2 years with the Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health, which is a lead agency for innovation in healthcare in South Australia that brings consumers, clinicians and other collaborators together to turn ideas into better healthcare.
David Pearson
CEO, Australian Alliance to End Homelessness
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David recognises that ending homelessness is possible and that homelessness is not normal or something we should accept. He has worked towards this goal in a range of roles in the community, government, university and philanthropic sectors, including currently as the CEO of the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness. Before this he helped lead the establishment of the Adelaide Zero Project.
David was a 2020 Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellow, a 2021 Churchill Fellow and is a Senior Advisor for the Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH). In 2019 David was recognised as one of the top 40 Under 40 leaders in South Australia. Prior to this David was the Senior Policy Adviser to several South Australian Premiers and Commonwealth Government Ministers in a range of portfolio areas.
Michala McMahon
Director Practice and Improvement, Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness
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Michala has been working in the homelessness sector for over a decade, with experience spanning frontline service delivery, program management, and sector-wide collaboration. She brings expertise in systems change, collective impact, and practice improvement, underpinned by a commitment to working alongside government, service providers, communities, and people with lived experience.
Her skills include facilitation, strategy, and stakeholder engagement, as well as learning and development to strengthen sector capability. With a strong focus on data-driven approaches such as Advance to Zero, Michala supports communities to track progress, embed evidence-based practice, and build more person-centred responses to homelessness.
Leah Watkins
Senior Advisor Supportive Housing Impact and Advocacy, Housing Choices
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Leah is the Senior Advisor Supportive Housing Impact and Advocacy for Housing Choices where she is responsible for service design, measuring outcomes and advocating for increased housing and support options. She has over 30 years’ experience in the homelessness sector including frontline services, consultancy, information systems, and collective impact projects.
She is internationally accredited in Housing First training and is passionate about using Housing First and other evidence-based approaches to end homelessness.
Leanne Mitchell
General Manager, Systems Change and Partnerships, AAEH
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Leanne Mitchell’s career in government, the UN and the not-for-profit sector here in Australia and internationally has allowed her to respond to homelessness in many different forms.
Roles at the City of Melbourne and Brimbank City Council in Victoria exposed Leanne to the scope, the many limitations and opportunities that local government faces in responding to homelessness.
In 2022, she undertook a Churchill Fellowship investigating how councils can respond to homelessness while balancing responsibilities to the wider community.
Leanne recently joined the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness as General Manager System Change and Partnerships. She works as an advocate for and advisor to local government, assisting councils across the country to build knowledge, skills and capacity to respond to homelessness in ways that consider and are respectful to the situations and needs of all members in a community.
Lorna Robinson
Lived Experience and Project Coordinator, Australian Alliance to End Homelessness
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Lorna Robinson is the Lived Experience and Project Coordinator at the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness and a passionate advocate for lived expertise leadership and inclusion in research, service design, and systems change efforts. She firmly believes that meaningful change can only occur when lived experience is at the forefront and genuinely valued.
Drawing from her own experiences, Lorna is dedicated to reshaping the narrative and increasing awareness by challenging misconceptions and promoting meaningful, lived
expertise-led solutions.
Duncan N. Bainbridge
Co-Chair, SYC Lived Experience Reference Group (LERG)
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Duncan is a skilled communicator with extensive experience across multiple sectors, markets, and countries.
He is also a veteran and is deeply committed to social justice, especially in addressing poverty and homelessness.
He believes communication can be a powerful tool for promoting equity and systemic change. His motivation stems from his LEx, a sense of purpose, empathy, and the conviction that the right words, when used effectively, can leave a lasting impact.
Kylie Degenhardt
Executive Manager, Cultural Clinician, Aboriginal Family Support Services
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Palawa woman, born on Kaurna Country and lived majority of my life on Kaurna Country with some time living on Peramangk country. Strength in Culture and connection is paramount across my family and work life.
Currently the Executive Manager, Cultural Clinician at AFSS (Aboriginal Family Support Services), I have 25 years of experience working in child protection, youth mental health, homelessness, and the Human Services field. My work is about Strategic thinking and implementation of new projects. I have embedded the Aboriginal ways of working into service design and Therapeutic practice. Championing and implementing a Cultural First model, a strengths-based, community-led approach that centres Culture as a foundation of healing, safety, and identity for Aboriginal children, young people, families, and Community.
Patricia Cotton
Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal Sobriety Group
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Patricia Cotton is a proud Kamilaroi and Māori woman, born and raised on Kaurna Land. With a deep commitment to culture, community, and self-determination for her people, Patricia brings extensive experience in leadership, health, and strategic governance to her role as CEO of the Aboriginal Sobriety Group (ASG).
Throughout her career, Patricia has focused on uplifting Aboriginal people through grassroots, community-driven initiatives that honour culture, build resilience, and create lasting impact. Her work spans Population Health, marketing, and branding, with a strong emphasis on co-designing programs that address the social determinants of health, are led by the community, and reflect their values and voices.
Patricia is passionate about leadership development and succession planning, mentoring emerging leaders, and creating opportunities for others to grow, heal, and thrive. Her leadership is dedicated to re-empowering communities in their own spaces, fostering resilience, and building a stronger future for the next generation of leaders.
Phoebe Lawson, RN, MPH
Contracts and Capacity Building Coordinator, Adelaide PHN
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Phoebe Lawson is a Registered Nurse and public health professional with expertise in healthcare commissioning. In her role within Adelaide PHN’s Primary Care and Integration portfolio, she manages a range of contracts, including Medicare Urgent Care Clinics and the Homelessness Access Program.
Phoebe’s work spans the full commissioning cycle, with a focus on evidence-based, cost-effective care that responds to evolving community health needs.
Drawing on her clinical experience in anaesthetics and recovery, and her Master of Public Health, Phoebe is dedicated to co-designed, equitable, and sustainable healthcare solutions that deliver meaningful impact for vulnerable populations.
Shaya Nettle
Senior Manager, Toward Home Alliance
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Shaya has over two decades experience in not-for-profit and volunteer roles in local, national and international contexts, and aspires for humane and inclusive service systems.
She is the Senior Manager of the Toward Home Alliance, a dynamic collaboration of seven specialist homelessness services and government partners, and over 100 staff. Shaya blends her tertiary qualifications in humanities and business with her experience in systems development, to enable person focused and collaborative problem solving in the resource limited and complex context of homelessness.
Shaya values the opportunity to contribute to the Toward Home Alliance and work alongside her colleagues, community and sector partners to better meet and respond to system challenges and inequities.
Alice Worrall
Alliance Senior Manager, Country South Homelessness Alliance
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Alice Worrall is the Alliance Senior Manager for the Country South Homelessness Alliance, where she leads strategic initiatives and collaborative efforts to improve outcomes for individuals and families experiencing homelessness across regional South Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work and Social Planning from Flinders University and has been working in the community services sector for over 15 years.
With a strong commitment to social justice and equity, Alice has specialised in the fields of homelessness and social housing since 2014. Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of systemic challenges and a passion for creating sustainable, community-driven solutions.
Deb Buckskin
Senior Advisor of Aboriginal Services, Baptist Care SA
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Deb is a Kaurna/Narungga/Wirangu women and was raised in Erawirung Country on the river in Berri and Waikerie.
In her current role Deb is the Senior Advisor of Aboriginal Services at Baptist Care SA and works in strategic and operational governance of Culturally responsive service delivery of 1200 staff and around 400 Aboriginal People and Communities. Deb works across five service pathways, Disability, Care Pathways supporting young people in residential care, Wardli-ana and the Towards Home Alliance on Aboriginal People experiencing homelessness, young people living with AOD through the Adventure pathways program and supporting young people who are to re-engage and participate in education to help prepare for employment opportunities.
Deb is an Executive Board member and Director of Kura Yerlo Incorporated, a leading not for profit Aboriginal owned and controlled community organization support vulnerable People and Communities through NDIS, arts, and cultural connections.
Deb is currently one of the establishment Directors of Wakwakurna kanyini the Aboriginal Children’s Peak Body.
Deb was the inaugural South Australian Director on the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Authority, representing SAACCON as the Co-convener ,the National Peak Bodies main focus is the pursuit of self-determination and rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the housing sector it also vigorously supports and advocates for quality health, equal education, land and water rights, justice and sovereignty. In addition, NATSIHA also supports self-determination in addressing a range of other issues, including cultural maintenance and development; improving government relations, treaty discussions; employment and economic empowerment; family violence; children and youth; disabilities; and governance and leadership.
Nathan March
Homelessness Connections Officer, City of Port Adelaide Enfield
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Nathan March is a seasoned professional in housing and homelessness, with a rich background spanning the not-for-profit, local government, and community housing sectors. In his current role with the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, he leads innovative homelessness initiatives that blend assertive outreach, deep community insight, and strategic local government collaboration to drive collective impact.
Beyond his professional expertise, Nathan brings a unique creative lens to his work, shaped by his experience in acting, writing, and filmmaking. Whether he’s crafting policy, building partnerships, or engaging with vulnerable communities, Nathan approaches every challenge with imagination, empathy, and a storyteller’s instinct — turning complex social issues into opportunities for meaningful change.
Robb Smart
Senior Project Officer, Homelessness Systems and Partnerships, Department of Human Services
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Robb has worked in the South Australia Public Service since 2018, first with the SA Housing Trust and now the Department of Human Services. Working as a Senior Project Officer in the Homelessness Systems and Partnerships directorate, Robb has experience working in the Adelaide Zero Project backbone team as data lead and helped to develop several tools to support the regular service coordination function and housing allocation processes supported by the sector.
Robb is passionate about ending homelessness, improving outcomes for people seeking supports, and using data in creative and innovative ways to further these aspirations.
Thanuja Hiripitiyage
Regional Manager, Murraylands Southern Country Homelessness Services
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Thanuja Hiripitiyage is the Regional Manager for Murraylands Southern Country Homelessness Services, Reconnect Services and a passionate advocate for social justice and equity. She spearheaded the Studio Purpose youth Housing initiative in Regional South Australia, which provides vital housing support to young people in need. With over 13 years of experience in the homelessness sector in Sout Australia, Thanuja brigs deep expertise in delivering settlement Support Services and has also worked extensively in community development across several developing countries. Her work in grounded in a sting commitment to early intervention and evidence-based practice. Thanuja is a dedicated social work practitioner who thrives on supporting vulnerable communities and creating holistic support systems that empower individuals and foster long term change.
Kate McGarry
General Manager Community Services, Baptist Care SA
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Kate is the General Manager Community Services of Baptist Care SA. As a social worker, practice, social policy, leadership and advocacy have been the cornerstone of her work. She has worked primarily in the community service sector in not-for-profit organisations both in South Australia and the Northern Territory for 20 years.
Kate is committed to being a strong ally to Aboriginal peoples and communities, along with improving practice and creating innovative services to enable people to receive quality services which make a difference and generate positive change.
In recent years Kate was part of designing and delivering the innovative Toward Home Alliance redesign of homelessness service delivery in Adelaide, and supporting the design and implementation of Baptist Care SA’s Tapa Marnirni-apinthi Practice Framework (Kaurna for Creating Change) which is a key enabler for Baptist Care SA becoming a Restorative organisation.
Lia Aldridge
Team Leader Homelessness Services, Junction Australia
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Lia Aldridge is a dedicated Team Leader with Junction Homelessness Services, where she has contributed to key initiatives over the past five years.
She has an extensive career in the human services sector over the past two decades, including roles in Justice, Protection, and Social Inclusion.
She is driven and committed to Social Justice and Human rights and a passionate advocate for systemic change.
Tiana Mullan
Assistant Manager, Centacare Catholic Country SA
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Tiana Mullan is an Assistant Manager with Centacare Catholic Country SA in Ceduna and Line Manager of the Ceduna Homelessness Service. Tiana has over 12 years’ experience in the homelessness sector and is passionate about supporting vulnerable people and strengthening her local community through leadership and connection.
Rebecca Tuohy
Regional Manager Ceduna and Far West Coast, Centacare Catholic Country SA
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Rebecca Tuohy is an experienced professional with a background in community services not for profit organisations. She has honed her skills and knowledge through 18 years of working in regional, rural and remote environments. Rebecca has specialist knowledge of communities in country SA and the delivery of services in place. Her current role is Regional Manager Ceduna and Far West Coast at Centacare Catholic Country SA, where she leads and oversees social service delivery of a vast range of programs and initiatives in the Ceduna office.
Alex Lebret
Project Lead
Australian Health, Housing & Homelessness Network, AAEH
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Alexandra Lebret (she/her) is the Project Lead for the Australian Health, Housing & Homelessness Network (A3HN), an allied network convened by the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness. The A3HN is working in partnership with the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and Central Eastern Sydney PHN to implement the Homelessness Access Program, which aims to improve primary health care access and outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. Alex has worked in Victorian and New South Wales contexts, bringing 15 years of experience in the homelessness sector and holds tertiary qualifications in Community Development and Human Services.
Andrew Denton
Acting State Manager
Homelessness and Alcohol and Other Drugs, SA
The Salvation Army
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Andrew is a social worker with over a decade of experience in the community services and homelessness sectors. He currently serves as the Acting State Manager for Homelessness and Alcohol and Other Drugs, South Australia with The Salvation Army. In his substantive role, Andrew is the Program Manager for the Toward Home Alliance Resolve Program, where he leads the Assertive Outreach response.
Andrew has worked extensively across service systems, championing inclusive practices and empowering individuals through evidence-based approaches and data-informed decision-making. His work reflects a deep understanding of complex needs and a commitment to designing and delivering responsive, best-practice programs that meet the evolving needs of the community. He is driven by a passion for innovation, collaboration, and the integration of lived experience to shape meaningful and sustainable support systems.
Sam Raven
Senior Policy and Project Officer
South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services
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Sam is the Senior Policy and Project Officer at the South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services. She has worked in the alcohol and other drug sector since the early 2000s across outreach, counselling, training, management and now policy, workforce development and advocacy. Sam is a strong advocate for evidence-informed practice and the meaningful inclusion of people with lived experience in shaping and delivering services. She is driven by a commitment to equity, justice and the rights and dignity of people who use drugs.
Nick Cowling
Clinical Lead
Remote Visitor Outreach Team
Department of Human Services
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Nick Cowling is the Clinical Lead for the Remote Visitor Outreach Team at the Department of Human Services. This multidisciplinary team sits within Community and Aboriginal Partnerships/ Remote and Regional Service Development for the Department of Human Services. Nick’s clinical role and clinical governance is in collaborative partnership with SA Health, currently being aligned under the Emergency Department at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
The Summit is proudly sponsored by:
