He is the new Chief Executive Officer of Ironbark Aboriginal Corporation, which has a diverse footprint spanning employment, community services, economic development, commercial operations and social enterprise.

Nobody doubts that he is up to the job – Jerome has a glittering CV – but he acknowledges that he has taken on a demanding role.

“I’m excited about what we can achieve as a leading Aboriginal organisation across the communities and regions we serve throughout the Top End,” he says.

“Having previously been on the board of Ironbark, I know how talented the staff are who work within the organisation and I’m eager to continue to build on the legacy left by the leaders who have gone before.”

Darwin-born Jerome was looking after his three children in the Big Apple while his wife Jasmin worked at the United Nations when the Ironbark job came up following the resignation of Shaun Pearce after a decade.

“I went to America to support my wife Jasmin to achieve a dream of her own,” he says.

“Jasmin has made many sacrifices for me to allow me to have the amazing career opportunities I have had so far. As a couple, we work as a team and I was happy to make sacrifices of my own to support her career and go on this wonderful adventure as a family.”

But the Ironbark role, one of the most challenging and prestigious in the Aboriginal business sector in Northern Australia, was too tempting to turn up.

So after two years in New York the family came home to Larrakia country and Jerome went straight to work.

His family enjoyed their time in America but the three children, Jerome, 9, Violet, 5, and three-year-old Archie, were particularly happy to get home and back to the Territory lifestyle.

Jerome is not rushing into making big changes at Ironbark.

“I’m taking my time to find my feet and understand the organisation. I want to strengthen our grassroots connections across the communities where Ironbark works, while continuing to build strong relationships with our member organisations and local partners.

“The big question is: how do we better support communities? How can I break down silos and get more collaboration and innovative thinking or approaches to historically difficult problems in our communities.

“How do I ensure the work I am undertaking lives and breathes Ironbark’s vision – Changing Lives, One Story at a Time.

“I want to bring new and fresh ideas to an organisation that has a proud 26-year history of quietly creating change at the grassroots level.

“And a lot of my ideas involve greater collaboration and unity across the Aboriginal community-controlled and business sectors, while also building stronger partnerships with the broader Territory business community, employers, industry, government and service providers.

“I want to break down barriers and get us all working together to help bring about change for Aboriginal Territorians – we really can change lives one story at time if we collaborate and do this together.”

Jerome hopes one day to establish an Aboriginal centre of excellence in Darwin to focus on employment, training and business opportunities for Indigenous Territorians.

“The space would enable greater creativity to think outside the box, to explore new ideas and opportunities that support cross collaboration across different sectors of the Aboriginal community-controlled organisations sector, Aboriginal business community and at the grassroot communities level who we are all trying to support.”

Ironbark is a leading Aboriginal organisation and business with a proud long history of delivering employment, community and economic development services across its Top End footprint.

It provides the Federal Government’s Remote Australia Employment Services to Humpty Doo, Nauiyu (Daly River), Holtze, Batchelor, Belyuen, Adelaide River and Berry Springs, plus the Workforce Australia program in Casuarina and Palmerston.

This places Ironbark in a unique position to be a leader across a range of issues affecting people living in the urban, regional and remote communities.

Ironbark’s activities also include commercial services through Ironbark Services and Rapid Clean, together with Aboriginal Bush Traders, which is evidence of Ironbark’s urban, regional and remote Top End footprint.

“These commercial businesses are a result of the Ironbark board’s vision of how to create real job opportunities for Aboriginal people. It speaks to the board’s mission of wanting to change lives through the creation of pathways and employment opportunities.”

Jerome is no stranger to Ironbark Aboriginal Corporation – he was on the board representing Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation for five years, two years a deputy chair.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts (major in politics and minor development studies) from the University of Melbourne.

The Larrakia and Wadjigan man brings diverse experience in senior roles to Ironbark – from chief executive, chair, board executive and as a Commonwealth-appointed reference group member.

His extensive experience in influencing policy at a Territory and national level holds him in good stead for the Ironbark position.

Jerome’s job before going to New York was a chief executive of the NT Indigenous Business Network, which he helped shape and develop into the strong peak body representing Aboriginal business in the Territory that it is today.

He was also chair of Larrakia Nation, chair of the National Indigenous Business Alliance, deputy chair of Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT and a ministerial-appointee to the Indigenous Reference Group for the Minister for Northern Australia.

Jerome was president of Wanderers Football Club for four years and is proud to have played a major role in increasing the club’s investment in the girls’ and women’s program and overseeing the introduction of Basic Card facilities so that all members and supporters were able to take part in the sport.

His most bizarre experience was when he and Jasmin took part in TV’s Amazing Race Australia in 2019.

The couple dashed around the world to cross the finish line at Nitmiluk Gorge near Katherine in second place.

They wore the Aboriginal flag as their team uniform.

“We felt we were representing the Northern Territory and Aboriginal people across Australia,” says Jerome.

“We wanted to challenge stereotypes, to be positive representatives on a mainstream television show that could inspire other young Aboriginal people to believe in themselves and dream big.” TQ