Our Team

We have board of dedicated leaders who bring deep experience and a strong commitment to fostering Indigenous-led change. Guided by respect and understanding, our team works closely with Indigenous communities.

Leading Change with Trust and Expertise

The RIPA team has a depth of experience and the trust and acceptance of Indigenous communities to meaningfully engage with parents, families, and educators and help them drive Indigenous-led change at the grassroots level.

Our board sets the organisation’s strategic direction and oversees performance to ensure responsiveness to community expectations and the long-term viability and effectiveness of best-practice service delivery standards. Get to know them below.

“Our strong governance and continued focus on shaping a culture of healthy, respectful community relationships will ensure consistently high-quality services that foster shared learning and mutual understanding amongst stakeholders.”
— Lorraine Bennett and John Morgan, Co-chairs

Current board members

  • Lorraine Bennett

    Co-Chair

    Joined RIPA: 5 April 2017
    Appointed Co-Chair: 5 April 2017

    Lorraine is an Indigenous Liaison Officer and Cultural Elder Advisor for the Wugularr (Beswick) community east of Katherine. Lorraine works tirelessly to support parents and families to send their children to boarding to finish their school education.

  • John Morgan

    Co-Chair

    Joined RIPA: 5 April 2017
    Appointed Co-Chair: 5 April 2017

    John is a Brinkin man from the Upper Daly Region who has lived in Arnhem Land for 27 years. John has family connections across the Gulf of Queensland and South Australia. John has a long history of serving the community and has undertaken studies in business governance, health promotion, community services and suicide intervention. John’s skills, leadership and dedication to supporting young people along their educational journeys are invaluable assets to the RIPA Board.

  • Michelle Bennett

    Joined RIPA: 5 April 2017
    Appointed Co-Chair: 5 April 2017

    Michelle is a Wardaman/Ngandi woman who attended boarding school to finish her school education during the 1980s. Michelle trained as a teacher, working in both remote and urban schools across the Northern Territory. Michelle worked for nearly 15 years in Minyerri School, most recently as Assistant Principal. Michelle's teaching background and boarding experience make her a great addition to the RIPA Board.

  • Noela Anderson

    Joined RIPA: 2 August 2023
    Appointed Director: 2 August 2023

    Noela lives in Borroloola, Northern Territory and is from the Garrwa and Yanyuwa language groups. Noela completed high school at St John’s Catholic College, Darwin, and works as a School Liaison Officer with the Borroloola and Gulf Group Schools. She has held this role for 14 years and prior to that worked as a Casual Tutor/Assistant Teacher for three years. Noela has spent her whole life in and around Borroloola. While her current job is challenging, Noela gets great satisfaction from helping her many students achieve their educational goals.

  • Terry O'Connell OAM

    Joined RIPA: 30 June 2017
    Appointed Director: 30 June 2017

    Terry recently traced his Indigenous heritage to the well-known Tasmanian Aboriginal woman, Dolly Dalrymple, from the Trawlwoolway Nation. Terry is an international relational practice pioneer and spent 30 years as a New South Wales police officer. Terry has tirelessly worked for over three decades for the use of relational practice in schools, communities, and families. He strongly believes explicit relational dialogue can transform relationships.

  • Neil Gibson

    Joined RIPA: 24 May 2019
    Appointed Director: 24 May 2019

    Neil Gibson has been an educator and leader for nearly 30 years with the Northern Territory Department of Education (DoE) and has worked in very remote Indigenous community schools for 27 years. Neil has worked for a number of years in DoE’s Transition Support Unit, helping Indigenous students and families enrolments, Abstudy applications, and successfully transition to boarding school. Neil is currently the Principal of Batchelor Area School and Batchelor Outdoor Education Centre.

  • Bjorn Christie-Johnston

    Joined RIPA: 5 April 2017
    Appointed Director: 5 April 2017

    Bjorn has lived in the Northern Territory for 19 years and was employed for 11 years as a Senior Head of Residence at a boarding school with up to 300 Indigenous students from remote Territory communities. Bjorn was Vice President and Board member for 7 years of Boarding Australia (now Indigenous Education and Boarding) and its CEO for 4 years. Bjorn resigned from this role in 2015 and continued as Project and Engagement Facilitator for 2 years. Bjorn has some 18 years of experience working as the CEO of major corporations in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, as well as 3 years in Papua New Guinea.

Former board members

  • Irene Laifoo

    Joined RIPA: 6 November 2020
    Appointed Director: 6 November 2020
    Retired as Director at 2022-2023 AGM;
    Membership - Current

    Born and raised on Thursday Island north of Cape York Peninsula, Irene attended boarding school at St Anne's CEGS, Townsville, followed by a nursing career at Royal Brisbane Hospital. In 1994, Irene commenced her boarding career as a Senior House Parent at Kormilda College at Berrimah in Darwin. In 1998, she moved into Head of Siena House Boarding at St. John’s College Darwin. Irene worked as a Local Child and Family Support Worker for 10 months and is currently Head of Boarding at Camon Boggo Pilot Hostel.

  • Nicole Thompson

    Joined RIPA: 19 July 2019
    Appointed Director: 19 July 2019
    Retired as Director at 2021-2022 AGM;
    Membership - Current

    Nicole is a Mak Mak Marranunggu woman, born and raised in the Northern Territory. Her career began with the Queensland Police Service. As Head of Girls Boarding at St John’s Catholic College, Nicole was responsible for the welfare of 60 plus Indigenous girls from remote communities across the Northern Territory. Nicole joined RIPA because she believes that parents’ being able to voice their concerns and issues about their children’s education is paramount. She believes RIPA has the potential to be a catalyst for change, not just with schools and educational settings, but all organisations that have a role in the education of Indigenous students.