The DPA is a not-for-profit association for those progressing diversity and inclusion in Australian organisations.
In 2015, Darren Hooper put the call out for diversity practitioners wanting to connect to make a difference. Those who responded had one thing in common - a passion to see our organisations and communities become places where all people are valued equally.
By sharing our expertise, experiences and challenges and by creating a forum to tackle complexity, we give practitioners the ingredients to be the game changers of their organisations. As we support each other to make change in our own spheres of influence, we drive our collective purpose forward.
We are passionate, we are proactive and we are positioned to create change.
We are people making a difference.
Management Committee
Andrea Smith - President
Andrea is a passionate D&I practitioner with a career devoted to delivering people solutions in the resources and utilities sectors. Committed to maximising organisations’ relationships with their people, Andrea specialises in building ground-up strategies that deliver in the areas of diversity and inclusion, organisational culture and employee engagement. Andrea is currently leading Energy Queensland’s diversity, equity and inclusion practice, focusing on sustained cultural change to drive tangible business results.
In 2018, Andrea was awarded a Master of Strategic Organisational Development, her study focused heavily on D&I and included research on leveraging inclusion to drive diversity. Andrea was recognized as a finalist for the AHRI HR Diversity Champion award in 2018. Andrea’s driven to see the DPA connect and develop professionals to equip our community to achieve the outcomes we collectively seek.
Emma Guest - Secretary
Emma is a dedicated and experienced Diversity and Inclusion specialist with a passion for people, social justice, equity and organisational culture. Emma’s background in anthropology, sociology and organisational psychology provides a multidisciplinary approach that equips her with a comprehensive understanding of societal dynamics, human behaviour and the complex interplay between individuals and organisations. With experience working across the nonprofit, corporate and government sectors Emma thrives in supporting individuals and organisations on their inclusion journeys to achieve shared goals and drive meaningful change.
April Anfruns - Treasurer
April (she/her) is an energetic, creative and courageous problem-solver, storyteller and strategist. With over 20 years’ experience working in resources, energy, government and consulting, she has built a breadth of experience across health, safety & environment, business performance management, and diversity, equity & inclusion.
April is passionately obsessed with empowering people from the front-line to the board with the data-driven insights and evidence-based tools they need to embed systemic, cultural and behavioural change. A powerful advocate and change-agent for workplace and customer DE&I, April specialises in strategies to accelerate intersectional gender equality, and proudly lives and works on the lands of the Jagara, Yuggera and Ugarapul peoples.
Darren Hooper - Vice President Sponsors and Supporters
An innovative and strategic Diversity and Inclusion leader, Darren specialises in developing and embedding Diversity and Inclusion strategies, budgets, processes and policies across large-scale commercial and government organisations. He has a strong track record of driving transformational change across People & Culture, delivering high value productivity boosting reform, enhancing brand reputation and creating and embedding cultural change in challenging organisational environments.
Darren has been the recipient of local and international Awards for innovation in Diversity and Inclusion leadership and strategy, garnering national and international recognition for employers, whilst enhancing their workplace diversity and social justice profiles.
Sally Günsberg - Vice President, Memberships
Sally Günsberg (nee Queitzsch) is a Principal Project Officer at the Public Service Commission working on diversity and inclusion in the Queensland public sector. Sally is a co-founder of the Diversity Practitioners Association. She has a background in social policy analysis, and workforce strategy and project design that blends human-centred HR, psychology, and community engagement principles.
Sally has worked on diversity and inclusion for 15 years with various heavy industries (mining, construction, science, engineering, technology, transport and logistics), non-profit and public sector environments (local government, public health and social services). Sally is qualified in communications, psychology and project management. She lives and works on Turrbul and Yuggera land with her partner and two sons.
Emma Elder - Vice President Communications
Emma’s HR career has spanned a broad range of industries over 15 years, including retail, recruitment, finance and insurance, disability, government and utilities. Prior to her HR career she has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience from frontline and leadership roles in sport, fitness and hospitality. This experience fuels Emma’s passion for excellent customer service, and acknowledges that the key to this from an organisation’s perspective is employee engagement . She is passionate about helping achieve an inclusive culture and diverse workforce to drive organisational success, and more broadly an inclusive society. Emma was a founding member of the DPA and joined the committee in 2018.
Outside of the DPA Emma enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, she participates in CrossFit, Weightlifting and Touch Football, has completed a Certificate IV in Elite Athlete Wellbeing alongisde many qualifications in sport coaching and fitness.
Louise Baxter - Vice President Events
Louise is a proud queer woman who is passionate about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, human rights, and fairness especially in relation to employment opportunities and access to services. She is currently a Senior D&I Advisor within Queensland Health and has a background in mental health and community services.
This experience has given Louise a deep understand of the impact inclusion and belonging have on mental wellbeing and the flow on benefit of more inclusive communities. Louise believes everyone has a leadership role to play in building inclusion in our workplaces and society and specialises in supporting and upskilling organisations and individuals to play their part.
Outside DPA Louise is Management Committee Member for Stepping Stones Clubhouse and the Team Manager of the Australian Women’s Roller Hockey Team.
Natasha Caflisch - Vice President Social Media
Tash is a dedicated Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practitioner with a passion for breaking the cycle of employment disadvantage and promoting social mobility. With extensive experience in Project Management, Talent Acquisition and Human Resources, Tash has a keen eye for detail and a strategic mindset that she leverages to identify and create impactful initiatives that drive change and foster inclusion in the workplace.
Throughout her D,E&I career, Tash has spearheaded successful projects aimed at improving access to employment and promoting diversity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace with a specific focus supporting those with disability and First Nations peoples. Her work has included collaborating with community organisations and government agencies to create meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities within the defence, education, health, retail and mining sectors and firmly believes that diversity, equity and inclusion are essential for the growth and success of every organisation.
Tash is committed to making a positive impact and is passionate about creating a better future for the next generation.
