Senator The Honourable Penny Wong

Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Penny Wong was born in the Malaysian state of Sabah. Her family moved to Australia in 1976, when she was eight years old, and settled in Adelaide. She studied law and arts at the University of Adelaide.

Following roles in trade unions, she worked as an adviser to the NSW Labor Government and as a barrister before being elected to the Senate for the Australian Labor Party in 2001. Senator Wong has since been re-elected four times.

In 2013 Senator Wong was elected Leader of the Government in the Senate and, after the change of government in 2013, became Leader of the Opposition in the Senate – the first woman to hold either of these roles. She served as Shadow Foreign Minister for six years before the election of the Albanese Government in 2022, when she was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Senator Wong lives in Adelaide with her partner and their daughters. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, shopping at the Central Market and, from time to time, enjoying one of South Australia’s great wines.

The Honourable Emily Bourke MLC

Assistant Minister to the South Australian Premier, Assistant Minister for Autism

Born and raised on a farm near Maitland on the Yorke Peninsula, Emily understands the value of working together to achieve the best outcome for a community.

After completing her schooling in Maitland, Emily moved to Adelaide to study before returning to the Yorke Peninsula to work at the local newspaper for three years.

Emily has committed most of her working life to listening and acting to support individuals, community groups and the South Australian business community through her roles in both State and Federal Government.

Emily is now the Assistant Minister to the Premier and Assistant Minister for Autism – the first political office dedicated to autism in the world. She is proud to be part of a team that is committed to creating an inclusive community
and improving the basics we all rely on – education, health services and local job opportunities.

Sandra Miller

SA Senior Australian of the Year, 2023

Sandra Miller, a proud Wirangu woman from the Ceduna area, has been a trailblazer, breaking down barriers for Aboriginal women aspiring to leadership roles at a time when they were under-represented.

Sandy trained as a social worker and in the early 1980s worked for the Department of Community Welfare in Adelaide. She pushed to change government policies that were detrimental to Aboriginal children and encouraged Aboriginal people to become foster parents.

She went on to play an important part in policy development and service design across key state government portfolios, including Aboriginal health, ageing and welfare.

Sandy continues to be a strong voice for her community since leaving the public service. She’s had leadership roles in Aboriginal health and legal rights groups, and holds multiple board and executive appointments.

She has represented her community in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance, and at the United Nations.

Angela Falkenberg 

President, Australian Primary Principals Association

Angela Falkenberg is an experienced school and community leader whose personal leadership commitment is to support students, educators, and families to have skills of resilience and optimism and for leaders to be and lead well. 

She is currently President of the Australian Primary Principals Association representing leaders in over 7600 schools, past principal of three primary schools, and has held leadership positions in secondary schools and in system roles (she has been a wellbeing leader, behaviour coach, a literacy leadership coach and led the recruitment and development of teachers to SA’s Aboriginal and Anangu Schools).

Her teaching career began in indigenous education in the NT and has included roles in primary and secondary education with a focus on students and families experiencing educational disadvantage. She also led a three-year health care project in the neonatal nurseries of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and is a past president of charity SIDS and Kids SA. She holds a master’s degree in special education and continues to embrace the joy of life-long learning. 

She is grateful that through her upbringing she was supported to develop skills in optimism and resilience –  no more than when a house fire took the life of her husband and young son or when a parent pulled out a gun instead of some pithy, well-crafted arguments. 

Angela is also a rational optimist as she can’t see the point in being anything else.

Lucy Hinton – Event MC

Former Channel 9 News reporter, Foodbank Ambassador 

Starting her career with Channel 9 News, Lucy worked in the Melbourne, Bendigo and Adelaide newsrooms across a variety of programmes, covering everything from politics and crime to sport and major events.

After six years with the network, Lucy took a role with the South Australian Government as a ministerial media advisor before moving to Sydney to start her current role as Reputation Manager at PwC Australia.

Lucy firmly believes in the work and endeavours of Foodbank Australia and is proud to support Foodbank South Australia’s annual Women of Influence Luncheon.

Sonya Feldhoff – Panel Discussion Host

ABC Radio Adelaide Breakfast Presenter

In her more than 25 years in radio, Sonya Feldhoff has switched between the roles of journalist, producer and presenter. Sonya grew up in Adelaide, the daughter of 1960s German immigrants.

Sonya began her radio career with a cadetship at FIVEaa. Various radio roles followed and then, in 2007, Sonya made the jump from commercial radio to the ABC, where she hosted Afternoons for more than a decade before taking over the Breakfast slot in 2024 with Jules Schiller.

A consummate interviewer, Sonya is passionate about sharing stories from the South Australian community and beyond.