Dr Bernadette Boss CSC Book as a speaker/entertainer for your next event

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Key Points for Dr Bernadette Boss CSC

  • Dr Bernadette Boss CSC overcame dyslexia to excel in nursing, law, and military leadership, inspired by a legacy of military service.
  • She has a distinguished military career, including deployments to conflict zones and historic roles in Indigenous justice.
  • Bernadette was instrumental in the establishment of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention.
  • Dr Boss has had multifaceted academic achievements and her current role as Adjunct Professor at the University of New England underscores her commitment to excellence and service.

Topics for Dr Bernadette Boss CSC

  • East Timor INTERFET to UNTAET
    Bernadette will describe her deployment to East Timor, first impressions in January 2000, her role and the transition from INTERFET to UNTAET. She will describe the journey from Darwin to Dili on the newly commissioned HMAS Jervis Bay and the scenes of utter destruction that awaited the disembarking troops. Dili was burning and it seemed as if nothing in terms of housing or infrastructure remained intact anywhere in East Timor. Bernadette will talk about the effects of what she saw had on her and other troops. She will also describe her role as a legal officer within the INTERFET construct and why her passion for establishing the legal basis for UN peacekeeping in East Timor led her to undertaking a PhD.
  • National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention
    Why are veterans dying by suicide at rates far in excess of the national average and what can we do about it? In this topical talk, noting the Royal Commission is due to report in June 2024, Bernadette will describe her appointment as national commissioner and why she was passionate enough to give up her position as a judicial officer in order to find solutions to veteran suicide. Bernadette will outline the findings of previous studies into this topic and then set out the recommendations she made and why she believes that only an integrated system of change will be effective in reducing veteran suicide.
  • Circle sentencing
    Bernadette will reflect on her experience in working with First Nations people to create a sentencing system that better meets the needs of First Nations people. As an immigrant from Britain to Australia, Bernadette may not appear to have been the most logical choice as the circle sentencing magistrate. Two things however were in her favour. Firstly, she held a degree in anthropology and therefore had a natural curiosity and open mind about cultures other than her own and secondly, she really wanted to engage with First Nations people to work together to make a tangible difference to every individual’s experience of the law. This is the story of how “justice done to you” became “justice done by us.”
  • Woman in a man’s world
    From three decades working in male dominated cultures from Defence to the law, Bernadette will share her experiences of cultural change and diversity. From the female dominated world of nursing, Bernadette was introduced to the male dominated culture of the Army. Then for good measure, she chose the bar, which at the time was overwhelmingly populated by men. Bernadette will describe the environment she found herself in during the late 1980’s and, from a very personal perspective, map the path of change to the present day.

Testimonials for Dr Bernadette Boss CSC