Get to know our Board

STREAT has a passionate, active and committed Board, that not only understands its responsibilities under the Corporations Act and takes ultimate responsibility for all matters relating to the running of STREAT, but that does so in strong partnership with STREAT’s management.

The Board comprises directors with expertise across key areas including community development, psychology, hospitality, social enterprise, business, vocational training, law and accountancy.

STREAT is also establishing a Youth Committee that will advise the Board on issues specific to their needs. We believe that with the right capacity-building and support, STREAT’s graduates can become STREAT’s leaders.

Dawn O'Neil (Chair)

Colin Oberin 

Colin Oberin is a Consultant to the international law firm Allens Arthur Robinson. Qualified as an industrial chemist, Colin is also registered as a patent attorney in Australia and New Zealand and as a Trade Marks Attorney in Australia.  He is a former partner and head of the Allens Arthur Robinson Patent & Trade Marks Attorney firm. After 35 years experience in intellectual property law Colin retired from full time practice in December 2006.

Having started his working life as a naïve 16 year old taking phone orders and hand writing delivery dockets in a chemical company, Colin knows personally about humble beginnings.  After nine years in the chemical industry working predominantly at Hoechst Australia on plastics, paints and adhesives, during which time he graduated with a Diploma in Applied Chemistry from Swinburne College of Technology, Colin joined the patent attorney profession as a technical assistant in early 1972.  

During his intellectual property career Colin specialized in trade mark protection particularly in the fields of retailing and alcoholic beverages and also conducted a patent practice predominantly in the areas of mining technology and mechanical patents.

Some of Colin’s major clients have included ANZ Bank, Bendigo Bank, Body Shop, Coca-Cola, Coles Myer, Cricket Australia, Foster’s, Just Jeans and LG.

Regarded as one of Australia’s leading Trade Marks Attorneys, Colin has held various membership and committee positions in local and international professional associations.  He is a co-author of the book Practical Guide to Australian Trade Mark Law, published in 2004 by Thomson Lawbook Co. and was closely involved with recent amendments to the Australian Trade Marks Act.  Colin was also involved in establishing the procedures adopted by the Papua New Guinea Trade Marks Registry following independence.

Colin has long volunteered his time to a range of non-profit organizations, where his positions have included member and subsequently chairman of the Finance Committee and of the Governing Council of the Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School, founding director and company member of Sophia Mundi Rudolf Steiner School, adviser to the founder and board of KOTO – a not for profit assisting street and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam and adviser to the CEO of Challenge Cancer Support Network, a not for profit supporting the families of children living with cancer.

Rebecca Scott

For two years Bec was the Vice-President of KOTO, a hospitality training program and social enterprise for street youth in Hanoi. Prior to this she worked for a decade in management positions at CSIRO, Australia’s premier science research organisation (roles included Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics Manager, Internal Communication Manager and National Coordinator of CSIRO’s Double Helix Science Club). Prior to this she won a scholarship to the Australian National University and traveled Australia as part of the Shell Questacon Science Circus.

Bec has founded a number of large interdisciplinary programs (particularly international science art programs) and helped establish the ACT Film Makers’ Network. For six years she has been on the Board of the Australian Choreographic Centre. In 2005 she was awarded the Vincent Fairfax Fellowship, an 18-month program to further develop outstanding young Australians who have demonstrated strong ethical leadership. 

Bec is passionate about the role that governments, NGOs, businesses and community groups can play together in poverty reduction and sustainable development. She feels strongly about environmental and social issues, and particularly those associated with food production, hunger and homelessness. She has a Masters in International and Community Development.

Kate Barrelle

As a clinical and forensic psychologist, Kate’s career has centered around people and their well-being. Her early career focused on community mental health, and also abused and neglected children in care. As a Partner of Canberra Clinical and Forensic Psychology, the clinical focus of Kate’s practice included clients with issues related to trauma, pain, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, behaviour problems, substance abuse etc.  She also worked with perpetrators of violent and sexual crimes.  She provided confidential counseling to individuals, NGOs, community groups, corporations, and the caucus of one of the Federal political parties.  As a Partner Kate did the complex psychological assessments for Criminal, Children’s and Family Court matters, and was a regular expert witness for both the prosecution and defense. 

For the last five years Kate has worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).  Working with DFAT has provided an appreciation of larger scale matters such as international politics, leadership styles, as well as the management, operational, staffing and logistical demands of such a large international organisation.  During this time she has traveled extensively within the Asia Pacific region as well as China, the Middle East and further afield.  She has developed a focus on cross-cultural aspects of personal and international relations, and is increasingly interested in ethical ways of resolving violent and intractable conflict. 

In late 2004 Kate commenced Vincent Fairfax Fellowship, an 18-month program run by the St James Ethics Centre in Sydney, to further develop outstanding young Australians who have demonstrated strong ethical leadership. This experiential program has strengthened Kate’s commitment to make a positive difference. It has underlined her desire to work both with individuals as well as on as large a scale as possible – something STREAT does exceptionally well.

More recently, in 2008 Kate was selected as one of Australia’s leading 1000 thinkers and attended Australia’s 2020 Summit where her expertise in prevention of youth radicalisation in an international context was drawn on by the International Stream.

Phil Martin

Phil is the Manager of Government Relations for the AFL. Phil’s political expertise has given him the responsibility for negotiating partnerships with State and Federal Governments in areas such as Indigenous, Community Development, Healthy Lifestyles, Drugs and Alcohol, Stadium / Facility Development and International programs. He works closely with the CEO, Commission and Executive and the State Leagues in developing and maintaining the relationships necessary for the game and the wider programs. Phil was recruited to the AFL from the Victorian Government where he had been a key member of the Bracks’ team since 1999. His positions include being Chief of Staff for the Minister for Industrial relations, Minister for Workcover / Local Government, Minister for Conservation and Environment and Women’s Affairs, Deputy Premier and Minister for Environment and Water, Minister for Commonwealth Games. Phil has also worked in the Children’s services industry, local Government (as an employee and a Councillor), TAFE and on an International Exchange as a Trade Union Official in Glasgow. He has been a member of various community and professional bodies.

Paul Breen

Paul is a successful entrepreneur who has owned and run several companies over the past 15 years. Considered the originator of “pop-up retailing” in Australia and New Zealand, Paul is perhaps best known for founding the seasonal 200-store retail chain Calendar Club which is the market leader in its sector. He is currently the chairman of Calendar Club’s International Advisory Board which provides strategic support to 700 stores across five countries.Paul has also served on several private company boards and advisory boards and currently hasinterests in a number of emerging entrepreneurial companies. In addition he runs business coachingand leadership programs for a select group of companies.