Barbara has extensive experience in education and has held a number of executive leadership positions across Australia within the education and not-for-profit community sectors. An engaging facilitator, Barbara’s national and international research, consultancy, high performance coaching, and speaking engagements, centre on leadership development that emphasises the impact of high-quality leadership on creating the enabling environments for students to learn.

An author, Barbara’s most recent co-authored book Step In, Step Up: Empowering women for the school leadership journey, received a silver medal in the international 2020 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards.

Recognised for her contribution to educational leadership and professional learning, her national research report, Insights: Environmental Scan Principal Preparation Programs contributed to five major national recommendations for preparing future school leaders. This has informed her design and delivery of bespoke emerging, principal and system leadership programs.

Barbara was the inaugural recipient of the Women of Achievement Award (WA DoE), is an Honorary Fellow of the Melbourne Graduate School of Education and is a National Fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. Her expertise is regularly sought out to contribute in an advisory capacity as a member of numerous university, departmental, school, and professional boards.

She has a special interest in the links between leadership sustainability, wellbeing, and impact on performance to ensure learning, for all, can thrive.

After completing his degree and PhD at Cambridge University, Martin moved to Oxford University as a Fellow of Lincoln College. A winding career path through the biotech industry and several science innovation and education organisations returned him to Oxford University as the Deputy Director of the Institute for the Future of the Mind. He and his family moved to South Australia in 2007 where he took up the position of inaugural Director of the Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century and then Strategic Professor in the Science of Learning at Flinders University. After five years as a board director of the South Australian Certificate of Education, Martin took up the position as Chief Executive of SACE at the start of 2018 with a vision to transform learning design for students across South Australia.

In all his academic, educational and leadership roles, Martin Westwell has made significant contributions to the design and thinking about the teaching of Science. He is also recognised for his work as a leading thinker, researcher and presenter in the science and neuroscience of learning itself and his work has influenced curriculum design, pedagogy and assessment at a national and international level.

Ann McIntyre is recognised for her work in effective teaching and leadership and school and system improvement. Ann is an educational researcher and writer who provides powerful professional learning. Ann is an Honorary in Education at the University of Sydney and is the Australian National Researcher for the International Teacher Policy Study with the University of Stanford in California.

As the Director of Professional Learning and Leadership Development in NSW she designed and led evidence informed programs, system innovations and reforms that significantly influenced the work of teachers, leaders and schools. As Superintendent of Schools and Principal Ann received numerous excellence awards and while Principal received a Quality Assurance Report stating “this school is on the leading edge of best practices in teaching and learning.”

Ann has been awarded; the Churchill Fellowship, the Vincent Fairfax Ethics in Leadership Award, the inaugural Sydney Leadership Award, the inaugural ACE Leadership in Professional Learning Award, the ACEL Patrick Duignan Award for Leadership, the ACEL Scholarship in Educational Leadership and the ACEL Dr Paul Brock Medal. Ann is a national fellow of ACE and a NSW and national fellow of ACEL. Ann is an international expert member of NSW DOE School Leadership Institute Board, an Editorial Board member of School Leadership and Management Journal, a member of University of Sydney, Teacher Education Advisory Board and a member of the AITSL School Leadership and Teaching Expert Standing Committee.

Coralee Pratt is an educational leader who has worked in a diverse range of settings and communities across all regions in Victoria and in Queensland. She is currently Executive Director, Bayside Peninsula Area, South East Victoria Region and in 2016 was a Senior Education Improvement Leader (SEIL) in the Outer East Area, North East Region of Victoria.

Coralee has been an executive board member of both the ACEL Queensland and Victoria Branches and since 2014 has been responsible for coordinating the ACEL Net professional learning events including the popular ACEL Q & A Forums.

Coralee has been principal of three schools: Camberwell South Primary School (2012 – 2015); Helensvale State School, one of Queensland’s largest primary schools (2010-2012) and Roberts McCubbin Primary School, Box Hill (2000 – 2005).

From 2005 – 2009 she held several system leadership roles including Assistant Regional Director in the Eastern Metropolitan Region where she played a significant role in leading the school improvement agenda in 248 government schools.

Over the past decade, Coralee has been influential in leading educational change and the design, delivery and evaluation of a comprehensive suite of professional learning and leadership development programs at school and system level. Her work with ACER and the Grattan Institute in targeting teaching to personalise learning had a significant impact and resulted in Camberwell South PS being identified as one of Australia’s 40 most innovative schools in 2014.

Ross began as Executive Director of the National Catholic Education Commission in July 2013 leading the new commission which has been substantially reformed by the Bishops Commission for Catholic Education. In this role Ross is responsible for national policy development and advocacy on behalf of 1730 Catholic schools which enrol more than 760,000 students and receive almost $8billion in government funding. Prior to his current position Ross was the Director of Policy Research and Communications at the Catholic Education Office Melbourne and Executive Officer of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd. He has been active in education policy at a state at national level in the non-government sector since 2007.

Ross was educated at UNSW (Bachelor of Engineering, First Class Honours) and Oxford University (Honours MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics). He has a depth and range of practical and consultancy experience in a diversity of situations – from McKinsey & Company working across Australia and New Zealand as a management consultant to remote Indigenous communities in WA where he was a relief store manager and acting community development adviser. He has also worked in industry in business improvement roles and as a senior policy advisor.

As an experienced educational leader with both school and system experience, I understand that engagement, growth and achievement are the three priorities that unite all schools, regardless of their location or student demographic. I am excited to play a key role in the NT school improvement journey as my team provides tailored and responsive support to schools so they can accelerate their own school improvement.

Sinan is the Principal of Vasse Primary School, an Independent Public School, situated in the southwest of Western Australia. He is also the ‘CAPES’ region Network Principal.

Vasse Primary is situated in a rapidly growing suburb. The school was established in 1869 where 12 students commenced their schooling with one teacher. Now the school boasts over 730 students and 75 staff. He has worked in rural, regional and metropolitan schools in Western Australia over the past 26 years. Sinan’s focus has been to ensure the school is well resourced with a strong positive culture through focusing on fostering positive relationships.

He is also passionate about engaging students through creating flexible, adaptable and stimulating learning environments.

Sinan's leadership beliefs are simple:

• Create clear vision and direction
• Build solid relationships through positive communication and shared experiences
• Surround yourself around good people
• Acknowledge innovation and self-improvement.

Steve is Regional Director, South Eastern Victoria Region (SEVR) in Victoria.  The region includes more than 400 state primary, secondary and specialist schools, as well as over 1000 early childhood services providing funded kindergarten programs.  The region has a current population of 76,751 children in kindergartens and more than 166,000 students in state schools.

Steve is currently leading the Education State reform across all areas of education in the region to give every Victorian the best learning and development experience. The region’s staff team of more than three hundred dedicated officers work with early childhood service providers, state schools, training and higher education providers as well as with community organisations and other government agencies to maximise the opportunities for children, young people and families.

Steve’s school based experience is diverse and extends across primary and secondary schools. His last two school appointments were as principal at Macgregor Primary School and then Kingsford Smith School both in Canberra. Before joining the Department of Education and Training in Victoria Steve was the Deputy Director-General in the ACT Department of Education and Training following a number of other school system leadership senior executive roles. Steve is married with three young children who have recently joined him in the move from Canberra to their new home in Melbourne.

Steve’s passion for the professional development of educational leaders across all levels and sectors first brought him on to the ACEL Board as an independent director. He was instrumental in shaping the organisation’s Strategic Plan and has been in the role of ACEL President since October 2016.

Steve’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Education, Masters of Business Administration and further study through both Harvard University, the Australia New Zealand School of Governance (ANZSOG) Executive Fellowship Program and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.