Dr Heron Loban and Mr Jerome Cubillo have been appointed to the federal government's First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group.
Established in January 2023, the group was established to support efforts to narrow the digital divide for First Nations Australians.
The federal government said this week that the appointment of Dr Loban and Mr Cubillo will strengthen the capability of the advisory group, drawing on their knowledge of Indigenous law and justice issues and the Indigenous business sector and its relationship with First Nations digital inclusion.
In congratulating Dr Loban and Mr Cubillo on their appointments, Federal Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, said the pair bring vast experience and great knowledge to their roles.
"Their professional and lived experience will bring a wealth of knowledge to continue the vital work the Group does towards identifying holistic approaches to narrowing the gap in digital inclusion," Ms Rowland said.
A proud Mabuyag Malu Ki'ai woman with family connections to the Mabuiag and Boigu islands in the Torres Strait, Dr Loban has held a number of positions in the not-for-profit sector, also sitting on State, Territory and Commonwealth committees relating to First Nations policy and justice.
She currently serves on the Indigenous Advisory Group at the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), the Advisory Board for Reforming Legal Education and the First Nations Clean Energy and Emissions Reduction Advisory Committee.
Mr Cubillo, a proud Larrakia and Wadjigan man with family connections to the Torres Strait Islands and currently holds the position of CEO of the Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network (NTIBN).
He has extensive experience and connections in the Indigenous business sector, and is a member of the Northern Australia Indigenous Reference Group in the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
Additionally, Ms Cheryl Bailey and Mr Dan Lloyd have been appointed to the Digital Inclusion Expert Panel. The Panel supports the Advisory Group by providing expert advice on telecommunications, infrastructure, data and broadcasting issues.
Ms Bailey is a Muruwari and Kooma woman and is the founder and managing director of Sydney-based IT company Indigenous Technology, whilst Mr Lloyd, an executive at Uniti Group, joins the Expert Panel with more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications sector.
Dr Leon and Mr Cubillo join Ms Dot West, Associate Professor Lyndon Ormond-Parker, Professor Bronwyn Carlson, Professor Bronwyn Carlson, Ms Talei Elu and Ms Naomi Moran on the as members of the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group.
