An Evening with Leadership WA 2025 - Celebrating our community

In February we were delighted to welcome our community to celebrate all that our network has achieved in 2024 with 'An Evening with Leadership WA'. The annual celebration hosted by Dominique Mecoy OAM (Signature 2009), CEO and Angie Paskevicius, Board Chair.

The evening included warm reflections on the past year, with Dom sharing her engaging and often humourous update on the achievements of our Participants, Alumni, supporters and team. She included highlights from the 20th Anniversary, as well as acknowledging 10 years of impact of the LeadAbility Course, thanks to the continued support of the Department of Communities WA. It is also a chance to recognise the recipients of our Leadership WA Awards.

Established in 2013, the Leadership WA Awards recognise exceptional leadership, community contribution and support for the work and values of Leadership WA. Angie formally awarded our 2024 Alumni Award recipients; leaders who have gone above and beyond in their enduring support of Leadership WA. Our congratulations to:

2024 Distinguished Fellow - Dawn McAleenan GAICD (Rising 2016), CEO of Crosslinks

Dawn has over two decades of leadership in the not-for-profit sector, with experience spanning national, regional and local levels. Deeply committed to reducing social exclusion, she actively advocates for equitable, collaborative solutions that create lasting value for communities.

Dawn is involved with a number of NFP Boards including the Centre for Accessibility Australia and Hello Initiative. She is part of the National Disability Services WA State Committee, an active mentor for other business leaders and entrepreneurs, and has been a great supporter of Leadership WA, in particular as a LeadAbility Project Mentor, dedicating herself to cultivating aspiring leaders in the sector.

Dawn gave an insightful, heartfelt and (amazingly) unscripted speech, in which she paid respect to the leaders who had shaped her own journey. Dawn also shared one of the most valuable lessons she has learnt that “true leadership isn’t about job titles - it’s about one’s attitude and willingness to help others”.

2024 Honorary Fellow - Alec Coles, CEO of WA Museum

A tireless advocate for Culture and the Arts, Alec led the development of the Western Australian Museum in Perth, ensuring collaboration with all peoples and cultures to achieve a museum truly reflective of our State. He was also a member of the team that delivered the award-winning National Anzac Centre in Albany.

Recognised through numerous awards and honours, Alec is known for his commitment and passion for creating museums owned and valued by their communities. His leadership in incorporating Indigenous voices into the WA Museum’s development has been widely commended in the museum and cultural sectors.

Alec spoke to the power of belief as a leader. Belief in yourself and your team. He also graciously highlighted the importance of humility and being open to every opportunity, as you never know where it may lead.

After the awards presentation, our guests then continued the evening in true Leadership WA style, connecting, reconnecting and celebrating together.

As we now look towards the year ahead, we know that - thanks to the collective courageous leadership of our community - that we will continue to shape a better WA.