Two Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) board members have been recognised in the King’s birthday honours announced on Monday 8 June.
Dharug man Glenn Johnston and Kamilaroi man Steven Adams were both awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the Indigenous community.
“I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive the OAM,” said Glenn, an AHO board member since 2024. “But I see this recognition as belonging to the many Aboriginal entrepreneurs, leaders, community members and allies I have had the privilege to work alongside. Their determination, resilience and vision have been the real inspiration behind everything I have done.”
Steven, an AHO board member since 2021, said being acknowledged by his Mob felt “deeply personal”.
“It’s been a long road and I've made some incredible friends along the way,” he said. “We all work so hard together, and we are making a positive impact, so this award means a lot. It recognises what we can achieve by working together to support our youth to gain an education and the confidence to step up and forge their own pathway.”
Both men have dedicated their lives to creating greater opportunities for Aboriginal people.
Steven is a founding director of the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce and has used his various roles on boards, committees and taskforces in the past 20 years to ensure that Aboriginal perspectives are included.
Glenn has more than 30 years of executive leadership experience across the private and public sectors, and is a prominent advocate for building a prosperous Aboriginal business economy.
“I see the OAM as encouragement to continue the journey,” he said. “Australia has made progress, but there is still much more to do to ensure Indigenous businesses have equitable access to markets and Indigenous people have access to meaningful employment, career opportunities and housing. I remain committed to helping create a future where Aboriginal economic participation is the norm, not the exception.”
They both said the response to their OAMs had been overwhelming.
“Mum and Dad made sure us three kids gained the education they were denied in the Fifties, and instilled a strong work ethic,” said Steven. “These are values my wife Deborah and I have passed onto our children.”
The next generation is always on the minds of both men as they work to provide the opportunities their parents and grandparents didn’t have.
“Like many Aboriginal people, I don't do this work for recognition; I do it because I believe in creating opportunities for our people and future generations,” said Glenn. “I hope this shines a light not on me, but on the importance of Indigenous economic empowerment, employment, housing and self-determination.”
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