Jody Broun joins the Board of Goodstart Early Learning

Paul Robertson, AO, Chair of Goodstart Early Learning has welcomed Jody Broun to the Board of the nation’s largest provider of early learning and care.

Ms Broun, a proud Yinjibarndi woman from Western Australia’s Pilbara region has decades of experience in senior leadership positions across Australia, is an educator and award winning artist. 

“Jody brings more than 30 years of experience in national and state leadership positions including as Co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples and senior roles in the NSW and WA state governments,” Mr Robertson said.

“Jody has maintained strong connections to country, community and culture throughout her life and is passionate about social justice and community led co-design. Beginning her working life as a teacher, she is a strong advocate for education and a champion of genuine partnerships with First Nations communities.

“She has been responsible for delivering community and state wide policy and programs, developing and contributing to national policy reforms, and negotiating national and state government agreements. The breadth of her experience will be invaluable as Goodstart continues its important work, providing access to high quality early learning in communities across the nation,” Mr Robertson said.

Jody was Chief Executive Officer of the National Indigenous Australians Agency between 2022 and 2025. Previously she was CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Office and Deputy Group 

Secretary in the Department of Planning, Infrastructure and Environment in NSW where she led the Our Place on Country Strategy.

She has held various senior positions in the government and not-for-profit sectors including: Executive Director Aboriginal Housing and Infrastructure in WA; Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment in WA; Director General Department of Aboriginal Affairs in NSW; and Co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First People, and Director of NSW and ACT for Australian Red Cross.

A successful artist, Ms Broun won the prestigious National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1998 and the Canberra Art Award in 2005.