Anne Wicking our CEO and I met with Rhonda recently and were inspired and enthused by Rhonda’s total commitment to both community and mutual support & self help. She is also very aware of the lack of understanding about grief and bereavement in society as a whole.

Rhonda has made unique contributions to Australian and international social development by establishing new organisations and programs for Australia and the world from concept to operational success.

These include the Australian International Health Institute (Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne). In this role Rhonda initiated the Sir Gustav Nossal Fellowship for Leadership in Health Reform and the Australian hub for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Child Vaccination Program. Rhonda established and sustained the world first organisation to use the dedicated tobacco tax for health promotion, the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth). She created the Australian Commission for the Future, which among other areas began the movement to establish Greenhouse emissions as a vital issue for Australia.

In 2000 Rhonda, with her business partner Denis Moriaty, established Our Community, to support and advocate for community groups. Their website www.ourcommunity.com.au is an invaluable resource for Australia’s over 700,000 community groups and schools. Through the Our Community Centres of Excellence, they provide a one-stop-gateway for practical resources, support and linkages between community networks and the general public, business and government.

She has recently been appointed Chair of Disability Advisory Council of Victoria and has just launched her first book, Just Passions – The Personal is Political, a signed copy of which Rhonda presented to us for inclusion in the TCF library.

We are delighted that Rhonda has agreed to participate in promotion and presentation of our next Compassionate Employer Awards, in early 2005.

Rhonda is a warm, friendly, caring person, with unparalleled experience and a willingness to share, advise and assist. We very much look forward to working with and learning from her.

Barb. Summers
President.