Board of Directors

Vision 2020 Australia is governed by a Board of Directors who bring a wealth of experience to help us achieve our mission.

Board of Directors

CHAIR: The Hon Dr Barry Jones AO MA, LLD, DLitt, DSc, DUniv, FAA, FAHA, FTSE, FASSA, FRSA, FRSV, FAIM

Former Member, Victorian Legislative Assembly (1972-77); Former Member of the House of Representatives (1977-98); Former Minister for Science (1983-90); Australia's Representative to UNESCO in Paris (1991-95); Former National President, Australian Labor Party (1992-2000, 2005-06); Professorial Fellow, Melbourne University.

Barry is a writer and broadcaster, and serves on three medical research boards. He is the only person to have been elected as a Fellow of all four Australian learned Academies. His best known book is Sleepers, Wake! Technology and the Future of Work (1982), which ran to 26 impressions. He also wrote the Dictionary of World Biography (1994) and an autobiography, A Thinking Reed (2006).

DEPUTY CO-CHAIR / CHAIR, GLOBAL COMMITTEE: Professor Hugh Taylor AC MD (Melb), MB, BS (Melb), BMedSc (Melb), DO (Melb), FRANZCO, FRACS, FAAO, FACS, FAICD

Harold Mitchell Chair of Indigenous Eye Health, Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne; Director, Vision CRC; Vice President, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness; Treasurer & Director for Advocacy, International Council of Ophthalmology.

Hugh is an ophthalmologist who has been actively involved in research and teaching for 30 years and has published extensively including a recent book on trachoma.

DIRECTOR: Ms Sandra Bailey LLB (Melb)

Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC); Co-Chair, NSW Aboriginal Health Partnership (between the Aboriginal community and the NSW Department of Health); Co-Chair, Aboriginal Health Priority Taskforce; Member, NSW Health Care Advisory Council.

Sandra is a member of the Yorta Yorta nation with a background in law and Aboriginal health and a strong involvement in the Aboriginal community sector. She has been involved in a number of Aboriginal community organisations at local, regional, state and national levels, including the Medical Service at Cummerangunja in southern NSW. She has lectured in legal studies in Aboriginal community colleges and cultural awareness programs. Sandra also worked as a solicitor with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and was head of the Victorian Aboriginal Issues Unit of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

DIRECTOR: Dr Margaret Crowley BA M.Ed PhD

Chief Executive Officer, Association for the Blind of Western Australia since 1997. Margaret served as Associate Professor and Director of the International Institute for Policy Studies at Edith Cowan University, as Assistant Schools Commissioner Equity Programs, with the Australian Government, Assistant Secretary for the Australian Education Ministerial Council, Director, Strategic Services for the Department of Training in Western Australia and is currently Adjunct Associate Professor, Research Centre for Disability and Society at Curtin University.

Margaret has served on a number of Government education, health, disability and research task forces in Western Australia and is actively involved in the development of an eye health and rehabilitation strategy for Western Australia. She is currently involved in two major research projects which centre around the epidemiology of blinding eye diseases in Western Australia and self management of vision loss for older adults.

Margaret is a leading advocate for evidence based practice in rehabilitation and has established the Guide Dog Discovery Centre as a significant community education and blindness prevention centre.

DIRECTOR: Ms Amanda Davis BBus

Global Chief Operating Officer of the International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE) with responsibilities of the Regional Director for Asia Pacific; Member of the National Advisory Committee for Optometry Giving Sight, Australia; Director of Optometry Giving Sight (Global); Director of Viscorp.

Amanda has a background in health and management. She has worked in a number of key management roles within the eyecare sector for the past 10 years.

DIRECTOR: Dr Iain Dunlop MBBS (Hons), FRANZCO, FRACS

Senior Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) and Chairman, Sydney Hospital-Sydney Eye Hospital; Director, Canberra Eye Hospital; President, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO); Chair, RANZCO NSW Branch; Federal Councillor, RANZCO.

Iain served on the Orthoptic Board of Australia at federal and state levels. He is a member of the Federal Government's Professional Service Review Panel; Australian Day Surgery Council; the Medical Devices Working Group and the Ophthalmic Prostheses Clinical Advisory Group.

DIRECTOR: Mrs Janet Holmes à Court AC

Chairman - John Holland Group, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Australian Children's Television Foundation and Urban Design Centre of Western Australia; Board Member, Rio Tinto WA Future Fund and ANAM.

DIRECTOR: Professor Brian Layland OAM BSc (Opt. Sc), ASTC, FIO

Chair, Institute for Eye Research; Director, Aboriginal Eyecare Programs (NSW) and Board Member, International Centre for Eyecare and Education (ICEE); Board member, Vision CRC; Secretary, Optometric Vision Research Foundation (OVRF); Board Member, Viscorp.

Member of the Council; Optometrist Association (NSW) and National past President (OA), Former Australian Representative, International Optometric and Optical League (IOL) (1974-87).

Brian is an optometric practitioner, active in the scientific and professional communities. He is a visiting lecturer and committee member of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) School of Optometry and Vision Science and is a Visiting Professor. He is a member and chairman of many professional committees involved with Government at State and Federal levels. Chief Architect and Overseer, Treasurer, Board of VisionCare NSW; Brian established the NSW Aboriginal Eyecare Program which is conducted by ICEE.

DIRECTOR, CHAIR CORPORATE AND GOVERNANCE STANDING COMMITTEE: Mr Gerard Menses BA (Hons), MA, MAICD, FAIM

Chief Executive Officer, Vision Australia; Director, Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA). Gerard has served on the South Australian Social Justice Advisory Committee; the National Business Services Reform Implementation; the Queensland Disability Funding Review; the South Australian Government's Vision 2020 strategic economic plan, and several other ministerial and economic advisory bodies. He has a background in psychology and family therapy and helped found an international journal of family therapy. He also developed an approach to residential care that is now used internationally. Gerard was named by the Australian Institute of Management as 2001 Professional Manager of the Year, Queensland and won the Prime Minister's National Employer of the Year 2006 award and is a Trustee of the Ansell Ophthalmology Foundation and Eye Research Australia. He is dedicated to working for an inclusive Australia.

DIRECTOR: Professor Deborah Sweeney BOptom PhD

President (and former Secretary and Treasurer) of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators; Secretary General of the international Keratoprothesis (KPro) Study Group; Secretary of VisionCare NSW; Treasurer of CRC Association, Treasurer and Member of the Optometric Vision Research Foundation; Past President and Member of the Executive of the International Society for Contact Lens Research; Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry; and Member of ARVO; Member, Optometrists Association Australia; Member, Contact Lens Society of Australia. Deborah received her Bachelor of Optometry from UNSW in 1980, subsequently taking up the position of Professional Officer within the School of Optometry. She became Manager of Basic Research at CCLRU, successively taking on the roles of Deputy Director, Director of Basic Research, and Executive Director. After the establishment of CRCERT in 1991, she was Executive Director of the centre.

DIRECTOR: Dr Graeme White BSc (Hons), PhD

Chief Executive Officer, Guide Dogs Victoria; Deputy Chair, International Guide Dog Federation; Director, Australia New Zealand Assistance Dogs; Former Director, Guardian Family Care Chemists (1997-2000); Former Director, Ocular Sciences Australia (2001-2005).

Before Guide Dogs Victoria, Graeme spent 30 years in the Australian Pharmaceutical, Healthcare and Optical Industries in Marketing, General Management and Chief Executive roles. He has worked at the multinational companies Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Baxter Healthcare, Smith & Nephew, Sigma Pharmaceutical Wholesale and Ocular Sciences, managing businesses ranging from $5 million to $1.2 billion in size.

Audit and Finance Standing Committee

  • Mr Richard Forbes (Independent)
  • Mrs Janet Holmes à Court AC
  • Professor Brian Layland OAM

Corporate and Governance Standing Committee

  • Mr Gerard Menses (Chair)
  • Dr Iain Dunlop
  • Ms Sheila O'Sullivan (Independent)
  • Professor Debbie Sweeney
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