Janelle Brown the Principal Consultant of First Nations Consultants, Australia (FNCA) is a Bundjalung woman from Grafton on the North Coast of NSW.  (Janelle also acknowledges her family ties to the Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti, Yaegl and Yuin nations.) 

Janelle has a passion for the promotion of Indigenous community development. She has worked with and for Aboriginal communities (both in a paid and voluntary capacity) for the past 38 years.  The areas she has worked in include:  healing (co-ordinator of a healing centre) education, housing, tenant advocacy, community development, training, governance, human resources, early childhood education and aged care respite services.  

Janelle is experienced in project management, policy development, research, strategic planning, evaluations and reviews.  She is also an experienced trainer having developed and facilitated cross cultural training packages and a parenting program toolkit and accompany train the trainer package. Janelle has also facilitated a family violence prevention training program (Real Relationships) and the Get Smart program (a cognitive behavioural change program focusing on drug and alcohol addictions).

During her 38 years long career, Janelle has worked for both federal and state (NSW) government, community based organisations both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.

She is also very interested in bush tucker and bush medicines, has shared her knowledge in workshops with many different groups and individuals.

She completed in November 2021,  the Bachelor of Applied Science in Indigenous Professional Practices, Majoring in Indigenous Community Management and Development, graduating with distinction at Curtin University, W.A. 

Supporting Janelle at FNCA is a large number of associate consultants, who are experts in their chosen field, with the majority of whom are Indigenous.  Their collective expertise include law and social justice, education, early childhood education, health, mental health, youth, governance, small business management, micro finance, Indigenous community development, housing, Indigenous cultural knowledge including art, language and dance, and heritage.