Our board
VACCHO is governed by a Board of Directors who represent our Members and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community in Victoria.
This governance framework ensures that VACCHO remains driven and informed by the Community that it serves.
The Board plays a crucial role in overseeing the determination and implementation of policies and processes that reflect good corporate governance and our core organisational values.
Our Board Directors bring diverse experience and knowledge to their roles, which is vital to informing the work VACCHO does to support Members and Community.
Board meetings take place quarterly and provide valuable guidance on VACCHO’s work and our Members’ priorities.
Michael Graham
Chairperson
Michael Graham is a proud Dja Dja Wurrung and Wiradjuri man who is passionate about improving the outcomes of his people and for the last 20 years has contributed to the wellbeing of the Community through his work at various Community organisations. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS).
He has been a Board Member at the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative and a former Board Chairperson at VAHS and the Fitzroy Stars Aboriginal Community Youth Club/Gymnasium.
Dallas Widdicombe
Deputy Chairperson
Dallas is a proud Dharug man who holds a Bachelor of Social Work and an Advanced Diploma of Business (Governance). Dallas previously worked in the remote Western Australian community of Balgo where he held various positions including the Chief Executive Officer of the Wirrimanu Aboriginal Community.
Dallas works for the Bendigo & District Aboriginal Corportation (BDAC) as the Director of Operations overseeing the BDAC Medical Clinic and Family and Community Services teams. During his time, he has significantly increased the income of the organisation’s medical clinic.
Dallas’ passions are focused on the future of improved health for his people and believes self-determination plays an integral part in achieving this goal.
Kelli Bartlett
Director
Kelli Bartlett is a proud Yorta Yorta woman from Echuca, where she has lived all her life. She has worked at Njernda Aboriginal Corporation for 17 years and is currently employed as the Health Services Team Leader and is also the Chair of the Board.
Kelli has qualifications in Aboriginal health, an area she’s passionate about, and enjoys working for Community.
Felicia Dean
Director
Felicia Dean is a proud Yorta Yorta woman, and the Chief Executive Officer of Rumbalara. She is a mother of two and grandmother to three.
Felicia has a strong background in Aboriginal Affairs and the Community-controlled sector, and supports the Empowered Communities model based on self-determination, and flexibility as the way forward for addressing the disparity across Australia for Aboriginal communities.
John Gorton
Director
John Gorton is a proud Wotjobaluk man living in Horsham. He has worked at Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative for 18 years.
John currently holds two roles at Goolum, the first as Community Services Manager, and the second as Chairperson of the Board, a role he has been in for over eight years.
Jacki Turfrey
Director
Jacki Turfrey is a proud Palawa woman who has lived and worked in Victoria for over 30 years. She is the proud mother of three children and lives in Mildura with her family.
Jacki worked as a solicitor, commercial lawyer, barrister and company secretary, and became the Director of the Koori Justice Unit (2013). She was a Director with Aboriginal Housing Victoria (2003 – 2014) and became the Director of Treaty at Aboriginal Victoria in 2016 to start the critical work that led to the establishment of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria.
She was appointed the CEO of Mallee District Aboriginal Services (MDAS) in 2020.
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