Chief Executive Officer
Dr Belinda Russon
Belinda is a passionate education activist making her an ideal ambassador for Tranby. Her professional association with Tranby commenced in 2004 where she started out as a guest lecturer and researcher and then went on to become the Program Manager of the National Indigenous Legal Advocacy Program. Belinda’s entrepreneurial drive and talent created the pathway for a successful transition to CEO in 2013. She is courageously taking Tranby from strength to strength, leading a dedicated team who are inspired by her vision.
In addition to her role of CEO, Belinda is a qualified solicitor with over 15 years’ experience in the community justice sector and continues to be actively involved in Aboriginal community life. A Churchill Fellowship in 2013 enabled Belinda to travel to Norway, Canada and the USA to examine innovative and holistic approaches to Indigenous education. A prestigious Fullbright Scholarship in 2017 allowed Belinda to evaluate the benefits of student leadership and mentoring programs in American Colleges, to bring back and apply that knowledge to engaging and retaining Indigenous learners in the Australian Vocational and Training Sector.
Looking to improve enrollment rates, increase student attendance, engagement and retention for Indigenous adults, Belinda and her team are actively creating opportunities and striving with a great determination to achieve optimum results in all these facets for Tranby staff, student’s, critical partnerships with other Aboriginal organisations, corporate partners and the community at large.
A Message from our CEO
Momentum has been building here at Tranby in recent times, and we have taken many exciting steps to broaden and consolidate the educational and social impact we have nationally. As Australia’s oldest Indigenous education provider, the team at Tranby has been working hard to ensure that our commitment to Indigenous adult education opportunities is acknowledged and supported by both the Federal and State governments.
For me, education for Indigenous people and communities has always been a top priority. Education is transformative and we see time and time again the positive impact it has on our graduating students and their communities around Australia. Tranby has always had wonderful student Ambassadors who share their learning stories in their communities, spreading the message that learning truly is a lifelong opportunity and a most valuable experience.
Tranby has learnt much from listening to our current students, our former students, Stakeholders, government, Indigenous and other non- profit organisations. We have learnt that Tranby cannot simply keep doing the same things that it has been doing for decades because the environment in which we operate is constantly changing. We need to look to the future and be innovative in the way Tranby delivers its services to ensure that it can grow and prosper for many more years to come.
Change is challenging and means we must be prepared to venture out of our comfort zone at times, but it is necessary to position Tranby for future growth and sustainability in an increasingly competitive funding environment.
At Tranby we work hard to engage with current students, past students and the wider community to develop opportunities and pathways for success.
Tranby is a place where people come to learn, to share their knowledge, to feel inspired and be supported to achieve their goals. Our team and I work to ensure our students are welcomed, encouraged and receive the very best opportunity to reach their goals. This is what our Tranby team does best and commits to every day when we come to work. We look forward to continuing this commitment and the learning journey with our students as Tranby evolves into the future.
Dr. Belinda Russon