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The Board is responsible to the Association Council for oversight of operations of the Association.
Board members are elected by members of the VTA Association Council representatives and comprise Board Chairs, a Non-Executive Board Member, and three CEO Members.
Allison Jenvey OAM (Board Chair, Wodonga TAFE) – Chair VTA
Michael Gorton AM (Board Chair, Holmesglen)
Frances Coppolillo (CEO, Melbourne Polytechnic)
Laura Macpherson (CEO, TAFE Gippsland)
Tony Nippard (Non Executive Board Member, Box Hill Institute)
Mish Eastman (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Vocational Education and Vice President, RMIT University)
Allison is the current Board Chair of the Victorian TAFE Association. She holds this position in her capacity as Board Chair of Wodonga TAFE. She joined the Wodonga TAFE Board in late 2015 and has been serving in the position of Chair since 2016.
Allison is a retired public practice accountant, having been a director of a firm in Wodonga that offered taxation and financial advisory services. She has significant governance experience on local Boards and Committees. Along with chairing the Board of Wodonga TAFE and the VTA, she also chairs the Board of BankWAW (a regional customer owned bank). Allison has also previously served on the Board of Albury Wodonga Health, has been President of the Wodonga Chamber of Commerce, and chaired the Rural Housing Network Board (now Beyond Housing). She has also served on local advisory committees from time to time.
Elected to VTA Board in 2023.
Michael is an experienced commercial lawyer and is currently Principal and Partner at Russell Kennedy Lawyers. He holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce and has over 35 years’ experience in legal practice, mainly focussed on the health sector. He publishes widely in health and legal association journals and is often asked to address public and private companies, government and non-government organisations.
Michael has extensive governance experience and currently chairs the boards of Alfred Health and Wellways Australia. He also chairs the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act Expert Advisory Group for the Victorian Department of Health. Previously, he has been a Board member of a range of health and human rights agencies, professional associations and community organisations and has served as chair of major committees and expert panels. Michael is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Taxation Institute of Australia and is an Honorary Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. He was made a Member in the Order of Australia in 2004.
Michael joined Holmesglen’s Board in August 2017 and commenced as Chair in March 2023. He is a member of all the Board’s committees.
Frances Coppolillo has an extensive history with Melbourne Polytechnic, most recently as Deputy CEO where she has led the College, Schools and a range of student focussed departments since September 2014.
Prior to this, Ms Coppolillo was the Deputy Director Programs – Teaching and Learning, and has extensive experience in education, joining the VET sector as a teacher in 1986. Through her career progression, she has held a range of teaching, management and leadership positions including fourteen years as the Associate Director of Melbourne Polytechnic’s Faculty of Further Education.
Ms Coppolillo was also a founding director on the Board of the TAFE Development Centre (now the VET Development Centre), and has led projects in learning resource development, and best practice projects in student engagement and retention.
Frances has been a member of a number of regional development committees including Northern RDA and Local Learning and Employment Networks. Her qualifications include Bachelor of Education and Masters in Social Sciences (Policy and Management).
Ms Coppolillo is the first female CEO of Melbourne Polytechnic, formerly NMIT.
Tony is a governance professional, experienced chair, board director, committee member and executive, facilitator for the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Principal of Thoughtpost Governance.
For over 30 years, he has been a board director of not for profit and public entities operating across diverse sectors including health, secondary and tertiary education, vocational training, arts, children’s services and alpine resort management.
In addition to being a board director of BHI, he currently chairs a large national provider community based mental services (Neami) and Moreland Affordable Housing; board director of VRQA and a member of the Commission for Children and Young People’s ARC.
Laura Macpherson is an ambitious and dynamic executive leader. With a domestic and international career spanning Government, top ASX-100 companies, the VET sector, and strategic advisory, Laura has a unique perspective derived from strategic consultancy and strong leadership that ensures solutions are practicable and implemented with skilful guidance.
Now leading TAFE Gippsland, Laura is passionate about continuing and building on the organisation’s proud 95-year history of education and training excellence in the region.
An advocate for end-to-end education and training solutions, Laura is leading her team at the forefront of industry changes and challenges and adapting training to suit industry needs, leading to productive employment outcomes and driving investment throughout Gippsland.
Laura is a change champion who has delivered innovative, impactful and sustainable economic and social outcomes for community and industry stakeholders.
Mish Eastman is responsible for developing and leading a renewed vision and strategic direction for Vocational Education as Deputy Vice- Chancellor Vocational Education at RMIT. Since joining RMIT, this has included establishing the new College of Vocational Education and the development of a 5-year strategic roadmap for vocational and applied learning.
She is passionate about gender diversity in all aspects of education and creating space for women in non-traditional roles, continuously providing diverse opportunities and support as part of her leadership style. An advocate for creating a safe and respectful
community, Mish is also co-chair of RMIT’s Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Group on
Gender-based Violence Prevention.
An experienced education and health leader, Mish has strong
expertise in identifying and creating new models of education and training in
collaboration with industry, enhancing tertiary pathways, and understanding how
to create educational and employment success for learners. Beginning her career
as a Registered Nurse before moving into educational leadership roles, has
given Mish a deep knowledge and passion for Vocational Education.
She has previously held positions with TAFE Tasmania, Tasmanian Polytechnic and Swinburne University of Technology, providing strategic and operational leadership of teaching and learning programs in pathways and Vocational Education.