Connection to grassroots and leading a life of conviction sees CEO drive change
Advocating for disadvantaged communities and leading national peak body First Nations Advocates Against Family Violence, is all in a day’s work for Chief Executive Officer and CQUniversity alumna Kerry Staines.
And as she navigates directing the organisation into new territory as an independent entity, Kerry reflects on the pivotal factors of connection to culture, following visceral instinct, and maintaining connection to grassroots that have kept her grounded and moving forward in her pursuits.
Beginning her career at the age of 21 in a pre-release detention centre, Ms Staines ‘cut her teeth’ on the gritty work of providing holistic support to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, before proceeding to work in youth and child protection over the next decade.
With further experience in managing a women’s domestic and family violence refuge and mental health accommodation programs, and gaining a degree in psychology along with her MBA, Ms Staines now leads the nation’s peak body for Indigenous domestic and family violence prevention services, with her role now leading the charge for legislative reform, policy and advocacy.
In efforts to actualise priority reforms under the national agreement targets to uplift the whole-of-sector as a legal systems provider, Ms Staines’ work predominantly focuses on National Indigenous Australians Agency Outcome 13: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and households are safe and says that it’s connection to mob and culture, following her convictions and giving voice to story that spurs her onward.
“It’s been a pattern for me to make sure that I’m following whatever is driving me and acknowledging that, and it’s looking at both my faith and my culture together,” Ms Staines said.
“In recognising all the different journeys that people take with their Aboriginality, it’s about how you can give a voice to some of those stories that drives me. I’m drawn to people and helping those that are vulnerable have a voice – and to open the doors for them to have their own voice.”
While Ms Staines proudly wears her Aboriginality, and happily stands ‘Blak, loud and proud’ for herself and those she serves, it wasn’t always the case growing up in a social environment that didn’t embrace that identity.
“Although there was what I could see now as cultural threads and practices, it wasn’t necessarily lore. But I could see the way that they (family) worked together as a team and connected, and there was an outlook on how to preserve family and being kind of secretive about things – that’s more what I was exposed to but not really understanding what that was all about until later. If I look at some of the generations of women who tried to fit in and not be outcast in any way was something that I think was passed down.
"For me I’ve kind of reversed all of that and kind of shout from the rooftops that this is our heritage,” Ms Staines said.
“I think the ‘old girls’ have directed me for a lot of my life, and so connection to mob and culture is really important to me, and the cultural link feels like it’s always been there. I’ve surrounded myself with Elders who are really supportive too, and I’ve been recognised by people who knew my family which is such an amazing journey in itself.”
As Ms Staines works brick-by-brick, community by community in her goal to see national outcomes realised, similarities to the ethos of her work ethic can be found behind an adage she found to resonate with where it was once said, ‘you have to keep walking in culture and country to maintain peace’.
“When I heard that, it rang true for me,” Ms Staines reflected.
“You have to get peace with that cultural understanding of your identity, but once you find it it’s not like the work is done – you have to keep walking in that conviction and understanding with your identity to keep that peace.
“I feel incredibly privileged to be in the position that I am, and so it’s important to me to have the understanding that wherever I have influence I must use it in a way that is always connected to the grassroots.”
CQUniversity is proud to celebrate NAIDOC Week activities right across the campus footprint, championing the national theme ‘Keep the fire burning!: Blak, Loud and Proud’. View more information for your local area via the NAIDOC website.
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Passion and positive impact drive Jay's medical ambition
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'Be proud of who you are where you come from': a heritage regained
