Bundjalung/Dhungutti woman Naomi Moran has gone from washing the dishes and making the tea to being appointed the general manager of The Koori Mail.
When Ms Moran, whose family is from Cabbage Tree Island, first walked through the doors of the Koori Mail in Lismore, northern NSW, as a fresh-faced 15 year old in 1998, she had no idea she’d be managing the whole business one day.
During her 10-year stint at the paper, Ms Moran worked across all departments, from advertising, accounts to subscriptions and editorial.
Ms Moran also spent a number of years working in communications, marketing and other roles with Indigenous organisations, including NITV, BIMA (Brisbane Indigenous Media Association) and NIRS (National Indigenous Radio Service), Titans 4 Tomorrow and Mission Australia’s Indigenous Youth Career Pathways program.
Chair of the Koori Mail board of directors Russell Kapeen said the board was pleased that some- one who started their professional life at the paper was now leading the company. “We hope she’ll be successful and carry on for the next 20-odd years, taking the Koori Mail from strength to strength,” he said.
‘We believe that Naomi will do a great job.’
The Koori Mail is an independent national Indigenous newspaper. It publishes fortnightly, both in hard copy and electronically, and is owned by five Aboriginal corporations, all based in the NSW North Coast. The Koori Mail head office remains proudly on Bundjalung country in Lismore.
‘I’m working to boost our representation around the nation and cement our relationships with other Indigenous organisations,’ Ms Moran said.
‘I’m excited about the opportunities that we have to raise our profile and, of course, inviting Indigenous people and organisations to share that journey. We’re about to celebrate 25 years – how exciting is that!
‘Coming back to an organisation that’s 100 per cent Aboriginal owned and completely self-funded is re-ally important to me, as is knowing the money that the paper makes goes back into five Bundjalung communities that I’ve grown up around. ’
‘As a Bundjalung woman, I’m really blessed to have the opportunity to work for an Aboriginal organisation based on Bundjalung country.’
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