Minute by the Lord Mayor
To Council:
I inform Council of
the passing of Leonie Jackson, member of the City’s Inclusion (Disability) Advisory
Panel and Executive Manager, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships at The Deaf
Society and Deaf Services, on 17 January 2021.
Leonie tragically
passed rescuing her 10-year-old son who got caught in a strong rip at Congo
Beach on the NSW South Coast, where she was holidaying with her family.
Leonie was a valued
member of the City’s Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel. Leonie joined our
Panel in 2020, providing strategic advice to our organisation on how to advance
the inclusion of people with disability in our community. Leonie’s experience
as both a proud Deaf person and as an experienced and highly skilled
professional in the disability sector was a great asset to the City and our
work on disability inclusion. Leonie advised the City on how to ensure our
practices were not only inclusive to members of the Deaf community, but also
celebrated Deaf culture.
Leonie was also the
Executive Manager, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships with the newly merged
Deaf Services and the Deaf Society NSW. Prior to that, Leonie was the first
Deaf Chief Executive Officer in the history of the Deaf Society, a role she had
held since 2015. The City expresses our condolences to members and staff of the
Deaf Society, who worked with and knew Leonie.
Leonie worked extensively
in the disability sector in advocacy, teaching, and service delivery roles.
Leonie previously held positions as President of NSW Association of the Deaf,
Chair of the Deaf Education Network and President of the Parents of Deaf
Children. Leonie was also the Chair of the Games Organising Committee for the
2022 Australian Deaf Games.
Leonie was a passionate advocate for the Deaf
community and dedicated much of her life to preserving Deaf culture. Leonie
began her career as a teacher and has been widely recognised as a pioneer in
Deaf education and bilingual teaching in Australia. Whilst working at the Royal
Institute for Deaf and Blind Children Leonie established the first bilingual
program for Deaf children.
Leonie had a significant impact on many and her
loss will be felt by City staff, Panel members, the Deaf community and the
broader community. Leonie will be remembered for her service to the community
and commitment to the preservation of Deaf culture in Australia.
Our thoughts are with Leonie’s family during this
time, particularly her children.
COUNCILLOR CLOVER MOORE
Lord Mayor
Moved by the Chair (the Lord Mayor), seconded by Councillor Scully –
It is resolved that Council observe a minute’s
silence to mark the passing of Leonie Jackson, noting her significant
contribution to the Deaf community, the disability sector more broadly and
service to our community as a member of the City’s Inclusion (Disability)
Advisory Panel.
Carried unanimously.
S051491
Note – All those present at the meeting, held remotely, observed a minute’s silence in memory of Leonie Jackson.