Georgina Bruinsma is a proud Yaegl and Dutch woman whose work spans cultural leadership, grassroots sport, Aboriginal health, organisational strategy, and trauma-informed facilitation. With a deep commitment to strengthening communities through cultural integrity and sustainable leadership, Georgina is widely respected across New South Wales for her impact at both local and systemic levels.

She is currently the Senior Manager of Aboriginal Leadership and Engagement at Social Futures, where she leads the organisation’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) implementation, cultural engagement initiatives, and Aboriginal workforce development. In this role, she provides cultural oversight to programs and services across the Northern Rivers and supports systemic change that reflects Aboriginal voices and values in both service delivery and internal practice.

Georgina’s work was recognised nationally when she was nominated for the MBA Australasia Community Impact Award in 2024. This honour acknowledged her leadership during the 2022 Northern Rivers floods—one of the region’s most devastating natural disasters. At a time when many communities were displaced and overwhelmed, Georgina led with compassion and decisiveness, ensuring that the voices and needs of Aboriginal people were not only included but prioritised during recovery. This milestone was achieved while she was completing her MBA through Ducere Global Business School, further underscoring her dedication to excellence and strategic leadership.

Prior to this, Georgina was the CEO of Rekindling the Spirit, a prominent Aboriginal-controlled organisation based in Lismore, NSW. Under her guidance, Rekindling the Spirit played a lead role in establishing a landmark agreement with regional Aboriginal Medical Services, focused on improving primary health outcomes through culturally safe partnerships. Her leadership advanced trauma-informed, community-led services across the health and wellbeing sector.

She is driven through work with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation, NGO’s and Government sector to strengthen governance, drive change, and support long-term growth and sustainability. Georgina’s depth in business administration, financial insight, strategic development, and cultural facilitation—making it a powerful platform for enabling Aboriginal-led solutions. As a trained We Al-li facilitator, Georgina integrates trauma-aware, culturally grounded methodologies into her consultancy work, helping organisations to move beyond compliance toward genuine transformation.

Georgina is also well known for her long-standing leadership in community organisations sitting on a number of Board and advisory positions through-out her career including: Coaching Unlimited, Lismore City Council Aboriginal Advisory, Lismore and District Womens Health, Bundjalarms Netball, Lismore and District Netball, NSW Indigenous Schoolgirls Netball, and the Australian Indigenous Schoolgirls Netball, Healing Hub, Netball NSW – Aboriginal Advisory Group, Seed Arts.

Georgina has also used sport as a platform for youth engagement, cultural pride, and Aboriginal representation. She has played a key role in several programs and associations, including Lismore
In her ongoing work with Netball NSW, she was a key advisor in the early development of their Reconciliation Action Plan, contributing to foundational conversations and strategic planning well before the formal Aboriginal Advisory Group was established. She has also been actively involved in the Netball NSW C.A.R.E. (Culture, Awareness, Respect, Education) training program, helping to embed cultural learning into the state’s netball ecosystem. Most notably, she has coached across various levels at local, state and regional level, as well as for Netball NSW coaching the First Nations Emerging Talen and the First Nations All Stars in a high-profile curtain-raiser match at Ken Rosewall Arena—showcasing the talent and strength of Indigenous athletes on a national stage.

Whether leading a community organisation, mentoring young women through sport, advising boards on cultural safety, or guiding RAP development in major institutions, Georgina Bruinsma is a transformative leader. She brings a unique and authentic voice to every role she holds—grounded in her cultural identity, lived experience, and deep knowledge of systems change.

Above all, Georgina is guided by her purpose: to uplift her people, strengthen the systems around them, and open pathways for future generations to lead with confidence and cultural strength.