Jahna Cedar OAM is a Nyiyaparli/Yindjibarndi woman from the Pilbara region of Western Australia and a strong indigenous community leader. Born and raised in Port Hedland, she now resides in Perth.
Ms Cedar has served as director and secretary on the Niapaili Aboriginal Corporation board, and is a member of the Niapaili Aboriginal Corporation and Gumala Aboriginal Corporation. She has also served as treasurer/director of Lotteries House South Hedland, and is on the Advisory Committee for National Commonwealth Bank Foundation.
Ms Cedar has represented her people internationally in children's rights and equal access to employment, education and training for women. As executive officer at Gumala Aboriginal Corporation for 2 years, Ms Cedar led the turnaround of Gumala, following a period where income fell 80%, building capacity and independence for Gumala members in the areas of health and wellbeing, employment, housing, education and culture. In February 2019 she became operations manager of consulting firm IPS Management Consultants, and has been its executive director since August 2019.
In 2012, Ms Cedar was the youngest person to be named in the WA International Women’s Day Hall of Fame. In 2017, she won a Business News 40under40 award and the Telstra Business Women's Award (WA) for Purpose and Social Enterprise Winner and was a finalist in 2021. In January 2020, Ms Cedar was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to WA's indigenous community. In February 2022, she was named the Western Australian recipient of the Australian Awards for Excellence in Women’s Leadership which celebrates exceptional women leaders, specifically those who have made outstanding contributions to equality.
