Guest Speakers for 2025
7th April – Ms Loan Chow
She is Director of Wills and Estates at YHC Lawyers, and presents sessions about Wills and Estates at retirement villages, for community groups and in partnership with education organisations. Loan will share her insights about: Wills gone wrong - or no Will at all – what happens next? Tips and Traps about Enduring Powers of Attorney, the Importance of Advance Health Directives, How to protect yourself and the people you're meant to be looking after and What Happens When Someone Passes Away.
7th May - David Hansen - Crime Stoppers
David was born and grew up in Aspley. He moved to the western suburbs in 2011 where he lives with his wife and two of his three sons.
He is the current CEO of Crime Stoppers Qld having decided at the end of 2022 on a career change, to move away from” for profit-based” organisations into “for purpose” ones. His career to that point had predominantly been in the financial services industry where his roles included responsibility for establishing operations in Australia and North America and several state leadership roles.
Before joining Crime Stoppers, David was the National Manager of the specialist medical and community health division of an ASX-listed advisory organisation.
His community service activities include almost 20 years volunteering on the beach for surf lifesaving up to 2014 when his skin specialist advised him to “get out of the sun”. He remains a non-patrolling member of Dicky Beach Surf Lifesaving club.
David has an MBA from QUT in Brisbane, has completed the AICD NFP Governance Principals Course and is currently studying Corporate Governance. In his spare time, he is a professionally amateur triathlete!
2nd June - David Hamilton
David Hamilton has been entertaining audiences nationally and internationally with his unique blend of cabaret puppetry, music, and song for over three decades and is regarded as Australia’s leading exponent of marionettes.
His unique Solo Marionette Variety Act has performed worldwide at major theatres, festivals corporate shows, casinos, and special events to critical acclaim.
This muti-award winning entertainer is recipient of the Mobil Quest Singing Competition, Australian BP Quiet Achiever of the Year Award, 3 times voted “Queensland Variety Act of the Year” before being inducted into the “Entertainer of the Year Hall of Fame”.
Appointed Entertainment Producer for the Piazza Venue at World Expo 88 and was responsible for the production of over 1,842 national and international acts for world-renowned special events director Ric Birch also producing and programming computer audio animatronics variety productions for Dreamworld and Seaworld.
He has been guest artist at “Out of the Box” QPAC, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, “Brisbane Night of Stars” Festivals, “World Festival of Magic” and a Royal Command Performance in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.
David’s vocal training at the Qld Conservatorium of Music under world–renowned Opera Tenor Sir Donald Smith OBE resulted in performances with Opera Qld and eventually led to the combination of both talents: Singing and Puppetry.
7th July – Rupert McCall
Rupert McCall is an Australian poet of international renown who has presented on stages from Anzac Cove in Gallipoli to Ground Zero in New York.
From Roger Federer & Steve Irwin to Shane Warne & Winx, his tributes to our heroes and special occasions, have become highly sought-after for the indelible mark they have left on audiences everywhere. He is the author of seven anthologies of verse that have collectively sold over 120 000 copies. In 2013 as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, Rupert received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to the community, particularly as a port.
4th August – Professor Kerrie Mengersen
Topic: “Looking at our World Through a data lens".
Professor Kerrie Mengersen’s expertise is in statistical and AI methods, computational algorithms, the modelling of complex systems, big data analytics, Bayesian statistics, responsible data science and translation with impact in health, environment, sport, business and industry. She has recently been appointed Founding Director of the QUT Centre for Data Science, is also the Chair in Statistics and Distinguished Professor, QUT, Department of Statistics as well as an Oxford University Associate Member. Professor Mengersen’s many scientific achievements have been recognised world-wide.
3rd November – Debbie Brittain
Topic: ‘Museums as Places for Human Flourishing: Sustaining Wellbeing of People Living With Dementia’.
Debbie Brittain is a Project Officer in the Learning team at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane and QAGOMA’s Art and Dementia Program Lead. Debbie is interested in life-long learning and regularly sees first-hand how the Arts play a contributing factor in enhancing psychosocial wellbeing for all ages and abilities.
Debbie developed QAGOMA’s award-winning Art and Dementia Program more than twelve years ago. The program has gained global recognition as an evidence-based model that intersects contemporary dementia care practice with participatory arts and wellbeing approaches. The program’s multi-modal format includes visual, auditory and tactile elements to enhance wellbeing within the therapeutic gallery setting.
Since completing a Bachelor of Dementia Care at the University of Tasmania, Debbie’s interest in non-pharmacological intervention for people with dementia and the role of neuroaesthetics to engage cognitive function have seen the QAGOMA program broaden its scope.
In 2023, Debbie was awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship by the Churchill Trust Australia which is independent of her QAGOMA role. Debbie’s research project investigated global best practice in museum programming to sustain wellbeing of people with dementia. This topic explores ‘museums on prescription’ type approaches to complement clinical care.
Debbie travelled to the USA, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom and Denmark in late 2024 to undertake her Fellowship across 8 weeks, which culminated in a report that has been published and disseminated by the Churchill Fellowship Trust (Australia).
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