Richard Monaei
Board Member
Richard Monaei is a First Nations with strong identified cultural connections to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. He is descendant of the Kaurareg (Horn Island), Gudang (Northern Peninsula of Australia) and Meriam (Murray Island) people. He continues to practice language, dance, and ceremony to maintain his cultural heritage. His cultural capital is largely concentrated across Queensland (Qld), extending across Australia.
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Currently employed (since Jun. ‘23) as a Program Manager with the Interim Truth and Treaty Body (ITTB), based at State Library Queensland. He is a part of a small, highly functional team responsible for the delivery of Queensland’s First Nations Treaty Institute and working collaboratively with government to deliver the Truth-Telling and Healing Inquiry, governed by the Path to Treaty Act 2023. Before this role Richard was a Principal Project Officer in Agreement Making, with Qld Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships where his primary focus engaging with First Nations native title claimants, consulting and negotiating indigenous land use agreements and cooperative managements of lands, adopted through a co-stewardship approach, and supported by the department’s agreement making framework.
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Previously a sworn police officer (26 years) with the Queensland Police Service (QPS), he departed at the rank of Sergeant in October 2022. During this time, Richard served as the State Police Liaison Officer Coordinator, in the QPS First Nations and Multicultural Affairs Unit (FNMAU), completed 17 years in highly disciplined teams; The Public Safety Response Team (PSRT) and the Special Emergency Response Team (SERT), as a tactical specialist operator. He consulted and advised Director of Research and Evaluation – (former) Qld Crime and Misconduct Commission (2012), QPS Commissioner of Police and members of QPS executives on several projects and strategies. He has a high degree of experience in corporate and strategic governance strategies, project development and delivery.