Michelle Feenan

Director

Experience

Michelle has over 20 years’ experience in community engagement including facilitation, planning, team development and community development.
Her broad career has seen her involved in the design and delivery of community engagement strategies, community planning, practitioner training and capability building, facilitation and mediation services, strategic planning, the review of community based services and policy development.

Positions Held

Prior to launching Engagement Plus in 2006, Michelle worked in a number of different roles within State and Local Government including Manager of Community & Cultural Development for Thuringowa City Council. Michelle’s work experiences have included management, senior policy development, significant community development and capacity building in rural, remote and indigenous communities as well as special projects services for emerging social policy in Queensland and New South Wales contexts.

Qualifications

Michelle holds a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Behavioural Sciences and has undertaken post-graduate studies in Social Policy, Local Government Administration, Workplace Training and Human Resources. She is a trainer in the internationally recognised International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Foundations in Public Participation, Certificate in Engagement and Advanced Certificate in Engagement.

Affiliations

Michelle is accredited in the Mercer CED Job Evaluation Methodology, Zing Enabled Technologies, the “The Art of Facilitation”, TMS Network’s Team Management Systems and in mediation through Queensland’s Dispute Resolution Centre.

Marion Lawie

Associate

Experience

Marion is an experienced engagement practitioner, strategist and communicator. A former teacher and accomplished project manager, she is highly innovative and politically savvy and is widely regarded for her ability to create positive project outcomes and strong stakeholder relationships.

Marion has worked in diverse communities in Australia and internationally. She has extensive experience in community engagement, education programs, community development, biosecurity and disaster management communication.

Positions Held

Prior to joining Engagement Plus, Marion worked in a number of roles in state and local governments including Community Engagement Program Leader at Logan City Council. Most recently, Marion was a Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Manager at Aurecon where she led communication and stakeholder engagement for a variety of projects.

Marion has lectured in stakeholder engagement at Queensland University of Technology and is and a Global Fellowship Councillor for the Royal Society of Arts.

Qualifications

Master of Education – University of Southern Queensland; Bachelor of Arts (Majors: Psychology and Russian) University of Queensland; Graduate Diploma of Education – Queensland University of Technology; IAP2 Certificate of Public Participation, International Association of Public Participation; Certificate IV Workplace Assessment & Training, Queensland TAFE.

Affiliations

Member, IAP2; Member, The Research Society; Fellow, RSA

Kathryn Tabone

Associate

Experience

With over ten years’ experience working in local government in Victoria and Queensland, Kathryn is a community engagement practitioner specialising in facilitation, and community engagement strategies design and delivery.

Positions Held

Kathryn’s work experience includes the development and implementation of the Federal Department of Social Services ‘Community Capacity Building’ projects, as well as community planning and social policy development. In addition, Kathryn has comprehensive knowledge and experience in implementing a wide variety of engagement methods and social research techniques.

Prior to joining Engagement Plus, Kathryn worked in a number of different roles within local government including Social Research Analyst, Community Development Officer and Co-ordinator of Community Policy and Programs.

Qualifications

Kathryn has a Bachelor of Arts with honours undergraduate degree and a Masters of Public Policy (University of Melbourne). In addition, Kathryn has completed a number of IAP2 certificates and social research training.

Rob Gravestocks

Associate

Experience

Rob has more than 20 years’ experience in stakeholder and community engagement, public relations, strategic communications, marketing and training and has worked in the public, private and not for profit sectors. He also has significant experience in learning and development having worked with a number of institutions from TAFE to UNSW Global and the University of Sydney where he recently tutored, and guest lectured. Rob has written award winning submissions for the the Queensland Reconciliation Awards and several IAP2 Core Values Awards.

Positions Held

Having spent three years in an executive role in IAP2 Australasia, Rob honed his knowledge of community and stakeholder engagement while managing and coordinating the training arm of the organisation. He project-managed the new Australasian Certificate in Engagement in his final year in the organisation and is a highly experienced educator in the adult learning arena. As a Project Manager with Articulous, Rob developed the IAP2 State of the Practice – an online survey to evaluate and measure the state of engagement practice across Australasia.

Qualifications

Rob holds a Bachelor of Planning and Design, a Graduate Diploma in Sustainability and an IAP2 Certificate in Public Participation as well as being an IAP2 trainer licensed for four courses.

Affiliations

Member, IAP2.

Jordan Robinson

Facilitator

Experience

With a background in the arts and ten years’ prior employment delivering the strategic and operational management of community facilities, customer service and community based programs for local government organisations, Jordan has significant experience working with local communities and facilitating positive outcomes to complex projects. Specialist areas of knowledge include theatre, film, design, visual art, tourism and hospitality, sport and recreation, community facilities, community services, customer service, and public land administration.

Positions Held

Jordan has held senior management positions in local government, community development, holiday parks, marketing, recruitment and events.

Qualifications

IAP2 Engagement Essentials, IAP2 Engagement Design, Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training, Bachelor of Screen Production in Digital Media with a Major in Drama.

Zanthea Chulio

Facilitator

Experience

With experience spanning local government, consultancy (both in Australia and New Zealand) and community services work, Zanthea is a skilled engagement practitioner with a comprehensive knowledge of social and community planning principles, systems and practice with specialist skills in social research, social impact assessment, socio-economic analysis, project management and community and stakeholder engagement.

Positions Held

From her background in urban and regional planning Zanthea has held a range of positions including Community Relations Advisor, Project Officer and Community Engagement and Social Impact Planning Consultant.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Urban Development, Urban and Regional Planning – Queensland University of Technology; Graduate Certificate of Social Impact, Social Sciences – Swinburne University of Technology; IAP2 Engagement Essentials, Engagement methods, Engagement design, Conflict Resolution Skills

Affiliations

Member, IAP2

Helen Christensen

Associate

Experience

Helen is a talented community engagement specialist with strong skills and experience in training, research, process design and facilitation. She has worked with public organisations to design and deliver participatory processes and to build people’s capability to design and deliver engagement themselves. Helen is a licensed trainer with IAP2 Australasia.

In addition to her wealth of community engagement experience, Helen is an Industry Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney’s Institute for Public Policy and Governance, where she has recently completed a PhD exploring the practice and professionalisation of community engagement in Australian local government. Helen has published more than 10 academic articles on the subject. She coordinates and lectures in two subjects in the Master of Local Government program at the university.

Helen also regularly delivers training for the International Association of Public Participation.

Positions Held

With vast experience consulting and working with public organisations to design and deliver participatory processes and to build people’s capability to design and deliver engagement themselves, Helen brings a wealth of experience to Engagement Plus.

Helen is an Industry Fellow and contractor at the University of Technology Sydney where her engagements include Course Developer and Subject Coordinator: Public Engagement in Decision-Making, and Subject Coordinator: Social Planning and Community Development.

Previous roles have also included Community Engagement Coordinator with Bayside City Council (Vic).

Qualifications

Helen holds a Doctor of Philosophy (in Community engagement in Australian local government), as well as a Bachelor of Arts (History, Literature), Bachelor of Education (Secondary), and a Master of Development Practice (Social Planning).

In addition, Helen has completed IAP2 Australasia training (Engagement Essentials, Engagement Design, Engagement Methods, Facilitation and Building and Engaging Organisation, and Conflict in Engagement and Engagement Evaluation).

Michelle Feenan

Marion Lawie

Kathryn Tabone

Rob Gravestocks

Jordan Robinson

Zanthea Chulio

Helen Christensen

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