2026 Leadership Program Graduation and Dinner
Please join us for the final Graduation Presentation of the year, a time to congratulate and celebrate our 2026 Leadership Program cohort.
In addition to the formal Graduation Presentation, the evening will include:
- The Graduation Address
- Presentation of the 2026 Ripple Awards
- Dinner, drinks and networking
Date: Thursday 12 November 2026
Time: 5:45pm for 6.00-10.00pm AEDT
Location: Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science, 15 Gordon Street, Acton, Canberra
Cost: $55.00 (incl GST)
For those who cannot attend in person, this event will be recorded to view on demand.
Friends, Fellows and invited VIPS of the Trust only.
Book your tickets HERE.
The 2026 Graduation Presentation
The nerve-wracking conclusion to our cohort’s official PCT Leadership Program – but the journey has really just begun!
Their fate rests in the hands of our audience – will they or won’t they make the grade?
The 2026 Graduation Address
To be delivered by: Dr Kirsten Shelly, Deputy Secretary, Water and Catchments, DEECA
Dr Kirsten Shelly is the Deputy Secretary, Water and Catchments at the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.
A scientist by training and a water leader by passion, Kirsten has spent her career working across policy, strategy, waterways, catchments and water services, always driven by a belief that good water management is ultimately about people, communities and the places they care about. Her career has taken her through leadership roles in Queensland and Victoria.
Kirsten is a Peter Cullen Fellow and a proud recipient of the 2018 Peter Cullen Trust Ripple Award. The Trust has been a significant part of her leadership journey, including serving on the Peter Cullen Trust Board and supporting the development of future leaders across the water sector.
She has been fortunate to contribute to a range of nation-leading initiatives, including helping shape the Yarra Strategic Plan, authoring Melbourne Water’s first Drinking Water Quality Strategy, advancing First Nations self-determination in water and catchment management, and helping establish the national Women in Water Leadership Program.
Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Biology and a Postdoctorate in Marine and Freshwater Algae, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has served on the Victorian Catchment Management Council.
Above all, Kirsten is passionate about leadership that is curious, courageous and collaborative. She believes that tackling today’s water challenges requires not only technical expertise, but also the ability to bring people together, build trust and leave the system stronger for the next generation. It is this belief, and her enduring connection to the Peter Cullen Trust, that makes it a privilege to join this year’s graduates in celebrating their achievements.
The 2026 Ripple Awards
The peer-nominated Fellows Ripple Awards will also be presented as part of the Graduation event.
The Ripple Awards recognise Fellows for their outstanding contribution to the purpose and principles of the Peter Cullen Trust and the Fellows Network through their work and leadership within the water sector and their contributions and engagement with the Peter Cullen Trust.
The Ripple Award is the highest honour awarded to a Fellow. Previous recipients are:
- 2025: Monique White 2015; Dr Andrew O’Neill 2017; and Professor Katherine Daniell 2010
- 2024: Trent Wallis, Fellow 2017; Jason Wilson, Fellow 2022; and Professor Ross Thompson, Fellow 2014
- 2023: Matthew Fullerton, Fellow 2013 and Dr Kathleen Broderick, Fellow 2014
- 2022: Dr Paul Frazier, Fellow 2012 and Associate Professor Bradley Moggridge, Fellow 2018
- 2021: Kaye Cavanagh, Fellow 2011
- 2019: Chris Arnott, Fellow 2010
- 2018: Kirsten Shelly, Fellow 2011
- 2017: Sarina Loo, Fellow 2010
- 2016: Susie Williams, Fellow 2011
Dinner and the all important Networking
Following the formal presentations and proceedings, it’s time to kick back with dinner, drinks and networking. Catching up with Fellows, Friends and supporters is time well spent – and well enjoyed.
