Directors and Staff

Professor Colleen Hayward, Kurongkurl Katitjin, Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research, Edith Cowan University

Professor Colleen Hayward was appointed to the Leadership WA Board in 2008. She is a senior Aboriginal woman of the Noongar nation in the south-west of Western Australia and was appointed Head of the Centre of Kurongkurl Katitjin at Edith Cowan University in 2009.

Colleen has an extensive background in a range of areas including health, education, training, employment and housing as well as significant experience in policy and management. Most recently Colleen worked as the Manager of the Kulunga Research Network at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Western Australia, building the work of that unit into one of State and National significance. She was previously A/State Manager of the WA State Office of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission which followed her role as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA. Colleen started her working life as a teacher and has maintained ties to, and an interest in, Education and Training. She has just completed a five year term on the WA State Training Board as its only Indigenous Member.

In March 2006, Colleen was awarded the prestigious Premier of Western Australia's Multicultural Ambassador Award for her commitment to progressing human rights and addressing racism in our community. In October 2007, Colleen was celebrated as a Finalist in the Telstra Business Women's WA Awards in the IBM Community and Government Category. In 2008 Colleen celebrated an outstanding year, being recognised for her long-standing work for and on behalf of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia through:
• being selected to undertake the Postgraduate Certificate course in Cross-sector Partnerships at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom;
• representing Western Australians and Indigenous people at the Australia 2020 Summit;
• making her inaugural appearance in both Who's Who of Australian Women and Who's Who in Western Australia;
• being a finalist in the national Deadlys Awards in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health;
• winning the National NAIDOC Aboriginal Person of the Year Award; and
• being named as one of Western Australia's 50 most powerful women.

In 2009, Colleen was inducted into the Department of Education's Hall of Fame for her contributions to Indigenous Education. In her spare time, Colleen represents the interests of minority groups on a range of social justice and equity committees and boards as well as spending lots of time with family and friends.

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