2025 Regional Forum
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
Please note this program is subject to change at any time without notice.
SPEAKERS
Bernard Salt AM
Bernard Salt is also one of Australia’s most in-demand corporate speakers.
After a 20-year career as a Partner in a global advisory firm, Bernard founded The Demographics Group to provide advice to business on demographic, social and property trends.
He is best known to the wider community for his penchant for identifying new social behaviours including “the goat’s cheese curtain.”
Bernard has been a columnist with The Australian newspaper for more than 20 years. His column in The Weekend Australian Magazine is highly regarded and widely read.
Bernard was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2017 Australia Day honours for his services to the Australian people via demography.
And finally, Bernard is the person responsible for popularising the phrase “smashed avocado” … globally
Kenn Beer
Kenn is a Registered Professional Engineer, accredited Senior Road Safety Auditor, transport planner, trainer and assessor. He has over 20 years’ experience in road safety engineering, planning, policy and strategy development.
Kenn is one of Australia’s most active Safe System practitioners and trainers, and has delivered many diverse projects, including: safety strategies for local and state government; business cases for TAC; Road Safety Audits and Safe System Assessments. Kenn was co-lead for the 2020 update to the Austroads Guide to Road Safety series.
Ken Beer will Australia’s pathway to Vision Zero – zero deaths, or serious injuries – on Australia’s roads by 2050.
Jenny May AM
Professor May’s vast and extensive knowledge working across Australia and internationally has provided multiple opportunities to contribute through research on health workforce matters. She now calls Tamworth home and has had the incredible privilege to live and work with her doctor husband and family in a number of remote and regional location's.
Professor May holds fellowships with RACGP and ACRRM and has extensive experience in clinical practice, research, education and rural health advocacy. In 2016 she was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to community health in rural and regional areas, as a general practitioner, member of professional medical groups, and as an educator.
With over 35 years of working and supporting rural, regional and remote health care, her appointment as the third National Rural Health Commissioner has been widely welcomed.
Matthew Szymczak
Matthew is an accomplished digital leader with three decades of experience spanning both private and public sectors including 17 years in local government.
His depth of knowledge in driving digital change and innovation is extensive, making him a sort after partner in leveraging digital strategies and technologies.
As the Industry CTO for Local Government and Community Services (Education, Health, NFP) at Telstra, he works nationally with customers, engaging with c-suite and senior management to build digital capabilities that deliver modern digital solutions.
Dailius Wilson
Dailius has a finance and economics background and is credited for multiple research publications in the local government space. As early as 2021, Dailius predicted the rise in arrears we are currently facing across the country, and this year has released multiple reports looking at financial sustainability and trends in the rating industry.
Dailius also serves as Entrepreneur in Residence for the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), Director of Govtech Australia - an industry association empowering local government executives to explore the latest digital technologies and industry trends and is an advisor to several prominent Australian startup companies.
In his spare time, Dailius enjoys publishing Youtube videos on his channel Revenue Recipes and learning foreign languages.
Ingrid Stonhill
Ingrid Stonhill is Katherine Town Council’s first female Chief Executive Officer in its 44-year history, previously she was Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation’s first female CEO in its 41-year history, and the inaugural CEO of Neighbourhood Watch Australasia.
Ingrid has advocated for and worked for diverse not-for-profits where she led whole-of-business structural change and redesigned management processes to transform underperforming organisations into high-performing social enterprises that achieved cultural wealth and healthy financial surplus.
Ingrid’s first introduction to local government was as a young mother, elected as a two term city councillor. Ingrid’s strengths sit within community engagement, community development and campaigns for economic development opportunities to make Katherine a great place to invest, work and live.
Gavin Williams
Gavin was appointed Chief Development Officer Regional and Remote in October 2019, bringing more than ten (10) years of experience at NBN Co and 30 years within the telecommunications industry across Australia.
In this role, Gavin has broad oversight of NBN Co’s activities in regional and remote Australia including the development of infrastructure and capability, along with the community and stakeholder engagement functions pertaining to regional Australia.
Gavin is NBN Co’s Executive Sponsor for its First Nations engagement strategy and Reconciliation Action Plan.
Gavin has held leadership roles that have spanned engineering, product management, marketing and strategy disciplines across consumer, business and wholesale markets.
Prior to joining NBN Co, Gavin held positions in Telstra and Optus and was principal of an independent consultancy. He was a Board Director of Southern Cross Cable and is currently a Director of Regional Arts Australia.
Gavin holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Business Administration from Macquarie University. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Jordan Gesundheit
Jordan Gesundheit is the General Manager at Snap Send Solve, prior to that the Director of Growth at Granicus ANZ (previously OpenCities and Bang the Table). He has spent the better part of a decade delivering the most popular digital products for local government in customer experience and community engagement.
Jordan has designed digital solutions for local governments across the country, including a whole of state website solution delivered in partnership with the Local Government Association of Queensland. He is a purpose driven leader with an Executive MBA from RMIT and proven experience developing and implementing strategies to grow organisations and building high performing teams in the technology sector.
He is passionate about improving lives with technology and leverages a diverse and unique set of skills gained through career experience across engineering, communications, and leadership.
REGISTRATION FEES
$279
DISCOUNT
Discounted fee for delegates that are also attending the NGA
$479
FULL FEES
Regional Forum only fee (If you are only attending the regional forum not the National General Assembly).
nga 2025
The 2025 National General Assembly (NGA) will be held 24 - 27 June 2025
Registration is now open, please click below to view the website and take advantage of early bird rates.
contact us
Conference Co-ordinators
P: 02 6292 9000
E: confco@confco.com.au
ALGA
P: 02 6122 9400
E: alga@alga.asn.au