ACWA 2021 AGM: Board Election and Constitution Changes

ACWA has welcomed a fresh face to our Board, with the election of Narang Bir-rong’s CEO, Heidi Bradshaw.

The Board election results were declared at ACWA’s 2021 Annual General Meeting, held on November 4.

The other two Board positions up for election were filled by returning directors, Dr Lisa Griffiths (OzChild) and Dr Robyn Miller (Mackilllop).

The office bearers for the new Board will be elected at the December Board meeting, but in the meantime we are happy that Mr Nigel Lindsay (Wesley Mission) will continue as interim Chair, with Ms Kathy Karatasas in the role of Deputy Chair. ACWA extends our deep appreciation and thanks to retiring Board Member Alan Brennan (Pathfinders) for his contribution and commitment to ACWA during his time on the Board.

Importantly at the AGM, two special resolutions were passed to amend the ACWA Constitution, as follows:

  • to create a category of (non-voting) associate membership, and to allow for (voting) membership for unincorporated organisations, and
  • to remove the requirement that one third of board members stand down at each annual general meeting.

The amended ACWA constitution can be viewed here.

During the AGM ACWA Chair, Nigel Lindsay, and CEO, Steve Kinmond, provided members with an outline of ACWA’s activities and achievements for the year.

We were pleased to welcome the Honourable Alister Henskens, Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services, as guest speaker at our AGM. The Minister noted his appreciation for ACWA’s advocacy and collaborative approach throughout the year, particularly in relation to insurance issues and the ITC funding uplift. Minister Henskens also took questions from the membership, and congratulated the sector on their ongoing commitment to improving the lives of children and young people, particularly during this very challenging time.

A full rundown of the work ACWA has undertaken during 2020-2021 is available in our Annual Report.