Vacant

Andrew Gunstone

Professor Andrew Gunstone is a leading international authority in reconciliation. He is Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Reconciliation and Professor Indigenous Studies at Federation University, where he leads all reconciliation matters, including the National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice, which he established in 2023, and is the leading national academic think-tank on reconciliation. His current research, funded by academic, industry, government, and philanthropic funding, explores a broad range of areas, including substantive and performative reconciliation, community attitudes to reconciliation, multicultural engagements with reconciliation, national and regional truth-telling, effectiveness of RAPs, place-based reconciliation, and international reconciliation movements. He is also Co-Chair of Reconciliation Victoria, Foundation Editor of the Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, an Advisory Board member with the Canadian National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, and a member of several national and regional reconciliation committees. He regularly provides advice on reconciliation and RAPs to corporates, industry, community, governments, and academia. 

Keith Gove

Keith has been a member of his local reconciliation group for 18 years, 17 of which he has been President.  He was elected to the Reconciliation Victoria Council in 2006 and served as Co-Chair from 2008 until 2016. 

He sees that reconciliation has two major outcomes: one is to overcome the unacceptable disadvantage that Aboriginal people experience due to the arrival of Europeans to the land now called Australia.

The second is for non-Aboriginal Australians to embrace, recognise and value Aboriginal culture, identity and history; to build it into a new Australian identity.  This respect and recognition will strengthen Aboriginal people and communities.

Tony Stephen

Tony currently works with a range of community organizations as a director and finance executive. He has worked over three decades with private and public organisations, in finance, legal, and consulting on strategy, operational excellence, and best practice. At Reconciliation Victoria, he works closely with the Board and operational team to ensure financial sustainability and governance.

Tony founded AW Stephen & Associates in 2008 and continued providing boutique strategic tax advisory support until July 2020. Prior to this, he was a Partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Australia and Asia. Tony is also a Director of Kooyong Independent Limited, and Hawthorn Independents Pty Ltd supporting community independent campaigns. He has extensive experience in operating private businesses, and fundraising. Outside of this, he is also a qualified Yoga teacher and Yoga Therapist.

Tony’s passion for reconciliation stems from years as an ally and significant involvement in the Kooyong Votes Yes campaign. He is consistently learning, asking questions, and showing up for First Nations Peoples across Victoria. As a more recent edition to Reconciliation Victoria’s Board Executive, Tony’s fresh perspective and strategic vision is highly valued.

Tom Cazaly

Tom is a proud Noongar man and school leader with the Victorian Department of Education. Originally from country Victoria, Tom gained undergraduate and post-graduate qualifications in Politics and Education at the University of Melbourne prior to embarking on a career in the education and political arenas.

Tom has worked as a political advisor and campaign manager in both Federal and State Election contexts, as well as providing specialist advice on the growth and recruitment of members to a major political party. Outside of politics, Tom has worked in a number of schools as both a classroom teacher and school leader, including time spent in Western Australia and the United Kingdom.

Tom is passionate about working alongside Koori students to achieve the highest standard of education possible and to provide a learning environment that allows each student the opportunity to work towards their individual goals. Tom is humbled to have been appointed to the board of Reconciliation Victoria and looks forward to making a contribution to the strategic direction of the organisation.

Fiona Machin

Dr Fiona Machin grew up in regional Victoria and currently lives and works in Bendigo. Her work for the past 8 years has focused on driving reconciliation within local government and the public sector and working in partnership with Traditional Owners and local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across central and northern Victoria.

She has been the reconciliation officer for both the City of Greater Bendigo and the City of Ballarat, and is currently working in reconciliation at the North Central Catchment Management Authority. Previous roles include working in cultural diversity with multicultural youth and CALD communities, and in international development both in Australia and Cambodia. Her qualifications include a PhD in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Melbourne.

Fiona has a passion for driving reconciliation in local government and looks forward to better supporting local councils and communities, particularly within rural and regional Victoria, on their reconciliation journeys.

Nicole Bloomfield

Nicole is a proud Wiradjuri woman with exceptional leadership, financial management and change management skills. Her wide experience across local government, community health, education and sport sectors has enabled Nicole to hone her exceptional negotiating and influencing skills. Her expert knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia has been an invaluable asset for bodies including indigenous networks, RAP committees, advisory councils and project teams.

Jamey Peterson