Correctional Industries Consultative Council

Deputy Commissioner, Corrections Strategy and Governance, Corrective Services NSW

Luke Grant joined Corrective Services NSW in the 1991 and held a number of executive positions prior to his appointment as Assistant Commissioner Inmate Management in 2000. He has worked at the coalface in the areas of inmate classification, offender rehabilitation programs and services and inmate education.

Mr Grant was appointed Assistant Commissioner of Corrections Strategy and Policy in 2012.   Mr Grant was appointed to the role of Deputy Commissioner Corrections Strategy and Policy in 2020 and Deputy Commissioner of Strategy and Governance in 2022. In this role Mr Grant leads the development of Corrective Services strategy, policies, and practice as well as oversee the interaction with partner organisations and service providers. Mr Grant will continue to implement best practice in correctional management in supporting reducing reoffending. Mr Grant will develop and implement strategies to ensure operations support a practice of care and safety with a focus on rehabilitation and reintegration. Mr Grant will also drive strategies to address overrepresentation of First Nations people in the correctional system and contribute to national Closing the Gap targets.

Community, Industry & Capacity, Corrective Services NSW

Leon Taylor is an experienced senior executive who prior to joining Corrective Services NSW was employed in the construction industry for over twenty years where he was responsible for managing large teams delivering complex infrastructure projects. In 2017 Leon joined the Department of Justice as the Executive Director of the Prison Bed Capacity Program. In this role Leon lead the $3.8B Prison Bed Capacity Program that responded to a critical shortage of prison beds in NSW by delivering over six thousand new prison beds across 20 major construction projects. The Prison Bed Capacity Program team was recognised for their exceptional leadership in delivering the project, being presented with an Exceptional Internal Service Delivery award in the 2021 Department of Communities & Justice Making A Difference Employee Awards.

In June 2020, Leon was appointed to the new role of Assistant Commissioner, Corrections Industry & Capacity (CI&C) within Corrective Services NSW. The CI&C branch operates to meet the Premier's Priority to Reduce Reoffending by delivering high-quality vocational training programs and employment opportunities across a diverse range of skill sets. 

In December 2022, Leon was appointed to the new role of Deputy Commissioner, Community, Industry & Capacity. In this role Leon will provide leadership and oversight of Community Corrections, Corrective Services Industries and Education, Contract and Compliance functions, Corrective Services' Infrastructure Strategy, Strategic Population Management and in-house construction and specialist facilities functions across CSNSW.

Assistant Commissioner, Work and Education, Community, Industry & Capacity, Corrective Services NSW

Steve Thorpe commenced with CSNSW in 1990 as the Operations Development Manager for CSI. Prior to that he held a number of senior positions in BHP and Smorgon Plastics. He has completed a range of courses in the fields of Management, Production Planning, Logistics, Finance and Workplace Health & Safety relating to manufacturing / operational environments.

His experience since working with CSNSW has covered the establishment of a range of successful Correctional Industries business units involving internal self sufficiency and external private sector markets aimed at maximising inmate employment and reducing the cost of corrections. He has also held the role Secretary of the Correctional Industries Consultative Council since 2007.

He has been a significant driver to the improvement in access by inmates to Education, Vocational Education and Training Courses and Traineeships and Apprenticeships and more recently has taken on the responsibility of Work Release, Pathways to Employment Program and Residential Diversionary Programs. 

Australian Industry Group Representative

Tracey Freeman is the Director of Freeman HR Pty Ltd, providing Human Resource Consulting services to a wide variety of industry clients since 2007. Prior to this she was Human Resources Manager with Mainteck Services, IMB, and various HR Management positions within BHP Steel. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology/Industrial Relations), is a Graduate of the Company Directors Course (GAICD), in addition to a variety of Leadership, Organisational Change and Work Health and Safety qualifications. Tracey is a former Treasurer of the Illawarra Industry Council and Illawarra Safety Taskforce for the Australian Industry Group, and former Chair of the Illawarra Skills Shortage Taskforce. She is Chair of Workplace Learning Illawarra, Shoalhaven, Southern Highlands and South Coast and a Director of Football South Coast. Tracey is also a former board member of South Coast Tourism and former Chair of Tourism Shellharbour. Tracey brings her experience across manufacturing and construction, vocational education and tourism, coupled with strong community engagement and a belief in rehabilitation and education.

Business Australia Representative

Peter has held senior management positions in the employment, education, and training sector since 2000 and draws on over 30 years of management experience.

A member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Peter has held non-executive Directorships on the National Association of Australian Apprenticeship Centre, Community Colleges Australian, is currently a non-executive Director to the NSW Manufacturing Skills Australia, Industry Training Advisory Board and represents Business NSW on the Corrective Industries Consultative Council of NSW.

Joining NSWBC as General Manager, ASA in April 2017, Peter has led innovative marketing strategies, and technological enhancements such as utilising artificial intelligence to predict the likelihood of Apprentice's support needs or introducing automation to administrative functions.   

As Executive Director of, Australian Apprenticeships and Support Centre, Peter is responsible for leading, developing and providing expert, strategic, timely, market-focused, and financially viable Australian Apprenticeships and Support Centre services to members and clients. This position actively participates in Business NSW's policy and advocacy debate and in matters relating to Australian Apprenticeships and the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector.

Unions NSW Representative

Vanessa Seagrove is the Assistant Secretary of Unions NSW and a member of the Unions NSW Finance and Governance Committee and Executive. She is the Chair of Sydney International Women’s Day, a Director on CareSuper board, a delegate for the ACTU Conference and an alternate delegate for the ACTU Executive, and a member of the ALP Administrative Committee.

Vanessa brings more than 30 years of experience and skills in strategy, planning, advocacy and leadership to the CICC. In past roles with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, the Finance Sector Union and the Community and Public Sector Union, she has worked to provide safe working environments while holding a range of leadership positions that have led campaigns across a variety of industries.

Vanessa has strong interests in social policy, unionism, law and equality and brings these interests to the CICC.

Community Representative

Julie Garland-McLellan is a professional company director and advisor to boards. Julie has over twenty years governance experience and presents governance training through the Australian Institute of Company Directors, The Governance Institute of Australia, and other institutions. She is currently a director of Professional Speakers Australia, Loopets Ltd (Love My Dog Club), Dams Safety NSW, and the ACT Suburban Land Agency.

Julie has written six books on corporate governance and is the publisher of 'The Director's Dilemma' newsletter.

Julie completed the Wharton Business School course on Boards that Lead, has a diploma and an advanced diploma of Company Directorship, an Executive MBA, a graduate diploma of applied finance and investment, and an honours degree in civil engineering. As an executive Julie has worked with Gamesa Australia, KPMG, BHP, Thames Water and Wimpey Construction. She has served on seventeen boards including ASX listed, private commercial, government sector and not-for-profit organisations.