Please join us at 8:15am for 8:30 am start on Thursday 25th September for our interactive Career Stories Event, as part of the AWA National Mentoring Program. We encourage those involved in the Mentoring Program especially to come along, but all are welcome. We invite you to join us over a free coffee, thanks to the great support from SMEC, in the morning to hear from three mentors who have been participating in the program who are excited to share their career stories with us all.
This will be an interactive round-table style event, enabling meaningful sharing from mentors and the safe space to ask questions in smaller groups.
Register below to join us at the SA Water Learning Centre on Thursday the 25th of September from 8.15am to 9:30am
We will all get a chance to hear the Career Stories from the following Mentors:
Speakers :
David Cook
Growing up in country Victoria within a couple kilometres of a large freshwater lake in the Grampians, I was always around water, fishing, yabbying, lazing around in a blow-up boat or playing beach cricket. I still remember the first cyanobacterial bloom I encountered, quite smelly; did not realise these organisms could be toxic, I was to learn about these later. The fun I had mucking about in aquatic environments led me to pursue a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Aquatic Science, at Deakin University in Warrnambool followed by a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching (Maths/Science). A couple years spent contract teaching at the local TAFE in Stawell combined with some Youth work was good fun but the opportunity for full time work was a goal hence the move to the big smoke (Adelaide) with my partner. Shortly after moving to Adelaide in March 1995, I joined SA Water (AWQC) at Bolivar on a short-term contact in the Water Treatment Team. Since then, I have worked with numerous people who have been generous in sharing their knowledge, worked on many different projects and now I have the privilege to lead the scientists and technical experts that make up the Water Science team in our laboratory. Still dealing with pesky cyanobacteria.
Madeleine Greenlee
Madeleine is the Director of the Water Futures Program at SA Water, responsible for ensuring a secure, sustainable water supply for South Australians for generations to come. Maddie is a collaborative leader who brings passion and enthusiasm to the development of strategic, effective and equitable water management solutions for our communities. As an experienced water resources engineer previously in the public and private sector in both Australia and the USA, her roles have spanned areas of Infrastructure Operations, Research and Innovation, Engineering Design, Organizational Strategy, Technical Strategies and Project Delivery.
Wafaa Khalifi
Driven by a passion for people, collaboration, and sustainability, Wafaa Khalifi has built her career in the water and waste sectors with the ambition to create meaningful impact. She has navigated diverse functions including performance, commercial, operations, and finance, giving her a holistic perspective on leadership and transformation. She recently served as General Manager of the SUEZ–SA Water Alliance in Adelaide, and has now stepped into a new role as Vice President of Strategy, Risk, Finance & Procurement at SUEZ Australia & New Zealand. Beyond her executive responsibilities, Wafaa serves on the Board of the SUEZ Foundation and has long been engaged with non-profits and associations in Africa dedicated to serving local communities. She is also an active member of the Australian Water Association’s South Australian Branch, where she chairs the Careers in Water Subcommittee, fostering opportunities for the next generation of water professionals. In parallel, she contributes to the broader business community as President of the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce in South Australia, where she promotes dialogue on sustainability and cross-cultural collaboration.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunriser events are open to anyone with an interest in the water industry, and present an opportunity to meet with other professionals, regardless of experience levels. This is a free event where you can grab a free coffee.
Please register your attendance. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Event Details
When: Thursday 25th September 2025
Venue: SA Water Leaning Centre; 250 Victoria Square, Adelaide SA
Time: 8.15am for an 8:30am start. Event concludes at 9:30am
What: FREE coffee supplied thanks to SMEC
Thanks to Our Sponsors of the National Mentoring Program
We really look forward to seeing you in person!