VicHealth is pleased to announce that Professor Emeritus John Catford has been appointed Chair of the VicHealth Board and Nicole Livingstone OAM will step into the role of Deputy Chair.
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VicHealth is pleased to announce that Professor Emeritus John Catford has been appointed Chair of the VicHealth Board and Nicole Livingstone OAM will step into the role of Deputy Chair.
These appointments follow the resignation of Mr Mark Birrell who regretfully stepped down after accepting a new role as the Chair of Infrastructure Australia, along with his other Chair commitments including the Port of Melbourne Corporation and Citywide.
VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter paid tribute to Mr Birrell for his leadership as Chair of VicHealth, and the invaluable contribution he has made to the health of Victorians over the past three years and beyond.
“Mark’s many years of experience in public policy, indeed his lead role as as Shadow Minister for Health in the passage of the Tobacco Act 1987 and the creation of VicHealth have been invaluable for our great state. I would like to extend my particular thanks to Mark for his leadership as Chair of VicHealth and wish him continued success in his ongoing contribution to our community.
“I am pleased to announce that Professor John Catford will be Chair of the VicHealth Board, transitioning from his previous position as Deputy Chair.
“As the Executive Director Academic and Medical at Epworth HealthCare, and previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing and Behavioural Sciences at Deakin University, Professor Catford has many years’ experience in public health and will be a strong Chair as the organisation continues its challenging work as a leader in health promotion,” Ms Rechter added.
Professor Catford was formerly Chief Health Officer and Executive Director of Public Health for the Victorian Government from 1998 to 2002, and worked for the World Health Organization as Health Policy and Public Health Adviser to health ministers in Central and Eastern Europe from 1994 to 1995.
Current board member Nicole Livingstone OAM has been named Deputy Chair of the VicHealth Board.
A former Olympian who has a strong background in sport, community and media, Nicole has chaired the Ministerial Community Advisory Committee on Body Image and has previously worked with VicHealth and VicHealth-funded projects including QUIT and Victoria Walks. She joined the VicHealth Board in 2011.
Ms Rechter said she was looking forward to working with the new Chair and Deputy Chair of the Board to continue the process of transformation at VicHealth.
