About Us

Myuma’s Managing Director and Indjalandji-Dhidhanu man Colin Saltmere has spent decades championing and enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s participation in the economy and in community-controlled service delivery.

Colin has led the development of Myuma from small beginnings as a training camp for Barkly Highway road construction to a substantial group of social enterprises with a turnover of more than $30m, delivering a range of services and programs to the private sector and governments.

Dr Michael Limerick is an experienced evaluation practitioner specialising in Indigenous governance and community development. He has worked with the Myuma Group for over a decade, including as a contractor to manage Myuma’s recent research and evaluation projects. During 14 years in the State Government, his roles included the establishment of the Community Justice Group program in the late 1990s.

In the past 15 years, Michael has conducted numerous evaluations of programs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including the Cape York Welfare Reform trial, the Aurukun mediation project and the Aurukun justice reintegration project. Michael’s evaluation practice has been founded on partnerships with Indigenous researchers (both from the university sector and community-based) and he aspires to support more Indigenous people to become expert in program evaluation.

Joann Schmider is a tropical rainforest Mamu woman who has lived in north west, north and south east Queensland, and Canberra, returning to Far North Queensland traditional country in 2005. Joann has 40 years’ experience and qualifications in education and training, community development, leadership, research, local government and governance.

Her lifelong passion is promoting participation, awareness and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their interests, and their place – past, present and future – as the unique and central weave in the diverse fabric of this country. She is currently working on her PhD, focussing on rainforest Aboriginal traditional custodians and cultural promotion businesses especially in the tourism industry.

Dr Heron Loban is a Torres Strait Islander woman with family connections to Mabuiag and Boigu. Heron is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science at Griffith University and an expert in Indigenous law and justice issues.

As a lawyer she practiced in commercial law, native title law and criminal law. Heron has also held a number of key positions in community-based, not-for-profit organisations and sat on numerous State, Territory and Commonwealth advisory committees on a range of issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia.

Helena Wright is a Kabi Kabi woman from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Helena is currently the Executive Director, Programs and Engagement, Territory Families, where she has responsibility for a number of programs including domestic, family and sexual violence, youth activities, multicultural affairs, Seniors, and gender equality. Helena has over 25 years’ experience working in government in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs, including as Deputy Director-General of the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships.

One of Helena’s early roles in government was in the establishment of the original Community Justice Group program in the late 1990s (working with Michael Limerick). Helena has deep networks with Cape York communities following several years in Cairns as Senior Executive Manager for FNQ for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. She also has strong connections in Gulf communities, after living in Mornington Island as the Government Coordinator.

Dion Creek is a community leader from Coen in Cape York. He is the Chair of Coen Regional Aboriginal Corporation and has been driving community-controlled service delivery and economic development in Cape York for the past 18 years.

He was a founder and is currently a senior manager with Traditional Owner organisation, Kalan Enterprises.

Jenny Pryor is a leader in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in Townsville and has worked in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs for over 30 years, including as Regional Chairperson for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).

She is the CEO and Principal Facilitator at a Townsville Indigenous training organisation, Bindal Sharks United Training, Employment, Sports and Recreation Aboriginal Corporation. Jenny has worked with Indigenous communities and organisations across Far North Queensland and the Townsville Region. She is a facilitator for the Australian Government’s National Indigenous Leadership Program. Jenny has worked extensively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders, coordinating Indigenous leadership programs for men and women at the Townsville Correctional Centre.

Dr Melinda Mann is a proud Darumbal woman and South Sea Islander, based in Rockhampton. Melinda has worked in the secondary school, community services and university sectors, advocating for equality of access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

She brings to her work in Indigenous community development her professional experience in community education and training and development, her lived experiences as an Aboriginal and South Sea Islander woman and her upbringing in small regional and rural towns.

Cheryl Buchanan is a Guwamu woman from southwest Queensland. She is a renowned publisher, playwright, author, speaker, director, teacher, lecturer and traditional dancer. Spanning more than five decades, Cheryl has played an integral role in driving social change for her people—both at state and national levels. Cheryl played a vital role in forming the Brisbane Tribal Council and was a founding member of the Aboriginal Legal, Medical Services and Childcare Centre in Brisbane, Black Community School, Black Resource Centre, the Murrie Cooee Publishing Company and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Women’s Legal and Advocacy Service in Brisbane.

Cheryl has extensive experience with community justice issues. Following the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, she held roles as Chair of the Queensland Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee (AJAC) and National Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee (NAJAC). She was the first Aboriginal Commissioner to be appointed with the Queensland Corrective Services Commission and was Chairperson at the Queensland Community Arts Network.

Dr Mark Moran is a researcher and practitioner specialising in effective development practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the developing world. He has worked in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland and the Norther Territory, and in international development contexts, including Papua New Guinea, China Timor Leste, Bolivia, Lesotho, and Fiji.

Mark has researched and written widely on program and service delivery in Indigenous communities, including issues of complexity, program evaluation, participatory planning and development, and adaptive development practice. He conducted research with the Kowanyama Community Justice Group as part of his PhD dissertation.

Amber Lenoy is a young Indigenous creative professional working in digital marketing.

Originally from Cairns, she is currently a Digital Marketing Coordinator for the Queensland Music Festival and has worked previously in a similar role for the Regional Arts Services Network (RASN).

Bill Buchanan, more commonly known as ‘Uncle Blinky’ in his work and community roles, is a descendant of the Kooma/Gwamu First Nation Peoples of South West Queensland. He has a strong working background in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs, cultural heritage and cultural competency training.

He is also active as a volunteer in community work, as a board member on several peak body not-for-profit boards, an elder of the Murri Courts and as an ambassador for the National Indigenous Cancer Network (NICaN). Uncle Blinky is a long-standing member and former co-chair and State coordinator of Reconciliation Queensland.

Dr. Samantha Jeffries is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology & Criminal Justice at Griffith University.  Over more than two decades, she has developed a strong research background in criminal justice and Domestic and Family Violence issues, with particular expertise in sentencing of marginalised groups.

Sam is currently conducting research for the Department of Justice & Attorney General (DJAG) on the use of restorative justice in gendered violence.