NSWNMA 81st Annual Conference Professional Day

MC: Jamila Rizvi

Jamila Rizvi is an author, podcaster and diversity, equity and inclusion expert. She is Deputy Managing Director of FW (formerly Future Women) and co-founder of the FW Jobs Academy, supporting Australian women to find work and build careers.

Jamila was Mamamia’s Editor in Chief. She is a columnist in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s Sunday Life, and a commentator on The Project, The Drum, ABC News Breakfast and Q&A.

Keynote speaker: Peter Greste

Campaigning and leadership: lessons from an Egyptian prison

Professor Peter Greste is an award-winning broadcast journalist, academic, media freedom activist and author. He spent 25 years as a foreign correspondent mostly for the BBC and Al Jazeera.

He won the International Association of Press Clubs’ Freedom of Speech Award; the Australian Human Rights Commission Medal, and the Australian Press Council’s 2018 Press Freedom award.

Peter has written about his experiences in his book The First Casualty, which is in production as a feature film. He remains an avid advocate of media freedom and journalist safety.

Dr Michelle Gunn

Confidence, compassion and impact: nursing leadership across practice, policy and regulation

Dr Michelle Gunn is a registered nurse and lawyer with over 25 years of experience spanning clinical care, health law, professional regulation, education, workforce strategy, and executive health leadership.

She is the Head of Nursing Practice and Regulations at the International Council of Nurses (ICN), where she leads global efforts to strengthen professional nursing practice, regulatory systems, and scope of practice frameworks. Michelle plays a key role in advancing international standards that support safe, effective, and accountable nursing practice worldwide.

Dr. Virginia Mapedzahama

CARM women in leadership: nurses, midwives and care workers in health and aged care contexts

Dr Virginia Mapedzahama is critical race black feminist scholar, gender specialist, intersectional feminism scholar, and an Adjunct Professor at Charles Darwin University.

An accomplished sociologist and researcher, she leads DCA’s RISE Project and specialises in racial equity, intersectionality, gender, migration and workplace diversity. Drawing on lived experience and critical race and feminist scholarship, Virginia advocates for systemic change and greater equity in Australian workplaces.

Ty Simpson

Equipping the workforce

Ty Simpson is a Nurse Practitioner Candidate specialising in CAR-T therapy at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. He oversees the coordination of care for patients receiving both standard-of-care and investigational CAR-T treatments, managing a diverse caseload that includes malignant haematology and autoimmune conditions.

Ty is the Nursing Group Lead for HSANZ and the co-chair of the Australasian CAR-T Nurses Group, where he collaborates with colleagues across the region to establish best practice guidelines for CAR-T nursing. Ty was recently recognised for his significant contribution to patient management and the nursing profession, and was awarded HESTA Australian Nurse of the Year for 2025.

Melanie Briggs

Birthing on country: embedding cultural safety and care

Melanie Briggs is an Endorsed Midwife at Waminda, South Coast Women’s Health and Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation. She is a proud Aboriginal woman, descendant of the Dharawal and Gumbaynggirr peoples.

Mel was the first Endorsed Aboriginal Midwife in NSW, and the second Endorsed Aboriginal Midwife in Australia.

Catelyn Richards

Steady hands, uncertain times: leading care through a changing world

Catelyn Richards is the new Federal ANMF Assistant Secretary. She is a paediatrics registered nurse and co-founder of Climate Action Nurses.

Catelyn was the ANMF Climate Change Officer, working to ensure that nursing and midwifery professionals had a voice in the development and implementation of national climate change policies. She is an advocate for planetary health and volunteered with leading organisations including the Climate and Health Alliance, Oaktree Foundation, AusAID, and Young People Without Borders.

Edward Santow

Edward Santow is Director of Policy and Governance at the UTS Human Technology Institute, focusing on AI regulation, digital digital governance, and emerging technologies.

He served as Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner from 2016 to 2021 and previously led the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, with work spanning human rights, AI, and national security. Edward was CEO of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and has been recognised internationally as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Frances Rice

Frances Rice is a Registered Nurse and the Chief Nursing Officer at the Australian College of Nursing. She has extensive experience across clinical practice, government, and health policy, including roles advising the Commonwealth Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer.

Frances is known for her work in advancing healthcare reform, workforce sustainability, and nursing leadership, drawing on expertise in both frontline care and national policy development. She advocates for workforce sustainability and education reform in modern healthcare.

Haley Hodgson

Haley Hodgson is a Registered Nurse and owner of AveNu Plus Access Health Clinic in Grafton.

Haley is a winner of APNA Nurse of the Year for her innovative nurse-led models of care. She is recognised as a rural health leader and innovator, establishing nurse-led healthcare models to improve access to care in regional communities.