Greg Mackie
Gregory Alan "Greg" Mackie (OAM) (b. 13 October 1959) is a South Australian cultural advocate, entrepreneur and leader who has worked to promote the arts and culture in Australia. In recognition of his vision and service, he has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2002, for his "service to the community through the promotion of the arts, in particular (as founder of) the Adelaide Festival of Ideas". In 2006 he received a Flinders University Distinguished Alumni Award, and in 2007 the AbaF (Australia Business Arts Foundation) Dame Elizabeth Murdoch Cultural Leadership Award in recognition of his efforts to promote business partnership with the arts. In October 2015 he received the inaugural annual $50,000 Jim Bettison and Helen James Foundation Award. He is currently a Trustee of Palya Fund and a member of the Ngeringa Arts Advisory Board.
Serving for a decade with the Adelaide Writers' Week literary festival Advisory Committee, including four years as its chair (1994–98), in 1999 he founded the Adelaide Festival of Ideas. From 1984-2003 Greg was Director and co-proprietor of Adelaide's leading independent literary book retailer, Imprints Booksellers. During those years he served in many board and other advocacy roles in the community and cultural benefit sectors, including as President of the Adelaide West End Association, the FEAST Adelaide Lesbian and Gay Cultural Festival, as a Trustee of the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust, and member of the Libraries Board of South Australia. He has also served on the Council of the University of South Australia, and as an inaugural member of the Dame Roma Mitchell Trust Fund for Children and Young People. Working with the Premier of South Australia, Hon. Mike Rann MP and the Minister for Disability, Mackie established the Richard Llewellyn Arts and Disability Trust Fund. He also served on the Board of Management of the Don Dunstan Foundation,[1] and later as one of its patrons.
In May 2000 he was elected to the Adelaide City Council and served in that capacity until May 2003. During that period Mackie developed the first Adelaide City Arts and Living Culture Strategy and played a leading role to improve relations with the Aboriginal community. He developed a City Flags Policy that ensured the permanent flying of the Aboriginal Flag alongside the national flag in Victoria Square, and became a leading proponent of the Victoria Square and Central West Redevlopment Strategy. In May 2003 Local Government elections Mackie contested the Lord Mayoralty of the City of Adelaide.
Mackie commenced service as Executive Director of Arts SA in January 2004. As the state's top arts bureaucrat, he worked to enhance the sustainability of the arts and cultural heritage and to grow the state's festivals platforms.cult During this time he oversaw the growth of government's annual investment in the arts and culture from $78m to in excess of $120m per annum.
In September 2008 he became acting Deputy Chief Executive of the Department of Premier and Cabinet. Between that time and December 2011, the Premier appointed him Acting Chief Executive for two extended periods. In January 2009, Mackie chaired the State Emergency Management Committee, co-ordinating the state's response to a major heatwave emergency. As Deputy Chief Executive, his responsibilities included Arts SA, SafeWork SA, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Capital City Committee Directorate, the Adelaide Thinkers in Residence Program and State Records. During this period he established for Premier Rann the Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI) and the Integrated Design Commission SA.
In 2008, Mackie was appointed by Her Excellency Quentin Bryce, Governor-General of Australia as a member of the Council of the Order of Australia, a role in which he served until 2013. Between 2008-13 Mackie served as Chairman of the South Australian Premier's Communications Advisory Group (PCAG) - the state's watchdog on tax-payer funded advertising.
In January 2012, at the invitation of Minister for the Arts, Health and Ageing, Hon John Hill MP, Mackie took on the role of 'ageing provocateur' as Executive Director, Office for the Ageing. In February 2013 he left the SA Public Sector and from September 2013 - August 2014 served as CEO with Sydney-based not-for-profit network, Place Leaders Asia-Pacific Ltd. He consults as a place-shaping advisor, mentor, coach and a provider of professional services. He has served as a member of the board of Volunteering SA&NT, and is currently a board member of Soundstream New Music Collective. Since November 2013, he has served as Chairman of the board of Festival Fleurieu - a biennial arts festival in the district of Yankalilla, and since July 2015 as Chairman of the board of Adelaide Festival of Ideas Association Inc. He was appointed in June 2014 as member of the Australia Council for the Arts' Major Performing Arts Panel.