Board Of Directors
Dean Yibarbuk - Chair
Dean is a Traditional Owner of country within the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area and is also the Chair of Warddeken Land Management Limited. Dean has been instrumental in the Indigenous conservation movement and has spent his life advocating for Indigenous rights. Dean is a qualified researcher with a wealth of experience in complex and multifaceted community based projects. He has coauthored numerous academic papers and presented at conferences across the globe.
Lois Nadjamerrek
Lois Nadjamerrek is a traditional owner of the Mok Clan Estate in which Kabulwarnamyo is situated and a is pillar of the Gunablanya community where she resides. Reverend Lois Nadjamerrek is also an Anglican Priest in Gunbalanya at the Emmanuel Anglican Church and is highly respected in this role. Lois is passionate about providing safe and strong communities for families and children and works tirelessly in her twin roles as Directors of Nawarddeken Academy and Warddeken Land Management to provide opportunities for Bininj people. Lois is also a Director of Adjumarllarl Aboriginal Corporation and is a member of the Stronger Communities for Children Reference Group and the Gunbalanya Housing Reference Group. Using her strong linguistic skills Lois also works closely with linguist Dr Murray Garde on the Bininj Kunwok Language Project.
Rick Tudor OAM
Rick held the position of Headmaster of Trinity Grammar School, Kew for 15 years and has extensive experience as an educator and school leader. Rick has also contributed to the broader educational arena through involvement in the Association of Heads of Independent Schools, the Council of the Centre for Strategic Education, the Anglican Coordinating Committee on Education, and as Chair of the Victorian Branch of the Anglican Schools' Network. He is currently Chair of the ConocoPhillips Science Experience, is a Board Member of the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority, Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, the King David School, the Anglican Diocesan Schools' Commission, Trinity College (University of Melbourne) and the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School. He was previously a member of the Ethics Committee of the Royal Woman's Hospital, and the Board of Anglicare Victoria.
Margie Moroney
Margie has worked as a finance industry professional for almost 30 years, in the first place with global banking organisations including Prudential-Bache securities, Baring Securities and Hambros Bank. Subsequently, she specialised in corporate advisory work in the agribusiness sector, consulting to organisations including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), AMP private investments, the Australian Primary Trust, plus a large range of Government and semi-government bodies, and Statutory Marketing Authorities. Margie has been on the Boards of Wool International, a range of Pooled Development Funds and investment vehicles, and was the inaugural Chair of the CSIRO Textile, Clothing and Footwear Sector Advisory Committee.
Conrad Maralngurra
Conrad is a senior Traditional Owner of the Ngalngbarli clan estate and he resides at the homeland community of Mamadawerre. Conrad has worked as an educator, previously holding assisting teacher positions at Gunbalanya School and Mamadawerre Homeland Learning Centre. He has been a Director of Warddeken Land Management since 2013 and has previously been a regional representative on the Northern Land Council, a Director of Demed Aboriginal Corporation and a member of Norforce.
Leonie Jones
With 40 years experience working in Aboriginal education in the NT as teacher, principal, curriculum developer, HR manager and Regional Director, Leonie bring a wealth of skills and knowledge to the board. Leonie currently runs a bespoke educational consultancy that works to provide training, mentorship and support primarily to principals of schools with Aboriginal students. Leonie has dedicated her life's work to Indigenous education and is passionate about a child's right to access quality education, no matter where they live.
David Arthur
David brings to the board experience in the Independent Schools sector, currently working as the business manager of Milkwood Steiner School and Treasurer of the Association of Independent Schools NT. David has a wide range of skills and experiences and has previously worked with the community of Kabulwarnamyo as a facilitator for the award winning documentary series Sacred Lands Film Project.
Kenneth Mangiru
Kenneth is a Senior Traditional Owner of the Danek clan estate. He has extensive governance experience, having been a founding Director of Warddeken Land Management and sitting on the company's board since 2007. He is also a Director of Adjumarllarl Aboriginal Corporation and Njanjma Aboriginal Corporation.
Serena Namarnyilk
Serena has been involved in numerous research projects across the West Arnhem Region as a member of the Aboriginal Research Practitioners Network, including the Whole of Community Engagement Initiative. She is multilingual and works closely with the Nawarddeken Academy on the development and implementation of the Indigenous Language and Culture Program. She has previously held positions with Injalak Arts and Craft and Gunbalanya School.
Kyrin Bulliwana
Kyrin Bulliwana is a young and rising talent in west Arnhem Land and has worked for many years as a Warddeken ranger. She recently transitioned to her current role as Early Learning educator with the Nawarddeken Academy, providing strong leadership and building on her existing teaching qualifications and experience.
Before joining the WLML Board, Kyrin regularly attended board meetings as a proxy, representing the Kakbi (Northern) ward of
the Warddeken IPA.
Nawarddeken Academy Staff
Shaun Ansell
Chief Executive Officer
Olga Scholes
Executive Officer (Principal)
Daniel Constantinou
Classroom Teacher
Danielle Ryan
Classroom Teacher
Rhonda Nadjamerrek
Assistant Teacher and Traditional Owner
Steven Bird
Steven collaborates with local community members to support the Indigenous Language and Culture program of the school, by designing creative ways of combining language, culture, and technology. He comes to Nawarddeken Academy with 25 years of experience working with speakers of endangered languages in West Africa, Central Asia, Amazonia, and Melanesia. Steven is professor in the Northern Institute at Charles Darwin University, where he investigates social and technological methods for keeping languages strong.
