Val Swift (Gray) is a proud Menang Gnudju woman, born at the United Aborigines Mission near Gnowangerup in the Great Southern.
She is one of seventeen siblings born to Kathleen Knapp and Colin Gray who all grew up in the farming district of Jerramungup (Yarramoup in Noongar) which is situated on Goreng Boodja.
Val has family connection throughout Noongar country and right across to the Gnudu people of the Goldfields region. Whilst Val is a mother, grandmother and great grandmother to her own, being one of many siblings she has many, many kulungars who refer to her as Aunty or Nanny.
Val has spent all her working life in Aboriginal education, welfare and health with South Metro Health where she led the commencement of working alongside community that saw the development of Moorditj Koort Health and Welllness Centre, which is why she has a strong connection to the organisation. Val has lived in Perth metro since 1997.
She is now working in research with the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth with some work being done in the Rockingham/Kwinana district.
Over the past 35 years, Val has held many senior Government positions in the education, welfare and health sectors where she has strongly advocated at a senior level, for change to improve services and programs for the Aboriginal community in which she has lived and worked.
Val now eagerly brings these skills to the Board at Moorditj Koort Aboriginal Corporation to participate in and support the great work being undertaken by the Board.