Martin Hirons, Chairman

Martin Hirons has spent his career in sport and brings a wealth of experience to the Red Dust leadership team. More recently, he was a Director of Sweeney Research/Sports and was responsible for the growth of this part of the business over a 12 year period. In November 2007, Martin sold his stake at Sweeney Research to commence a new chapter in his life. He is currently combining his chairing role at Red Dust Role Models with working on a range of new and exciting projects in the sports and commercial sector as Head of Research with Sports Business Partners.

Prior to joining Sweeney Research in 1995, Martin worked in the sport and sponsorship industry for various sporting bodies and event organisers in Australia and Canada.

Previously he has held roles as a Councillor of the Women’s National Basketball League and as a Director of the Vancouver Zoo.

Martin was introduced to Red Dust Role Models through his basketball connections (the most important being his wife, coach Lori Chizik). The enthusiasm of John Van Groningen and the impact of the program on the children and communities in remote NT have had a dramatic effect on his outlook of life in Australia.

 

John Van Groningen, Managing Director

Armed with three years’ experience living in a remote indigenous community, a strong desire to make a difference and enough passion to fill the Northern Territory, John set out over 14 years ago on a mission to enrich the lives of disadvantaged youth living in remote communities. He hasn’t looked back. He created a unique program that saw elite athletes visiting remote communities and conducting sport and healthy lifestyle programs, and has evolved it through the years to the become the successful entity that is Red Dust Role Models.

John has degrees in Aviation Science and Technology (Summa Cum Laude) and Theology and has combined these interests through his work as a bush pilot in Lajamanu community and later as a youth minister and sports chaplain.

He counts amongst his personal highlights as living with and becoming an active member of the Walpiri community, supporting athletes in the challenges they face in balancing their personal and professional lives and most importantly the partnership with his wife Jennifer and the parenting of their three beautiful children Austin, Miranda and Jackie.

 

Ray Minniecon, Cultural Advisor

Ray Minniecon is a descendant of the Kabi Kabi nation and the Gurang Gurang nation of South East Queensland, the South Sea Islander people, with connections to the people of Ambrym Island.

Ray’s most recent career engagement was with the Anglican Diocese of Sydney as a Pastor and Director of Crossroads Aboriginal Ministries. He is also the Chairperson of the Sydney Anglican Indigenous People’s Committee.

Ray is also a Director of Bunji Consultancies, which supports Aboriginal leadership and business initiatives with a number of corporate clients and is a consultant on the development of programs and projects for the remaining men of Kinchela Boys Home (KBH) with the University of New South Wales.

At Murdoch University, WA, Ray earned a BA in Theology and helped establish the Aboriginal Education Unit where he worked as its co-ordinator. Ray has worked for World Vision Australia’s Indigenous programs for twelve years and was its National Director for six of those years.

Ray has spoken about indigenous issues at local, national and international forums. In 1995 he made an intervention at the UN in Geneva on behalf of Indigenous Peoples at the first hearing of the Draft Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In 2001, he spoke in Italy at a Global Forum on Ethics and Economics, where he also had a private audience with the Pope.

Ray is the father of three children and two grandchildren. He loves music, writing songs, sport, public speaking and travel.

Paul Guerra, Director

Paul Guerra has enjoyed a 20-year career in the telecommunications sector working at senior levels for renowned companies Motorola and Vodafone. Paul has a strong record in sales and  marketing and has been instrumental in solidifying the presence of both organisations in Australia. In addition to his full-time work commitments, Paul dedicates some of his time to serve as a Director on several charity-based organisations. His passion for Red Dust Role Models is driven by a desire to help all Indigenous Australians live a healthy and fulfilling life.

Simon McKeon, Director

Simon McKeon is the 2011 Australian of the Year. He is also Executive Chairman of Macquarie Group’s Melbourne office.

Simon is Chairman of CSIRO and Business for Millennium Development.Simon is a Director of VisionFund, World Vision International’s microcredit arm and Global Poverty Project.

He is an Australia Day Ambassador for the Victorian Government and serves on the Federal Government’s Human Rights Grants Scheme Advisory Panel and the Victorian Government’s NDIS Implementation Task Force.

He previously served as Founding President of the Federal Government’s Australian Takeovers Panel, Founding Chairman of MS Research Australia and Founding President of the Federal Government’s Point Nepean Community Trust.

Simon is the helmsman of Macquarie Innovation which in March 2009 became the first sailboat in the world to sustain more than 50 knots and in so doing, peaked at a speed of 100 kmh (54 knots).He is also a Patron of the Australian Olympic Sailing Team which won 2 gold and a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

 

Ngiare Brown, Director

Associate Professor Ngiare Brown is an Aboriginal woman from the South Coast of NSW and one of the first few identified Aboriginal medical graduates in Australia. She is a medical graduate of the University of Newcastle, with postgraduate qualifications in public health and primary care, and clinical training in emergency medicine.

She is currently undertaking doctoral studies in health, law and human rights, and her professional interests focus on Aboriginal child health and international Indigenous affairs.

Ngiare has held a number of positions in medical education, policy, clinical practice and research. She is a founding member, and was Foundation CEO, of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association; was Assistant Director at the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin; and has recently been appointed as Director of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Sydney, with other appointments including the National Health and Medical Research Council; the Australian Social Inclusion Board of the Deputy PM; and the Board of community focused role modelling and mentoring initiatives for Aboriginal youth.

Ngiare is also a foundation member of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Steering Committee for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Equality Within a Generation initiative, known publicly as the Close the Gap Campaign.

Melanie Jones, Director

Melanie (MJ) Jones is known as a pioneer for women’s cricket in Australia and around the world. She brings a wealth of sporting experience and achievement to her role as Ambassador, having represented Australia in all forms of international cricket, and has amassed such career highlights as:

 

• Member of winning World Cup team (India – 1997)
• Member of Australian Women’s Cricket Team – Ashes (1998)
• Captain of Surrey County Cricket Team (England – 2002-2004)
• Member of the Victorian Spirit NL Title Team (’96, ’01, ’03)
• Member of World Cup winning Australia Team (2005)
• World Record Test Debut Batting Record (131 – 1997)

After 142 matches for Victoria, Melanie recently announced her retirement from domestic cricket. She departs with two World Cup wins, five Tests, 61 ODIs and a record 122 Women’s National Cricket League appearances…not to mention third on the all-time-scorer list with 3338 at 30.3.

Melanie has coached in numerous countries around the world, project coordinated in South Africa and has commentated for Sky Sports UK, ESPN Star Sport and Channel 9 in Australia. A qualified teacher, she is currently pursuing a media career while also working closely with elite female athletes in career development with Majestic Sports. Along with these endeavours, MJ works part time with Cricket Victoria and is developing her own sports apparel business.

She approaches her ambassador and board director role with just as much energy and enthusiasm, keen to be as involved in Red Dust programs as possible.

“The chance to work with passionate people on amazing projects with indigenous people is a dream come true,” she says.

 

Benjamin Lawrence, Director

Ben holds a Bachelor of Science in Business / Labour Relations from Utah State University and advanced management education from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan. He was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer for Wesfarmers Limited in February 2008.

Prior to joining Wesfarmers, Ben was the global head of Human Resources for Foster’s Group Limited based in Melbourne from 2001. Prior to Foster’s, Ben held a variety of senior executive roles in the United States including Chief Human Resources Officer with Beringer Wine Estates, Senior Vice President International and Corporate Human Resources with the Clorox Company, a global consumer goods company, and Human Resources Director with FMC Gold and FMC Company, a global diversified mining, minerals and chemical business.