Our Team
We are an experienced, Aboriginal-led team dedicated to place-based change.
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We value and advocate for our community and bring our collective years of experience and wisdom to the table to hold space for the community to meet their aspirations.
Jessie Sleep
Chief Executive Officer
Jessie is a Kokatha Woman living in Ceduna, South Australia. Her guiding professional objective is to contribute to the advancement of her community and to be an effective and inspirational leader.
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She has extensive experience in business and community development, particularly focusing on hybrid service and business integration models. Recent work in this area has included developing a regionally focused and relevant Governance Model that informs a tripartite governance approach integrating traditional, cultural and collaborative governance approaches.
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Jessie has a passion for business improvement through the development and nurturing of a strong organisational culture, with a focus on agile and restorative management approaches.
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With her leadership and management skills and experience, Jessie is known for being highly organised in her management approach. She values a family centered approach to business and relationships ensuring that any investment into community outcomes is anchored by her core goal of improving the world for her children and future generations.
Samara Jaeger
Business Manager
Mica Sleep
Executive Assistant
Samara, originally from Streaky Bay, is the Business Manager at FWCP.
With nearly 20 years of experience in administration and business management across various sectors, she is committed to supporting her team and driving change in the Far West region.
Now living in Ceduna with her partner, Samara focuses on business improvement projects, strategic planning, financial management, and industrial relations.
She values collaboration and believes in empowering her team to foster innovation. Describing her role as supportive and behind the scenes, she aims to unite the team for regional progress while balancing her fun-loving personality with a strong work ethic.
Mica is an admin guru with a strong background in administration, finance and team management.
Maintaining a seamless and organised workflow is Mica’s strength - she keeps the wheels turning so that we can meet our organisational goals.
Mica has lived and worked in the Far West Region for the past 12 years with her young family. Together, they enjoy getting out in the community to explore our beautiful country and coastline.
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'It is such a rewarding experience to be able to be a part of the future shaping of the region. I would love to be an all-rounder support to the FWCP crew. I am definitely more of a behind the scenes type of person but you’ll always hear me cheering the loudest because validating and providing support for personal and professional growth is such a huge focus for me.' - Mica
Bianca Mitchell
Operations Manager
Patrick Sharpe
Partnerships and
Research Manager
Michelle Duregon
Project Officer -
Service Development
Bianca is a born and bred Ceduna/Smoky Bay local who spent a few years shuffling up and down the coast, from Yalata to Port Lincoln. 5 years ago, she followed her partner to Darwin and recently returned to Ceduna as a family of 4.
Bianca’s skillset is predominantly with case management and events, however her favourite skill is building relationships and values how important and transferrable that skill is. She believes that the people that she has met, the stories that she has heard and the places she has seen, is a true privilege.
Bianca comes to us as a solutions-based thinker, so if you are going to her with a problem, you can expect solutions for positive changes to be thrown your way!
‘I love that the organisation is led by community voice. I am so happy to be creating and implementing projects that the community have voiced the need for. Being a part of Joy, Hope, Future encourages me to promote positive change in all my contributions.’ Bianca
Patrick has more than 20 years' experience in community development and engagement roles, working both for government and community-based organisations.
He has a passion for genuine solution-oriented community engagement and aspires to use his knowledge and skills to provide for a better future for the younger generations of our community.
Patrick is also working towards his PhD in Public Health at Flinders University.
Michelle is a local woman who has lived and spent all her life in Ceduna. As a child she was luck enough to travel with her family and learnt from a very young age that we live in a beautiful part of the world.
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Michelle's career has been varied ranging from admin roles, small business manager, youth/family case worker, working with children and families in various settings and team management.
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Michelle enjoys collaborating with others to achieve common goals from making someone's day that little bit brighter to bringing about bigger picture positive change.
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Michelle values her time with family and friends, enjoys the outdoors and it is the simple things in life that brings to her the most is happiness.
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Michelle is looking forward to gaining a deeper understanding of 'The Change Agenda' and is excited to be a part of an organisation that aspires to bring positive change that is community led.
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'I believe that my colleagues past and present describe me as a team player, dedicated, helpful, good listener, values fun and laughter in the workplace. I like to think outside the box and explore new initiatives. - Michelle
Tracey Miller
Project Officer -
Community Development
Emma Burnett
Project Officer -
Impact Measurement
Les Mundy
Engagement Officer
Tracey is a proud resident of South Australia's Far West Coast, having grown up in Ceduna and attended Crossways Lutheran School before boarding at Immanuel College in Adelaide.
She currently lives in Ceduna with her family and previously worked as a youth coordinator and mentor, a role she finds deeply fulfilling as she advocates for local youth and seeks empowerment opportunities within the community.
Tracey enjoys spending time with her family, sharing experiences like hunting and fishing, and is passionate about youth well-being and education.
Her colleagues see her as a balanced person who brings both humor and focus to work.
'Excited to be part of the Far West Community Partnerships team, she looks forward to collaborating on grassroots strategies for community growth and advocating for future generations.' - Tracey
Emma is a Kamilaroi woman from NSW. She was raised in Roxby Downs before moving to Adelaide to attend boarding school, followed by her Bachelor of Social Work at UniSA. Emma recently relocated to Ceduna with her husband, a born and bred local man, and their daughter. She now considers Ceduna to be home.
Emma comes to FWCP with 12 years experience in Child Protection. Emma worked tirelessly to try and prevent children from entering the system and for better outcomes however, she found there was little room for flexibility and creativity to create positive change.
Emma is a friendly and passionate team member, who doesn’t believe that pineapples belong on pizza and hates donuts!
‘Being a backbone organisation allows for so much more flexibility, freedom, and ability to help support community. I want to be a part of something that is truly community led and genuinely meets the needs of the Far West Community, so we can all be happy, healthy and wealthy.’ - Emma
Les is a proud Wirangu man from the Far West coast of South Australia, He grew up and went to School in Koonibba and lived in Ceduna most of his life. His tribe are the Wirangu peoples of the West Coast.
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Les is a skilled Carpenter by Trade through his career, he has fulfilled carious roles, including youth worker, Childcare Worker, Sports & Recreation officer and Kindergarten bus driver.
Les finds joy in quality time with his family, particularly in engaging activities such as fishing and hunting in the great outdoors. He appreciates the community centered approach of FWCP and its commitment to enhancing Ceduna and surrounds, enabling the telling of their narratives in their unique manner.
Les encapsulates his sentiment, stating, " 'He likes how FWCP is Community orientated and is striving to make Ceduna a better place for everyone to tell their stories their way.' - Les
Stephanie Dudley
Engagement Officer
Raylene Coleman
Community Navigator
Stephanie is a proud Wirangu/Kokatha/Mirning/
Adnyamathanha woman who has grown up most of her life in Ceduna and Port Lincoln, before settling at Koonibba with her partner and daughter.
Stephanie’s skillset is in Administration and is excited to take on her new Community Engagement role and build her skills in all areas of work at FWCP, while also building on her strengths and learning to thrive in a workplace environment.
Stephanie is passionate about spending time with her family, being on country and travelling, she also loves supporting the community through sporting events.
‘I like how FWCP is community orientated and is striving to make the Far West Coast better. I am excited to be able to work in community to get feedback and voice what the community needs.’ - Stephanie
Raylene grew up in the remote community of Coonana, Western Australia, and has frequently traveled between South Australia and Western Australia, currently residind in Ceduna.
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Raylene's professional background is primarily in retail, having worked at the Community Store, where she served and assisted members of her community. In addition, she has experience working with children in an educational setting.
Raylene enjoys participating in community events, particularly local football games on weekends. She also values spending quality time with her family, engaging in camping trips and hunting activities.
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Raylene is often described as quiet, she is a remarkable achiever when it comes to supporting her community.
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'Raylene's perspective on the organisation and her desire to contribute to our goal of fostering a happy, healthy, and prosperous community, Raylene appreciates the Far West Community Partnership (FWCP) for its focus on community well-being.' - Raylene
Randy Gray
Communications Officer
​Randy is a proud Wirangu man from the Far West Coast of South Australia. Randy lived and went to School in Koonibba which is situated 40kms north west of Ceduna.
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Randy's skillset is predominantly in Administration but has recently completed his certificate IV as an Aboriginal Health Practitioner with the Aboriginal Health Council of SA.
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Randy is known for his exceptional work in the Community, Randy now works as a Communications Officer at FWCP and is excited to build his skills in all areas of work while also building his strengths and learning to thrive in a workplace environment.
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Randy is passionate about spending quality time with family and friends, being on country fishing and hunting.
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'I like how FWCP is community orientated and is thriving through engagement to make the Far West better. I am also excited to be able to work in an organisation that is governed by local Aboriginal organisations. To see success you need to find success.' - Randy
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Beth Wallis
Administration Officer
Originally from Canberra, Beth relocated to Ceduna in 2015 to be with her partner, where they now reside together.
Beth has an extensive background in administrative roles, allowing her to leverage her skills and experience to support various initiatives effectively.
Her colleagues describe her as a dedicated and hardworking individual, which has contributed to her reputation for excellence. Known for her friendly demeanor and proactive approach, Beth consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that operations run smoothly.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Beth enjoys exploring the unique landscapes of Ceduna, from its stunning beaches to the breathtaking inland vistas.
She is always eager to learn and grow within her new environment. - Beth
Our Board
Our Board members are made of up the CEO's/General Manager of the five Aboriginal Communities in the Far West Region: Ceduna, Koonibba, Scotdesco, Yalata and Oak Valley (Maralinga).
Wayne Miller
CEO, Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation
Corey McLennan
CEO, Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation
Robert Larkings
CEO,Scotdesco Aboriginal Community
David White
CEO, Yalata Aboriginal Community
Kim Gregory
General Manager, Oak Valley (Maralinga) Aboriginal Corporation
Wayne is passionate about youth leadership and ensuring his community is empowered to make decisions through choice not chance.
He is a member of the South Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council and advises the South Australian Government on factors contributing to Aboriginal reoffending to stop the revolving door on our prisons.
Corey has dedicated his life to service of his community.
He started his career at the Far West Aboriginal Progress Association, later becoming an Aboriginal Education Manager at Ceduna Public School. He is a former player and manager and longstanding supporter of the Koonibba Football Club.
Bobby has been living and working with aboriginal communities in the Far West Region for almost 30 years.
He has specialist qualifications in financial management, community services management, governance, training and assessment. He is also chair of several local community organisations and on the Far West Aboriginal Communities Leaders Group
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