Attorney-General Martin Pakula today announced the appointment of two new members to the Board of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC).
Laurinda Gardner and Faddy Zouky will serve on the Commission’s board for the next five years and will help set policies, priorities and strategies for the Commission.
Laurinda Gardner has more than 20 years’ experience working for not-for-profit, state and local government boards, and as a senior government executive leading large policy and operational teams.
Ms Gardner is one of three Administrators appointed in April 2016 by the Victorian Government to manage the responsibilities of the City of Greater Geelong Council.
She has also consulted for a wide variety of government bodies including the Victorian Ombudsman, Victoria Police and the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority.
Ms Gardner served as Deputy Secretary for Organisational Reform, Corporate Strategy and Services, and Strategic Management within the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance between 1998 and 2013.
She is a current board member and former chair of Berry Street, a not-for-profit association which helps young people and families recover from the effects of violence, abuse and neglect.
Faddy Zouky is the founding President of the Australia Lebanon Chamber of Commerce & Industry, a member of the Multicultural Commission of Victoria’s Small Business Ministerial Council, and the current Managing Partner of Zouki Lawyers and the Executive Director of the Zouki Group of companies.
Mr Zouky has a Master of Laws and has taught commercial law as an assistant lecturer at Monash University. He is a respected member of the Australian Lebanese community and has served as a United Nations Australian Ambassador for the UNDP Live Lebanon Project.
As a migration agent, Mr Zouky has assisted hundreds of people seeking to settle in Australia and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2012 for his services to business and Victoria’s multicultural community.
Mr Zouky and Ms Gardner replace outgoing board members Josef Szwarc and Colleen Pearce.
Quotes attributable to Attorney-General Martin Pakula
“Ms Gardner and Mr Zouky will each bring a unique set of skills to their new roles and I look forward to seeing their contribution to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.”
“I would also like to thank the outgoing board members Josef Szwarc and Colleen Pearce for their dedication and hard work during their time on the Board.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020