Kate Whelan

Experience

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  Australian Refugee Association

  Aug 2006 - Feb 2008

  Community Settlement Officer

   Family Support Project Officer: planning, facilitating, managing and evaluating group workshops for families of new and emerging culturally and linguistically diverse communities Settlement caseworker under Community Settlement Services Scheme of Aust Govt Department of Immigration and Citizenship - providing complex and intensive settlement assistance to refugees including advice, advocacy and referrals to relevant services Chairing and facilitating the Family Working Party of the African Workers Network – a project-based subcommittee of various government, non-government and community agencies Applying for funding grants and developing new projects in response to community need Networking and working in partnership with a range stakeholders such as community leaders, government, non-government and community organisations Show less

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  Samoa Family Health Association

  Feb 2008 - Aug 2008

  Youth Programme Officer and Capacity Development Officer

   Capacity building and institutional strengthening to assist the organisation’s ability to implement its Strategic Plan 2007 – 2011 Preparation of funding proposals and reports Securing funding for and setting up Youth Clinic Youth and community awareness and education programs Assisting staff skills development in management of projects

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  World Wide Project Management Services

  Jan 2009 - Mar 2011

  Project Manager

  Supporting the Company’s business development initiatives and its management of complex international aid projects for official development assistance agencies (eg AusAID, USAID, NZAID), multilateral agencies (eg World Bank, Asian Development Bank and United Nations), non-government organisations and private sector clients.

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  Family Health Options Kenya Mombasa Youth Counselling Centre

  Aug 2011 - Jun 2012

  Public Health Officer - Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) Program

   Strengthening staff capacity in community mobilisation, program planning and implementation approaches. Strengthened the centre’s capacity in M&E and reporting. Mentoring staff in proposal development  Supporting the recruitment and training procedures for new volunteers under the peer education program. Providing general support to the Centre Manager and youth program team in project management

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  Flinders University

  Sept 2012 - Nov 2013

  Associate Researcher

  Providing project management and research assistance to two research projects (Racism and child and family health nursing; and working with diversity in community child health care) within the School of Nursing and Midwifery.

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  World Wide Project Management Services

  Jan 2013 - Apr 2013

  Project Manager

  Short term contract: Management and day-to-day coordination of Geological Mapping and Human Rights study tours for senior Iraqi public officials under the AusAID-funded Iraq Partnership Facility. Included organisation and management of academic program, technical and support staff, welfare of participants, logistical arrangements, project budget, and reporting requirements.

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  Cardno Emerging Markets

  Aug 2014 - Jun 2015

  Consultant

  My role had a primary focus on providing client services to the extractive industry and providing project management, design, and consulting services across Cardno's Asia Pacific portfolio. This included expanding the social impact assessment services provided by the Consulting Business Unit of Cardno Emerging Markets. Key projects managed included Barrick Gold's Remediation Framework for Violence Against Women in Porgera Valley, PNG, and the Ok Tedi Development Foundation Education Feasibility Study - Infrastructure Component, PNG. My work on Barrick Gold's project involved managing the drafting of a community development strategy through a consultative process, bringing together government and private sector stakeholders to address violence against women at a whole of community level. It also included operational management of the Porgera Remediation Framework Association and Women's Welfare Offices in Porgera, Enga Province, providing health, counselling and community development services to women and their families who have experienced gender-based violence. Other work included contributing to the drafting of a gender and social inclusion strategies for various overseas development assistance programs delivered by Cardno. Show less

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  The University of Queensland

  May 2018 - now

  As part of the Global Strategy and Partnerships team, I play a lead role in furthering The University of Queensland's international engagement agenda through the development of innovative engagement strategies at regional, country and partner level through a consultative process. I work collaboratively to nurture existing strategic partnerships and develop relations with UQ's academic partner institutions internationally, as well as stakeholders across government and industry. A key facet of this role is supporting faculty and institute engagement with priority partners through the provision of high level advice, research and recommendations, facilitation of networks, proposal development and project support, as well as identifying new and emerging opportunities for UQ. In addition, I oversee the successful implementation of regional and country strategy directives and lead the development of strategic recommendations, programs and opportunities intended to offer staff and students of UQ access to a wider variety of global experiences. Show less

  • Senior International Strategist

    Jun 2015 - now

  • Senior Manager, Global Strategy and Partnerships

    May 2018 - Dec 2018
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  Vida Web Design

  Nov 2022 - now

  Co-founder and Digital Strategist

  I am a co-founder and digital strategist at Vida Web Design, a digital agency specialising in website design and development, SEO and tailored digital strategy solutions for small to medium-sized businesses and not-for-profits. Our customised solutions support businesses to boost their online visibility and reach, and ultimately, increase conversions and sales. We adopt a collaborative approach and place strong emphasis upon excellent user experience (UX) and responsive design, accessibility, and automated workflow. Show less