THE Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation has just announced the appointment of its new CEO, Jody Irwin, who will join the organisation in January 2024.
The Bunurong Land Council’s cultural policy area encapsulates Bunurong traditional lands and waters starting at the Werribee River, then east around Port Phillip Bay, Mornington Peninsula, and Western Port, then around the Bass Coast and South Gippsland coastline to Wilson's Promontory.
Ms Irwin was the unanimous choice of the CEO selection panel, which interviewed five finalist candidates in December 2023. More than 120 candidates were considered for this important position.
This will be Ms Irwin's second Aboriginal Corporation leadership role, having been CEO of Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service (Aboriginal Corporation) at Ballina in NSW from 2019-2023, where she provided well-regarded senior stewardship of the corporation through a challenging time for the region.
She brings considerable strengths in strategy and operations planning, program delivery, organisational improvement and staff development.
The selection panel particularly valued her commitment to building a positive team culture through respectful leadership and mentoring and her track record in building member engagement in the corporation's key role as an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation.
Jody holds a Bachelor of Business, Graduate Certificates in Indigenous Communities and Public Health and a Cert IV in Training and Assessment.
“This CEO appointment is part of the corporate reform process of special administration, which is focused on securing a strong future for Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation as the Registered Aboriginal Party for Bunurong Country and as an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation,” according to a public statement by the BLCAC.
“The special administration process will also result in appointing a new board for the corporation, with a sound governance framework, when the corporation is ready for hand-back to its membership.
“Bunurong Land Council's culture and heritage responsibilities, and particularly its Culture and Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) obligations as a Registered Aboriginal Party for Bunurong Country, continue to operate as usual during the special administration process.
Ms Irwin was delighted about her appointment to BLCAC.
"I am thrilled to be joining Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation as CEO, and I look forward to the opportunity and the privilege of serving the community and the team in this role,” Ms Irwin said.
The team at Bunurong Land Council look forward to welcoming their new CEO in January.
Special Administrator appointed to the BLCAC, Peter McQuoid PDM Consultancy, for a six-month term in September this year, said in a recent newsletter that the corporation was on the way to being returned to members control.
The appointment of a new CEO goes a long way to completing Stage 3 of a four-stage plan to iron out the governance and financial problems that have plagued BLCAC in the past few years.
He said Stage 1 of the special administration was complete (Take control of the assets, including bank accounts; build a complete picture of issues and challenges; and establish a clear plan of action) and Stage 2 (Restore good operational order) was “in progress”.
Stage 3 is “prepare the corporation for return to members control”.
Mr McQuoid’s appointment is 6 months. It is due to end on Friday, March 15, 2024.