Rebecca Sampi

Small Business Bush Botanicals and Tourism + Cultural Consultant

Rebecca is a Gija woman and has worked in community development for 20 years. Rebecca started her career as a teacher on Doon Doon community. She then moved into administration work and tourism working with a number of local companies developing tour products. Rebecca works as our lead female consultant for any of our contracts with Aboriginal communities and projects. She has a wealth of experience in designing and running workshops in planning and development of our projects with the various communities. Rebecca also has her own company, Garingbarr products, developing bush medicine products and sits on the Board of the Gelganyem Trust. Rebecca has a Dip Ed and is a fellow of the Institute of Company Directors.

Steve Davies

Landscape Arichitect

Steve has practiced as a landscape architect and environmental consultant for over thirty years. His work has taken him into some of the world’s most remote landscapes, including extensive tracts of Australia’s pristine interior and coastal wilderness. He garnered broad experience in the early part of his career in WA from conservation projects in National Parks and wildlife reserves, to large scale projects in the mining sector; civic and urban design projects in many municipalities; recreation reserve design; and rural strategies. His specialist knowledge of integrating sustainable development within natural environments makes him uniquely attuned to design ecotourism and cultural facilities. Steve has been privileged to work with Aboriginal Boards and Elders Groups across Australia to design and help bring community led development projects to showcase aboriginal culture into fruition. Steve is a Masters graduate of Landscape Architecture; a BSc (Honors) graduate in Natural Environmental Science and holds AILA professional practice qualifications. His home is the Nightcap Range in the Northern Rivers Region of NSW. 

Neville Poelina

Business Advisor Tourism and Botanicals + Cultural consultant

Neville is a Nyikina man from the West Kimberley. Neville has lived all of his life in the Kimberley and has traditional ties through family connections right throughout the region; Aboriginal culture and society is his life. Neville holds a wealth of knowledge of the region, including the history, topography, flora and fauna and first hand knowledge of the rich and varied Indigenous cultures of the area. As a young man Neville worked for 20 years as a Pearl Diver and his knowledge of the Kimberley Coast is unsurpassed. He has been operating his own tourism business in the Kimberley for the last 20 years. Neville has sat on the WA tourism Board, was Australian Commissioner for tourism and chaired the Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Board. Neville has been working with the United Nations developing the silk road route and the tourism product in each of the villages. Neville has also lectured at the Kimberley college of TAFE in tourism, and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Iolanthe Fitzgerald

Youth Strategy Program Manager

Ioli has worked for RPM for over 10 years. She started as a project assistant working on the Martu School Holiday Program and Kuruma Marthudunera Aboriginal Corporation setup. Ioli has also worked on the Murchison Radio Astronomy Agreement, Martu Mobility Study for BHP and ran a probono Malya Yuturringu Film Festival on Martu land. Ioli has worked in RPM’s core team as administrative and executive assistant across all major projects. Ioli is currently managing the Balgo youth strategy and developing the Junior rangers program .

Michelle MacKenzie

Policy Advisor

Michelle brings to the team a breadth of state and local government, not-for-profit and industry knowledge. Combining her experience, skills and knowledge across multiple sectors including housing, transport, community services, and regional development Michelle has a focus on developing evidence-based policy, partnerships and funding alliances to drive advocacy and deliver good community outcomes. Michelle is the Principal of Mira Consulting, a Halls Creek based boutique consulting firm. Prior to founding Mira, Michelle was CEO of Shelter WA, an Executive Director at the Department of Regional Development, led the regional community relations team at Rio Tinto Iron Ore, and was the Executive Manager Infrastructure at the WA Local Government Association (WALGA).  Michelle has a Master of Arts in Public Policy, a Bachelor of Music/Arts (hons) and a Certificate of Engagement from the International Association for Public Participation. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a graduate of the Leadership WA Signature Leadership Program and the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course. Michelle sits on the Board of the East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Regional Development Australia Kimberley.

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