Chairperson of the Asia Pacific ABCD Network

Ted Smeaton is the Chairperson of the Asia Pacific ABCD Network and a Faculty member of the ABCD Institute at the Northwestern University, Chicago and a principal ABCD Global Consuliting.

Ted has a background in community work, community education, senior management and as a tertiary lecturer. His employment experience includes the role of senior manager for The Benevolent Society, where he established their first regional and rural program, which in five years grew from one part-time worker to a state-wide program with an operating budget of $18m. Ted has been instrumental in establishing nine new community-based enterprises and developed a number of national programs. He has an extensive history in supporting Australian Indigenous organisations. Ted was the principal facilitator for the National Assets Based Community Development Facilitators’ Training Program, in partnership with the ABCD Institute of North Western University, Chicago. Ted has a strong belief that vibrant, strong communities and nations need a strong civil society; that sustainable communities are built from the inside out and need the passion, ideas, skills, assets, culture, and energy of everyone in the community to create inclusive, vibrant, enterprising communities. These ideas have led to Ted establishing Inspiring Communities to promote these important ideas with the necessary facilitation, creativity and skills. Ted offers support in capacity building, promotion of innovation, strategic planning, community development skills, evaluation, community education/organising support to NGOs, communities, local, state and national governments. He also provides mentoring, facilitation and educational opportunities using Asset Based Community Development, ABCD for Inclusion and Appreciative Inquiry methodologies.