The Family Violence Prevention Foundation of Australia

  • Cathy Oddie – (Director)

    Cathy Oddie has worked across a number of sectors including Centrelink, Superannuation, Mental Health, Emergency Services and Family Violence. This cross-sector experience, as well as her own lived experience of family violence, sexual assault...

  • Mr John McKell

    LL.B , M.Tax ( Melbourne University ) LL.M ( Monash University, Rotary District 9800 Governance Director, Member of Rotary Club of Brighton since 1982. John is a commercial lawyer with a Melbourne CBD law...

  • Tonia Sakkas – (Director)

    B.Ec., (Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Electronic Commerce) and  (LLB) Bachelor of Laws Tonia is a partner with Davies Lawyers and has extensive legal experience in industrial relations and employment law focusing on industrial...

  • Ms Kaye Swanton (MAppSc)

    Kaye Swanton is the former Chief Executive Officer of one of Victoria’s largest providers of relationship counselling and family mediation services, a position she held for 14 years. Prior to this, Kaye was the...

  • Mr David Hobson – (DIRECTOR)

    Dip Bus (Accounting), is a retired accountant with experience gained in the profession, industry and consulting over almost 50 years. Currently is the Treasurer for the Rotary Club of Balwyn and was recently appointed...

  • Ms Anthea Rutter (Co-Chair)

    BA (Hons.) M.A. (Sociology), Grad. Dip. Program Evaluation is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Program Evaluation at The University of Melbourne. She is evaluating a number of family violence projects, in...

  • Mr Gabriel Hau

    B Econ, M App Fin, JD, CPA, is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Southbank and a Past Assistant Governor of Rotary International District 9800.  He has over 17 years’ experience in...

  • Dr David Smyth

    Dr David Smyth

    BE (Elec), BA, PhD, FIE Aust., FIET, Chairman and member of Research Committee. He is a former Director of the Rotary Club of Brighton and Chairman of its Family Violence Prevention Committee. David was...

  • Professor Emeritus Thea Brown

    Professor Emeritus Thea Brown

    PhD, is Professor (Research) in the Department of Social Work at Monash University and former Head of Department. She is also the director of the Well Being of Children Following Separation and Divorce, an...

  • Mr Barry Hickman

    Company Director and former Chief Executive of CI Studios, a promotional photography company. He is a former Director, Community Services and President of the Rotary Club of Brighton. Through Rotary, he has led fund...

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Violence Free Families works for the elimination of all forms of family violence. We believe that Research, Innovation and Education can help improve the lives of vulnerable children and women, and help curb the incidence of family violence.