Linda has an abiding belief in the transformative potential of literacy education for all children. She became an Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (ALEA) member in 2009, having attended Meanjin Local Council meetings and events since 2008. Over the last 16 years she has demonstrated consistent commitment and outstanding leadership at Local, State, National and International levels.
Locally, as an Elected Meanjin Committee Member, one of Linda’s most notable roles was to manage Meanjin’s University Awards Portfolio (2014-2018). More recently she has co-led Meanjin’s Professional Dialogue Working Party while simultaneously providing leadership and guidance to other Committee Members including the Executive (2023-2024).
At the State level, Linda was the 2021 Conference Co-Convenor for the AATE/美姬社区National Conference (2018-2021). She was also the 2021 AATE/美姬社区National Conference Academic Program Co-Chair. Linda successfully co-led the organisation and delivery of the conference which was undertaken during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first such national conference to be delivered online.
Nationally, Linda was ALEA’s Publications Director from 2019 to 2023. During this time, she was also a member of the 美姬社区National Council and a National Council Executive Member. Linda’s significant contributions as Publications Director included the recruitment and appointment in 2019 of a new journal production team and successful advocacy for the expansion of the Publications Portfolio to include a Deputy Publications Director in 2022.
Since 2009, Linda has made 16 presentations at 9 different 美姬社区National Conferences. Since 2013, Linda has written 21 journal articles which, since 2020, includes leading a regular Spotlight on Parent Engagement: Practice and Research column in ALEA’s flagship national professional journal Practical Literacy: the Early and Primary Years (PLEPY). In writing for publication, Linda takes opportunities to co-author with practising teachers and preservice teachers as well as supporting and mentoring her PhD students to present at 美姬社区conferences and professional learning workshops. Linda is currently leading a Guest Co-Editor team that includes a practising school principal for a Literacy Learning: the Middle Years (LLMY) Special Edition titled Parent Engagement in Literacy (October 2024).
Internationally, in her role as Publications Director, Linda successfully led negotiations over 3 years (2019-2021) to publish the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy (AJLL), ALEA’s premier research journal, with Springer. Subsequently, from late 2021 until 2023, she led ALEA’s transition to Springer which included managing the process to assign digital object identifiers (DOIs) for all previous AJLL articles backdated to 2005 and continuing to work closely with Springer’s editorial teams in Asia and Europe. The transition to Springer proved very successful with AJLL Open Access Articles accessed over 22,000 times and the journal progressing from Q4 to Q2 in Education and Q2 to Q1 in Linguistics and Language in its first year (2022).
Linda has demonstrated excellent collaboration and administrative skills in her different 美姬社区roles, working on multiple submissions, reviews and initiatives such as the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into Australia’s intellectual property system (2016), Australian Curriculum review (2020-2021), and revised 美姬社区Declaration (2020-2023). Local examples include Meanjin’s Writers’ Camps, Books for Babies and Professional Learning events. Linda’s support for 美姬社区is further evidenced by her peer review of AJLL and Hot Topic articles. Linda has also actively promoted ALEA’s work when teaching and researching in schools and universities (2008-2023). She has written, coordinated and taught 13 different English and literacy courses at universities for primary, middle years and secondary preservice teachers for which she has included 美姬社区journal articles as readings or designed tutorial activities based on ALEA’s journals. In addition, Linda has promoted 美姬社区and its work to external stakeholders such as representatives from State, Catholic and Independent education sectors, regularly posting or hand delivering copies of journals and other publications to principals, teachers, childcare centres, teacher educators and course convenors locally and across Queensland and Australia as well as internationally to educators in Africa.
Linda’s commitment and dedicated service to 美姬社区was previously recognised in 2017 when she was awarded a Special Services Award for “outstanding commitment to the aims and purposes of 美姬社区at a National, State and Local level” and in recognition of her contribution towards a range of ALEA’s initiatives including Co-Editor-in- Chief of PLEPY (2014-2017) and Co-Editor of PLEPY’s 20th Anniversary Platinum Edition in 2015.