The Board of the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) has appointed its Executive Office Bearers for the next 12 months. I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue as President, leading VAADA at such an important moment.
Victoria has its first comprehensive Alcohol & Other Drug (AOD) Strategy in decades, while VAADA is in the process of developing a new Strategic Plan. I thank my Board colleagues for their trust and support.
Clare Davies, CEO of the Self-Help Addiction Resource Centre (SHARC) was re-elected to the VAADA Board at our recent AGM and has been returned as Vice-President. The strategic leadership that Clare provides me and the rest of the VAADA team cannot be understated. I thank Clare for her commitment to our peak body and the AOD sector, and for the guidance and support that she provides.
We recently farewelled Dom Ennis as a Director, after his departure from YSAS. We cannot be more grateful for the role Dom played as Treasurer and Chair of VAADA’s Finance, Audit & Risk Subcommittee. We will miss Dom’s positive attitude and diligent approach to supporting our work.
I’m pleased to confirm that Kent Burgess, Interim Chief Executive Officer at Thorne Harbour Health has been confirmed by the Board as the new VAADA Treasurer. Kent is a former VAADA Vice-President and experienced executive leader and we are grateful that he has stepped into the Treasurer role to continue the work of strengthening our governance, reporting and oversight frameworks.
I am similarly pleased to confirm that Jose Taylor, Director of Youth, Housing and South West at Meli was also re-elected to the Board for a further 3 years. Jose is an amazing advocate for regional and rural Victoria, and we look forward to her bringing her experience and considered insights to the next phase of our work.
Finally welcome to our newest Director, Simone Heald, CEO of North Richmond Community Health. Simone is an experienced health leader, who brings an extensive background in work that seeks to address health inequities. This includes currently operating the Medically Supervised Injecting Room in North Richmond. We are delighted that Simone has been elected by the members to the VAADA Board and look forward to the important contribution she will make to our peak body.
Dr. Tamsin Short
Board President
VAADA Board 2026
1. Tamsin Short, President
2. Clare Davies, Vice-President
3. Kent Burgess, Treasurer
4. Jose Taylor
5. Dale Hardy
6. Cath Peake
7. Adrian Webber
8. Stefan Grunert
9. Richie Goonan
10. Craig Holloway
11. Dan Lubman
12. Simone Heald