When Krista Dunstan saw the Independent Director position at Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation (KAC) advertised, she felt it was a strong fit for her experience and values.
‘I just thought this would be a position where my skills could really make a difference and it seemed like there was a lot of alignment between what KAC was doing and what we’d been doing over here in Western Australia,’ she says.
A proud Noongar woman, who grew up in Esperance, before moving to Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar in Boorloo (Perth), Krista is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Port Hedland Industries Council. She is also Chair of Blak & Bright, which is Australia’s leading organisation dedicated to showcasing and elevating First Nations literary voices. Recently Krista was also appointed to the Board of Indigenous Business Australia (IBA).
Krista has held senior roles in both government and the corporate sector, including working as Western Australia’s Investment and Trade Commissioner to ASEAN.
‘That role really impressed upon me the cultural similarities between South East Asia and Aboriginal Australia,’ she says. ‘It got me interested in looking at international investment opportunities for Aboriginal communities, especially in South East Asia because there’s a lot of alignment.’
Earlier in her career, Krista worked as a lawyer specialising in the resources and construction industries. She brings with her a wealth of experience in governance, leadership and ‘building bridges’ between government, industry and Aboriginal communities.
‘I’m passionate about creating opportunities for Aboriginal people to have a genuine say in the decisions that affect them, and to share in the economic opportunities that come from development on our land,’ she says.
Krista believes strong governance and long-term planning are the keys to creating lasting benefits for Aboriginal people into the future, which is also what attracted her to the position on the KAC Board.
‘I think the Strategic Plan puts KAC in a really good position by setting a very clear road map about where the Corporation is headed,’ she says. ‘It’s a really exciting time to be involved in helping to bring the plan to life and see it have a real impact.’
Since joining the KAC Board, Krista has also been enjoying bringing her negotiation and strategic skills to the table, as KAC works towards a new Olympic Dam Agreement.
‘I really like supporting the Directors in building opportunities that will benefit all Kokatha people for generations to come,’ she says.
Many Kokatha community members met Krista for the first time at the recent Common Law Holders’ Meeting.
‘Everyone was so lovely,’ she says. ‘They were such a welcoming and passionate group.’
Krista was particularly impressed with how well the community members engaged with the stakeholders’ presentations and how ready everyone was to seek clarity and ask questions.
‘It was so great that people stepped in and asked questions, and I just want to see us continue to make those opportunities available,’ she says.
Krista was also heartened by the number of Kokatha children in attendance at the meeting and how well KAC catered for them with activities that made them feel welcomed and included.
‘The intergenerational learning that comes from these meetings is something that we don’t think about enough,’ she says. ‘It’s just so important because these kids are our future leaders.’
KAC Chairperson Nyani Thomas says Krista has an impressive level of experience across government, business and industry. ‘We’re very grateful to have that breadth of knowledge and commercial insight around the KAC Board Table,’ he says. ‘Krista brings experience in big picture outcomes, which is really aligned to where we are right now. It complements the knowledge and experience of our Directors really well and strengthens our ability to make informed decisions that will benefit Kokatha people for generations to come.’
With the next KAC AGM and CLHM scheduled for November, Krista is already looking forward to coming back to South Australia and continuing to get to know the Kokatha community.
‘I’m really enjoying working with the KAC Board and the Kokatha community to build long-term opportunities and I can’t wait for the next time that I get to see everyone in person again,’ she says.
Please join us in welcoming Krista Dunstan to the KAC Board, and don’t hesitate to say hello when you see her in November.