Board of Directors
The Hon Dr Barry Jones AO, MA, LLD ,DLitt, DSc, DUniv, FAA, FAHA, FTSE, FASSA, FRSA, FRSV, FACE, FAIM
Chair
Member, Victorian Legislative Assembly (1972–77); Member of the House of Representatives (1977–98); Minister for Science (1983–90); Australia’s Representative to UNESCO in Paris (1991–95); National President, Australian Labor Party (1992–2000, 2005–06); Chair of the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority (2000-2011); 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).
Professor Hugh Taylor AC, MD (Melb), MB, BS (Melb), BMedSc (Melb), DO (Melb), FRANZCO, FRACS, FAAO, FACS, FAICD
Co-Deputy Chair
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 and 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.
Professor Brian Layland OAM, BSc (Opt. Sc), ASTC, FIO
Co-Deputy Chair
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.
Dr Margaret Crowley B.A. M.Ed 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 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.
Ms Amanda Davis Dip Nursing (BBus), MPH
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 Vision CRC; Director of Viscorp; Director of PNG Eyecare.
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 13 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; Former 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
Janet Holmes à Court is Chairman of the John Holland Group, one of Australia's leading construction and engineering companies; the West Australian Symphony Orchestra; the Australian Children’s Television Foundation and the Australian Urban Design Research Centre (AUDRC). She is a Board Member of the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund, the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO), the Australian Major Performing Arts Group (AMPAG) and Chamber of Arts and Culture WA.
Janet is a science graduate from the University of Western Australia and taught science for a number of years before working more closely with family business matters. She has won numerous awards recognising her contribution to the community and to business, including a Companion of the Order of Australia.
Mr John Jeffries BBus
Company Secretary
Chair Audit and Finance Standing Committee
CEO, CBM Australia; Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors; Graduate, Institute of Strategic Leadership
John has served with CBM Australia since 1982, the past 19 years as CEO. During this time John has contributed to the worldwide growth of CBM into the largest organisation working with and for people with disabilities in the developing world.
His international commitments have included service on the Boards of CBMI Switzerland, CBM USA, and also the key strategy development bodies of the global CBM Family. He chairs the CBM National Director's Committee. John has also served on the boards of the Centre for Eye Research Australia, Servants Community Housing and Optometry Giving Sight.
Mr Gerard Menses BA (Hons), MA, MAICD, FAIM
Director
Chair Corporate and Governance Standing Committee
Chief Executive Officer, Vision Australia; Chair National Roundtable of Non-Profit Organisations. Gerard has effectively run some of Australia’s largest Non-Profit Organisations and helped create Anglicare Australia. He has served on the South Australian Social Justice Advisory Committee; the SA Development Assessment Commission; The National Business Services Reform Implementation; the Queensland Disability Funding Review; the South Australian Government’s Vision 2020 strategic economic plan, and several other regulatory, ministerial, economic and advisory bodies.
Gerard has a background in psychology and family therapy and helped found an international journal of family therapy. 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. He 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
Director of Research, College of Health and Science, University of Western Sydney. 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 and served as CEO for the Vision CRC for five years. Deborah is 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.
Dr Graeme White BSc (Hons), PhD
Director
Chief Executive Officer, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT since October 2009. Director, Centre for Eye Health; Director, Australian and New Zealand Assistance Dogs Association. Graeme has served as Deputy Chair and Director, International Guide Dog Federation; Director, Ocular Sciences Australasia; Director, Guardian Family Care Chemists.
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, leading organisations ranging up to $1.2 billion annual income in size.