Senior management

Commission’s senior management

The Commission’s executive management team comprises the Commissioner, the Assistant Commissioner and the Executive Director.

Elizabeth Fraser – Commissioner for Children and Young People and Child Guardian
BA, BSocWk, GradDip in Multicultural Studies, CertTeaching
Elizabeth has worked at all levels of government and has lived and worked in a number of countries, providing direct services and managing policy development and implementation. She has also been responsible for leading large-scale organisational change and coordinating, overseeing and evaluating major policy and program reforms. After graduating from the University of Queensland, Elizabeth worked in Canberra for over 19 years as a social worker in child health and welfare and in the migrant education program, interspersed with breaks to look after children and travel overseas, including teaching English in Hong Kong, Sweden and Nigeria. After this, she worked in the Australian Government’s overseas aid program, managing policy and funding reforms.

In 1992, Elizabeth returned to Brisbane and joined the Queensland Public Service to review the Office of Rural Communities. She then held a variety of policy and program management positions, including General Manager, Corporate and Executive Services in the former Department of Innovation and Information Economy, Sport and Recreation, and Executive Director of Social Policy and Implementation in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

Elizabeth has a long-standing commitment to improving government services, particularly to children and young people, and is committed to working closely with key stakeholders to achieve appropriate policy and program outcomes.

Barry Salmon – Assistant Commissioner
DipTeaching, BA, BEd, MEdSt, FAIM
Barry began his career as a primary school teacher and has over 25 years experience in supporting young people, teachers and administrators in Queensland schools. He has worked in a range of policy and managerial positions in Education Queensland and also has tertiary lecturing experience. Some of Barry’s key achievements in education included establishing the Effective Learning and Teaching Unit and leading the development of the Year 2 Diagnostic Net to assess literacy and numeracy levels, which is still used today. Before joining the Commission, Barry was Assistant Director of the Queensland School Curriculum Council, managing the Preschool to Year 10 (P–10) curriculum development program for state, Catholic and independent schools in Queensland.

In April 2001, Barry was appointed Executive Director of the Commission, and in February 2005 he was appointed to the new role of Assistant Commissioner, with responsibility for the Commission’s Child Guardian function. In terms of community work, Barry has been a long-standing member of Creche and Kindergarten’s board of management and the Child Protection Week Committee, and he is an active volunteer in junior club sport. Barry is committed to the view that strengthening children’s and young people’s primary relationships will improve their wellbeing.

Bob Van Kempen – Executive Director
MIMS, GradDipBus, Dip Management Studies, ADipEng (Elect), GradCert Management, FAIM, ARMA, MIPAA
Bob has worked in the Queensland public sector since 1995, after 25 years service in the Royal Australian Navy. Some of Bob’s achievements during his naval service included command of two warships and the successful merger of two Queensland naval bases (including staffing structures and business operations).

His work in the public sector has covered the full breadth of corporate service operations, with a particular focus on strategic planning and performance, business continuity and risk management, corporate governance frameworks, the design of organisational structures and service delivery protocols. He has been a key player in eight major organisational changes since 1996, including the establishment of a number of government departments after machinery-of-government changes.

Before joining the Commission in April 2005, Bob held the position of Manager, Strategic Directions in the Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation. In November 2007, Bob was appointed to the position of Executive Director. He is dedicated to ensuring that the blue card system improves the safety of children in service environments, and that staff have a corporate support model which allows them to pursue the Commission’s strategic objectives.

 

Last Updated: January 21, 2010

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