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GovGathers: Wollongong

Enhance your regional career and connections.

Enhance your regional career and connections.

Are you building your career in the public sector while living and working in Wollongong and the Illawarra areas?

Do you want to expand your network and connect with peers across the region?

Join Jo Rose, IPAA CEO, Kathrina Lo, Public Service Commissioner, and Julie-Anne Tooth, Chief People Officer DPRID, to explore:

  • The skills and capabilities every modern public servant needs, with a regional lens
  • How networking across the public sector can accelerate your career development
  • The opportunities and challenges unique to working in regional public sector workplaces

This free, face-to-face, event is designed for all public servants working in Wollongong and the Illawarra areas and includes time for audience Q&A and networking over lunch.

This event is part of IPAA NSW's new regional program of activities being developed to better support NSW public servants who live and work outside Sydney.

What Will You Gain ?

If you want to develop your public sector career, this event will help you:

  • Understand the skills and capabilities needed for success in the public sector
  • Get more value out of public sector networking opportunities
  • Recognise and take advantage of what makes regional public sector workplaces unique.

Sponsor Acknowledgment

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SPEAKERS

Julie-Anne Tooth
Chief People Officer
NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPRID)

Julie-Anne Tooth

Julie-Anne Tooth is the Chief People Officer at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development where she leads a customer facing workforce of 700+ individuals dedicated to connecting people and communities across NSW. She was previously Director of Regions South and West at NSW TrainLink and Director of People & Culture Business Partnering at Transport for NSW.

Her career also includes senior roles in the corporate sector includes leadership and business transformation roles across diverse industries in the Asia Pacific region, including IT, business process outsourcing and energy.

Julie-Anne has developed and implemented human resources strategy in a number of multinational corporations, designed and lead large organisation-wide change and restructuring programs and transformed leadership and culture in a number of organizations.

She spent over a decade in consulting and coaching and contributed to the professional coaching industry through the publication of her PhD research in the book, 'Experiencing executive coaching' (Scholars Press 2014) and her involvement in the Standards Australia 'Coaching in organizations' project. She has been an Editorial Board Member for the Philosophy of Coaching: An International Journal and Member of the ICF Australasia Professional Standards Committee.

Kathrina Lo
Public Service Commissioner
Office of the NSW Public Service Commissioner

Kathrina Lo

Kathrina joined the NSW Public Service Commission in April 2020 after previously working as a Deputy Secretary for the Department of Communities and Justice.

Kathrina has extensive public sector experience with both state and federal governments. She has held senior executive roles in the NSW Department of Justice, NSW Audit Office and NSW Information and Privacy Commission. Kathrina is on the board of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government and is a member of Chief Executive Women.

Kathrina has qualifications in law and economics and is passionate about working in the public interest, and is a champion for diversity and inclusion.

The Public Service Commissioner is an independent office holder.

HOST

Jo Rose
Chief Executive Officer
IPAA NSW

Jo Rose

As the CEO, Jo oversees the strategic direction of the organisation.

She liaises between Council, staff and key stakeholders to ensure IPAA's offerings are aligned with the changing needs of the public sector.

Jo is also responsible for the design of IPAA NSW's integrated program, ensuring it remains focused on contemporary, NSW public sector stories.

Jo is passionate about members and ensuring we create an environment where all voices are heard, where diversity is celebrated, and where we honour the knowledge and experiences of everyone through a deep sense of belonging.

Jo has led IPAA's digital transformation, the revitalisation of our learning program and the design of IPAA's private sector partnerships.

Prior to IPAA, Jo worked as an advocate for the creative industries and was an award winning film and TV producer.

How to Register

If you are a NSW public sector employee, become an Affiliate member free of charge.

Event Details

Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm

When: Tuesday, 14 July 2026

Where: Venue to be confirmed, Wollongong

Cost: Professional & Affiliate Members: Free

Be at your best, for NSW.
Register now to secure your spot.
When
14/07/2026 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
AUS Eastern Standard Time
Where
Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW AUSTRALIA
Registration
Registration not available.
Terms and Conditions
Payments

Payment is required prior to attending the event or course. Please contact an IPAA NSW staff member if an exception is required.

Payments - Online Events

If you have an outstanding invoice for the event, you will not receive a link to the live event. 

Online Events

Only people registered to the event can access the content. Do not share login details with people who have not registered to the event

Cancellation policy - Events
  • Cancellation must be in writing and confirmed by an IPAA NSW staff member
  • Cancellation received more than 10 business days prior to the event – no penalty will be incurred
  • Cancellation received within 6-10 business days of the event – 50% of the fee is payable
  • Cancellation received less than 6 business days prior to the event – 100% of the fee is payable
  • No show – 100% of the fee is payable
  • Registrations received less than 6 business days prior to the event are non-refundable.
Cancellation policy - Scheduled Courses
  • Cancellation must be in writing and confirmed by an IPAA NSW staff member
  • Cancellation received more than 10 business days prior to the start date – no penalty will be incurred
  • Cancellation received within 6-10 business days of the start date – 50% of the fee is payable
  • Cancellation received less than 6 business days prior to the start date – 100% of the fee is payable
  • No show – 100% of the fee is payable
  • Registrations received less than 6 business days prior to the start date are non-refundable.
Cancellation policy - Self-paced Courses
  • Cancellations are not permitted.

Note: If you do not cancel and do not attend and event or course, 100% of the fee must be paid.

Transfer policy - Events
  • All requests for transfers must be in writing
  • Substitute nominees may attend in your place where deemed appropriate; however, if a member wishes to substitute a non-member in their place the full fee will be payable.
Transfer policy - Scheduled Courses
  • All requests for transfers must be in writing
  • Your course registration can be transferred to another course without penalty if requested more than 10 business days prior to the course start date. Otherwise, the above cancellation policy applies. Transfers can only be requested when the course fee has been paid in full.
  • Transferring your registration to another person can be done at any time without penalty if nominee details are provided within a minimum of 2 business days prior to the course start date. Transferring from a member to a non-member will result in a fee increase in line with the non-member course fee.
Transfer policy - Self-paced Courses 
  • Transfers to another course are not allowed for self-paced courses.
We may in our discretion waive cancellation charges in exceptional circumstances, but we will not waive cancellation charges on account of work commitments.

Program Changes

IPAA NSW reserves the right to change programs/speakers/venue, or to cancel programs if the enrolment criteria are not met or when conditions beyond our control prevail. All registrants will be notified in the event of cancellation and their registration fee will be refunded.

Join IPAA as an Affiliate member 

Affiliate membership is free for all NSW Government email addresses.

 

Register an account as a guest

Including QLD Government & other email addresses

 

Sign in to register