Today I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Heather Allan, Mr David Pigott and Ms Heather Watson as part-time general members of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Advisory Board for a period of three years.
The ACNC Advisory Board provides legal, accounting and taxation advice for the not-for-profit (NFP) sector, and supports the ACNC Commissioner to fulfil their role.
Heather Allan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Lung Foundation Australia, a national charity dedicated to supporting those with lung disease. Ms Allan brings business expertise, public health promotion and advocacy knowledge to the role. Ms Allan also served for four years as the Executive Director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
David Pigott is a not-for-profit leader with over 38 years of professional experience in the not-for-profit, corporate and government sectors. He has held a number of executive roles at Mission Australia, and is currently responsible for leading its research, policy, media and internal communications teams. Mr Pigott is also a member of the New South Wales Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing.
Heather Watson has broad experience across the charities and not-for-profits sector, serving as a member and chair of a number of boards, with multidisciplinary legal, mediation and facilitation skills. Ms Watson's specialist legal practice and board roles are predominantly in the charitable sector, including in aged care, health, community services, affordable housing and indigenous affairs. Ms Watson has been engaged with the ACNC since its establishment.
I am also pleased to announce that Mr Tony Stuart, Chief Executive Officer of UNICEF Australia, has been re-appointed as Chair of the Advisory Board for a further three years. Mr Martin Laverty, current Board member and Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, has been elevated to the position of Deputy Chair of the Board.
I would like to thank the outgoing Advisory Board members, Ms Gina Anderson, Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes and Ms Fiona McLeay for their contribution to the Board.
These new appointments, and those made in August, ensure that the ACNC Commissioner has the support of an experienced and skilled Board that can provide high quality advice to the benefit of the charities and not-for-profit sectors.