VDC News

The VDC passes on its warmest congratulations to the following recipients of honours in the King’s Birthday 2025 Honours List:

Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the General Division

• Dr Geraldine Atkinson for distinguished service to the Indigenous community, to education, to First Nations self-determination and to reconciliation, including as a former board member of Goulburn Ovens TAFE (GO TAFE).

Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division

• Marnie Baker for significant service to the financial and banking sectors, including as Director of Bendigo TAFE (2013-2014).
• Roslyn Cornish for significant service to early childhood education administration, including as a teacher at TasTAFE (1995-2000).
• Dr Harry Gardiner for significant service to the community through a range of organisations and to education, including as a council member of Riverina Community College (1984-2013), various roles at Riverina College of Advanced Education/Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education (1982-1989), Secretary NSW Adult and Community Education Council (1998-2001).
• Dr Irene Ioannakis for significant service to the business sector in the field of vocational education and training, including her roles as Commissioner, Regulatory Operations and Deputy Commissioner, ASQA (2017-2020), governing council member, North Metropolitan TAFE (2022- ), independent member, TAFE International WA Executive (2021- ), governing council member Polytechnic West Institute (2012-2014).
• Marita Walker for significant service to people with disability and to aged care, including her role as a member of the governing council, Central TAFE (2003-2009).
• Michael Young for significant service to the project management industry and to hockey, as well as his membership of consultative committees and reference groups established by the Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council and Innovation and Business Skills Australia (2008-2017), Chair, ACT Building and Construction Training Fund Authority (2020- ) and member of the vocational education and training committee of the ACT Board of Secondary School Studies (2019-2020).

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division

• Alan Ashton for service to the Parliament of New South Wales and to the community, including as a former committee member of Padstow TAFE.
• Susan Brunskill for service to conservation and the environment, including as a teacher of Conservation and Land Management, Horticulture at TAFE NSW (1997-2017).
• The late Randall Clinch for service to the community through mental health wellbeing programs, including as a consultant to the Australian VET Research Association.
• Peter Croker for service to industrial relations, particularly through trade unions, including as Treasurer and President of the Technical Teachers Association of Victoria (1965-1984), former technical teacher and TAFE administrator, former manager Human Resources for the State Training Board of Victoria, former manager Major Projects, Western Melbourne Institute of TAFE.
• Cheryl Goh for service to the Indigenous community of Sydney and to education, including as a teacher of pre-vocational studies: Aboriginal studies and humanities (1994-2020) at TAFE NSW Western Sydney Mt Druitt Campus.
• Dr Satish Gupta for service to the community of South Australia, including as a former board member of Onkaparinga Institute of TAFE.
• Mark Holton for service to the community through a range of organisations, including as a former lecturer at TAFE NSW.
• Menaka Iyengar for service to women and to the community, including as a board member Women in Adult and Vocational Education (2013-2014).
• David O’Donnell for service to vocational education and to the community, including various team leader/mentor roles with Worldskills Australia (1999-2019) and life membership of Worldskills Australia (2021).
• John Rosenberg for service to tertiary education and to the Jewish community, including as a board member Box Hill TAFE (2017-2020).
• Jennifer Ross (Kelly) for service to the community of Blackheath, including as a teacher of community theatre at Katoomba TAFE (1986).
• Peter Sawley for service to the community and to education, including as the coordinator of the World Solar Challenge, TAFE South Australia (2009).

Public Service Medal

• David Turvey for outstanding public service in establishing the National Skills Commission and subsequently the formation of Jobs and Skills Australia.
• Lisa (Lill) Healy for outstanding public service in enhancing access to quality vocational training and employment.
• Belinda Mackinnon for outstanding public service to TAFE NSW in the delivery of educational and organisational leadership.