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

• The Hon Dr Barry Jones AO (Chair)
• Professor Hugh Taylor AC (Co-Deputy Chair)
• Professor Brian Layland OAM (Co-Deputy Chair)
• Dr Margaret Crowley
• Ms Amanda Davis
• Dr Iain Dunlop
• Mrs Janet Holmes à Court AC
• Mr John Jeffries
• Mr Gerard Menses
• Professor Deborah Sweeney
• Dr Graeme White

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

Chair

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 two 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).

Professor Hugh Taylor AC MD (Melb), MB, BS (Melb), BMedSc (Melb), DO (Melb), FRANZCO, FRACS, FAAO, FACS, FAICD

Co-Deputy Chair

Chair, Global Committee

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

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. He has served as an advisor to many national and international bodies including the World Health Organisation.

Professor Brian Layland OAM, OLM, BSc (Opt Sc), ASTC, FIO

Co-Deputy Chair

Chair, Brien Holden Vision Institute; 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; Optometrists Association Australia (NSW) (1956–present), NSW and National past President (OAA); Former Australian Representative, International Optometric and Optical League (IOOL) (1974–87); Vice President IOOL (1978-79); Chair Finance Committee IOOL (1973–84).

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, 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 International Centre for Eyecare Education.

Dr Margaret Crowley BA, MEd PhD

Director

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 responsible for Equity Programs with the Australian Government; Assistant Secretary for the Australian Education Ministerial Committee; Executive 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 advocating for 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 initiative.

Ms Amanda Davis Dip Nursing, BBus

Director

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.

Dr Iain Dunlop MBBS (Hons), FRANZCO, FRACS

Director

Senior Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) and Chairman, Sydney Hospital-Sydney Eye Hospital; Director, Canberra Eye Hospital; Past 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.

Mrs Janet Holmes à Court AC

Director

Chairman - John Holland Group, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Australian Children's Television Foundation and Urban Design Centre of Western Australia; Board Member - Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian National Academy of Music, Australian Major Performing Arts Group and Rio Tinto WA Future Fund.

Mr John Jeffries BBus

Company Secretary

Chair, Audit and Finance Standing Committee

National Director, CBM Australia; Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors; Director, Centre for Eye Research Australia.

Mr Gerard Menses BA (Hons), MA, MAICD, FAIM

Director

Chair, Corporate and Governance Standing Committee

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.

Professor Deborah Sweeney BOptom PhD

Director

November 2009 Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Vision Cooperative Research Centre (2008–Oct 2009); from November 2009 Director of Research, College of Health and Science, University of Western Sydney; 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 and served as CEO for the Vision CRC for five years.

Dr Graeme White BSc (Hons), PhD

Director

Chief Executive Officer, Guide Dogs Victoria since July 2005 and Chief Executive Officer, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT since October 2009; Director, Director, Centre for Eye Health; Director, Australian and New Zealand Assistance Dog Association.

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 and Nephew, Sigma Pharmaceutical Wholesale and Ocular Sciences, managing businesses ranging from $5 million to $1.2 billion in size.