Media Release | New Leadership for FNMA

First Nations Media Australia (FNMA), the national peak body for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media and communications industry is pleased to announce its transition to a new leadership team in 2021-22.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

At its recent AGM, FNMA members elected two new Board members, Karen Paterson and Dre Ngatokorua to take their place alongside re-elected Directors, Jen Enosa, John 'Tadam' Lockyer and Naomi Moran and continuing Directors, Tanya Orman and Nelson Conboy. Members farewelled outgoing Directors, Vince Coulthard and Dot West, acknowledging Dot's strong leadership as Chair for over four years.

Naomi Moran was appointed the new Chairperson. Naomi Moran is a Nyangbal, Arakwal and Dunghutti woman from New South Wales, and is the General Manager of Australia’s only independent Indigenous newspaper, the Koori Mail. Her career in Indigenous media spans over 20 years, and includes experience in print, television and radio.

"I am very grateful to be given this opportunity to represent our media sector as Chair of the national peak body," said Ms Moran, "I've learned a lot from working closely with Dot in the Deputy Chair position for the past couple of years and appreciate her ongoing support, and the support of the whole Board in stepping into the Chair position at a time when our sector is so strong, united and deadly. This is such as important time for First Nations media to raise the voices of our people and I'm proud to be supporting that work through the peak."

Tadam Lockyer takes on the Deputy Chair position. Tadam is from Ngarluma and Karriarra country between Roeburne and Port Hedland. His mother's country is Nyul Nyul in the Dampier Peninsula. Tadam has worked at Pilbara and Kimberley Aboriginal media as Network Hub Manager since 2016. He previously worked as Interim Coordinator and Senior Broadcaster at Ngaarda Media in Roeburne, and as Radio Manager at Gumala Aboriginal Corporation from 2005-2015.

NEW CEO

As of 28 June, FNMA welcomes Dennis Stokes as the new CEO for the national peak body.

Dennis is of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent and comes from Darwin in the Northern Territory. He belongs to the Wardaman, Luritja and Warramunga people of the NT and the Wagadagam people of the Torres Strait.

Dennis began working as an Event Coordinator in 1998 and gradually became involved in Television as a Production Assistant at SBS in 2001 on the Indigenous current affairs program Living Black. Dennis eventually moved over to the Australia Council for the Arts working as a Project Officer for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board (ATSIA). There, he worked to deliver a strategic development plan to help organisations get better outcomes for their projects and employees. Dennis handled the client management of organisations such as the National Gallery of Australia for their exhibition Culture Warriors and Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Indigenous section Deadly Funny. Dennis also worked as Content Division Manager at National Indigenous Television (NITV).

Returning to the Northern Territory briefly to work with remote communities, Dennis was then appointed to the role of Indigenous Program Manager at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS). In his time at AFTRS, he oversaw a large growth in Indigenous participation and workshops throughout Australia.

Moving to Katherine NT he was appointed the Executive Officer of Mimi Ngurrdalingi Aboriginal Corporation incorporating Mimi Aboriginal Arts & Craft and oversaw the restructuring of the organisation and securing $2M for the building of a new arts centre building under the NT Governments "Indigenous Arts Trail" initiative. Since 2018 Dennis was the CEO of Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute working towards creating a more performance friendly space and creating a sustainable organisation well into the future.

Dennis returns home to the Northern Territory, relocating to Alice Springs where he will work from the FNMA head office. FNMA has had an interim leadership team in place during a period of recruitment since the departure of the previous CEO, Catherine Liddle in February. The Board thanks the staff team, members and stakeholders for your support for the organisation during this period of transition and looks forward to benefitting from the wealth of experience Dennis brings to the peak body moving forward.