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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 a Chair, a Non-Executive Board Member, and three CEO Members.
Dr Anne Astin AM PSM (Board Chair, William Angliss Institute) – Chair
Allison Jenvey OAM (Board Chair, Wodonga TAFE)
Frances Coppolillo (CEO, Melbourne Polytechnic)
Joe Ormeno (CEO, The Gordon) – Treasurer
Dianne Semmens (Deputy Vice-President, Vocational Education, VUP)
Tony Nippard (Non Exceutive Board Member, Box Hill Institute)
Elected VTA Chair in 2021.
Anne was the inaugural CEO of the Victorian Government’s statutory authority, Dairy Food Safety Victoria.
She previously held a number of senior executive positions in the Victorian public sector, working in food policy and regulation, public health, agriculture, minerals and petroleum, natural resources and environment, land administration and forensic science. Prior to this, Anne was a senior tutor at Monash University, working in biomedical research and education.
Anne is currently Chair of Good Shepherd Australia and New Zealand, Chair of Dairy Food Safety Victoria, Chair of The Food Agility Co-operative Research Centre, Chair of SafeFish and Chair of the Australian Industry Skills Council’s Food Beverage and Pharmaceutical Industry Reference Committee. She is Chair of EnergySafe Victoria’s Audit and Risk Committee, a Non-Executive Director of Sheep Producers Australia, a Non-Executive Director of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), a non- Executive Director of New Zealand’s Food Safety, Science and Research Centre, a Trustee of Kildare Ministries and a Council member of Catholic Social Services Victoria.
Previous positions she has held include CSIRO’s Agriculture and Food Advisory Committee, President and Chair of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST), the immediate past Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Implementation Sub-Committee for Food Regulation (ISFR), Chair of Wellsprings for Women Inc., non-Executive Director of Australian Dairy Farmers Ltd, Director of Dairy Australia, Director of the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens and Chair of Victoria’s Women in Primary Industries Advisory Panel.
In 2020, Anne has been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her services to Australia’s dairy industry and food safety regulation. In 2011, she was awarded the Public Service Medal in the Victorian Division of the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her services to the dairy industry, national food regulation and rural women. In 2010, she was inducted into the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll for her work in biochemistry and as an advocate of women’s leadership. In 2010, she also received the Australian Dairy Industry Council’s Outstanding Service Award in recognition of her leadership in, and services to, Australia’s dairy industry and in 2016 was awarded the Dairy Industry Association of Australia’s John Bryant Gold Medal for outstanding service to the industry.
Anne holds degrees in Ph.D. (Biochemistry), B.Sc. (Hons) (Biochemistry) and B.Sc. (Chemistry). She has a Graduate Diploma in Public Sector Management and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology and a member of the Dairy Industry Association of Australia.
Allison is a current sitting member of the Board, after spending 3 years as Chair.
Allison joined the Wodonga TAFE Board in 2015 and has been serving in the position of Board Chair since 2016.
Allison has been a Director at ATS Partners since 2001, having worked in the Practice as an accountant since 1996, offering taxation and financial advisory services in the Wodonga region. Allison has significant governance experience on local Boards and Committees including as a Director on the Albury Wodonga Health Board and served as Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee for four years. Allison was also previously President of the Wodonga Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Baranduda Fields Governance Groups and the Rural Housing Network Board.
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.
Joe was appointed as Chief Executive Officer as of 3 October 2019, a role he had been acting in since 6 May 2019.
Joe joined The Gordon in February 2009 as Chief Finance Officer, a role he continued until December 2014. In July 2014 Joe was appointed to the Chief Operating Officer role and concurrently retained the role of Chief Finance Officer until December of that year.
Prior to The Gordon, Joe spent five years as General Manager Finance and Administration with St. Laurence Community Services. He has also held various executive roles in corporate services within the private and not-for-profit sectors.
Dianne joined Victoria University in 2015 and has more than 15 years of senior leadership experience in a number of large TAFEs. Her vocational background as a teacher and a community services worker, drives her commitment to make a meaningful contribution to improving people’s quality of life through training and education.
Her particular interest is in ensuring VU’s Polytechnic is well-positioned to service the existing workforce and to support industries and communities to prepare for the workplaces of tomorrow.
As Victoria University Polytechnic’s Deputy Vice-President of Vocational Education, Dianne is responsible for the oversight of key corporate support areas. She also plays a key role in developing Victoria University Polytechnic’s quality assurance processes and practices to ensure currency and facilitate improved learner access, participation and completion.
Dianne has significant experience in tailoring vocational education solutions to meet industry needs. She has lived and worked as an educator in the UK and USA and is a strong advocate of experiential learning. Dianne has successfully created and led significant projects in change management, youth strategy and student engagement systems.
Her experience in senior executive roles within TAFE and her own vocational background – both as a teacher and a crisis/community services worker – drives her commitment to make a meaningful contribution to improve people’s quality of life through education and learning.
Dianne likes to seize opportunities to create and translate strategic ideas into practical workplace solutions. Incorporating Lean principles & practices into her workplace and undertaking collective problem solving with colleagues helps her to inject fresh team energy and foster productivity.
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.