Organisational structure and corporate governance

Ms Maria Peters (Chairperson to 31 March 2023) has been involved in the adult education and vocational sectors for more than 30 years, and is a respected leader in vocational education and training (VET) at state, national and international levels. Ms Peters has held a wide range of management, leadership and governance roles, including at Chisholm TAFE, where she had management roles in adult community education and foundation areas, before becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2011.

Ms Peters has a strong track record of service to communities, with a focus on improved participation, and strong student and industry outcomes. As a recipient of the Lynne Kosky Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2017 Victorian Training Awards, Ms Peters was recognised for leading significant educational innovation in the VET sector. In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Education from Swinburne University of Technology for outstanding leadership and commitment to vocational education.

Ms Peters was the Independent Chairperson of the Future Opportunities for Adult Learners in Victoria Reference Group, is a member of the RMIT University Council and was appointed to the Victorian Skills Authority Board in late 2021.

Mr John Maddock AM (Acting Deputy Chairperson from 18 October 2022 and Acting Chairperson from 1 April 2023) has extensive governance and senior executive leadership experience in the tertiary and adult education sectors, including as Chief Executive Officer of Box Hill Institute, the Gordon Institute of TAFE and the Centre for Adult Education. His governance experience as a non-executive director in the education sector includes positions with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority Board, Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre Board of Trustees, Tas TAFE Board, Deakin University Council, Monash University Faculty of Education Board, Innovation and Business Skills Australia, Australian Training Products and eCoach boards.

Mr Maddock is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for volunteer services at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. In 2013, Mr Maddock was made a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia for significant service to VET, and to the sport of basketball.

Mr James Atkinson (member to 1 May 2023) has a lifelong commitment to the preservation of First Nations culture, language and customs, and to the regeneration and continued advancement of their community. He has 35 years of experience across a range of Aboriginal services and government departments.

Mr Atkinson is Chief Executive Officer with the Aboriginal Community Elders Services. Previously, he was Director, Strategy and Development in the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, Chief Executive Officer of Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative and has held senior positions in the Department of Education and Training.

Mr Atkinson has a strong academic background in public policy and management; extensive experience in leadership and management focusing on strategic planning, staffing and complex stakeholder management in Aboriginal organisations; and deep experience in Aboriginal education in early childhood, TAFE and the school sectors.

Mr Atkinson has significant involvement in state and federal government, and community advisory groups, and extensive connection and engagement with organisations focused on access to services for First Nations Australians.

Ms Sally Brennan (member to 4 November 2022) is an experienced education consultant with a particular focus on community development and adult community education. She has extensive experience in the Learn Local sector, including 22 years as Chief Executive Officer of Upper Yarra Community House (now Cire Services), and in representing peak bodies at state and national levels.

Ms Brennan has worked with all levels of government, creating and maintaining local and regional services, engaging with communities, and working with industry and education providers to improve learning outcomes for disadvantaged and vulnerable learners. Ms Brennan has postgraduate qualifications in adult learning and development, including a Master of Education, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ms Claudia Fatone is an experienced executive and non-executive director across sport, community and the legal assistance sector. Ms Fatone is the Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Legal Service Victoria. Prior to this, Ms Fatone was General Manager, Operations and Human Resources for The Man Cave Global (a mental health and emotional intelligence charity), and Chief Executive Officer of the Fitzroy Legal Service, one of Australia’s oldest community legal centres. A graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Ms Fatone is also a board member of Respect Victoria and an external member of the Victoria University Compliance Audit and Risk Committee.

Ms Fatone is a former director of Cricket Victoria, Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades, and a former board member of the Victoria Law Foundation.

Mr Ekrem Ozyurek OAM has over 30 years experience in primary and secondary education. Mr Ozyurek was Principal of East Preston Islamic College for 14 years, and prior to that he was the founding Principal of Mt Hira College. He has deep experience and expertise in community and cultural development in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, specifically relating to Turkish and Islamic communities, with a focus on education.

In 2010, Mr Ozyurek was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the Turkish community and education in Victoria. He is a Director of the Yunus Emre Institute, and served as Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Islamic Coordinating Council of Victoria from 2002 to 2020.

For 2022–23, the Board expended a total of $0.3 million on information and communications technology (ICT), as detailed in Table 3. 

Table 3: Expenditure on ICT 2022–23 

Details of consultancies of $10,000 or greater 

In 2022–23, there were 8 consultancies with fees payable of $10,000 or greater. Total expenditure in relation to this was $416,382 excluding goods and services tax (GST). Details of individual consultancies are outlined in Table 4. 

Table 4: Consultancies of $10,000 or greater, 2022–23 

Details of consultancies less than $10,000 

In 2022–23, there were no consultancies for which the total fees payable to an individual consultant were less than $10,000. The total expenditure incurred during 2022–23 was nil. 

The purpose of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) is to extend as far as possible the right of communities to access information held by government departments, local councils, ministers and other bodies subject to the FOI Act. 

The FOI Act allows the public a right of access to documents held by the Board. This comprises documents both created during work done for the Board or supplied to the Board by an external organisation or individual, and may also include maps, films, microfiche, photographs, computer printouts, computer discs, tape recordings and videotapes. Information about the type of material produced by the Board is available on the Department’s website in its Part II Information Statement. 

The FOI Act allows access to be refused, either fully or partially, to certain documents or information. Examples of documents that may not be accessed include: 

Under the FOI Act, the processing time for FOI requests received is 30 days. However, when external consultation is required under sections 29, 29A, 31, 31A, 33, 34 or 35, the processing time is 45 days. Processing time may also be extended by periods of 30 days, any number of times, in consultation with the applicant. However, obtaining an applicant’s agreement for an extension cannot occur after the expiry of the timeframe for deciding a request.  

If an applicant is not satisfied by a decision made by the Board, under section 49A of the FOI Act they have the right to seek a review by the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC) within 28 days of receiving a decision letter. 

Making a request 

FOI requests may be submitted to the Board via the freedom of information form on the OVIC website at Find and request access to information – Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC)(opens in a new window) . An application fee of $30.60 applies. Access charges may also be payable if the document pool is large and the search for material is time-consuming. 

Access to material can also be obtained through a written request to the Board’s FOI team, as detailed in section 17 of the FOI Act. 

When making an FOI request, applicants should ensure requests are in writing, and clearly identify what types of material, including documents, are being sought. 

Requests for documents and other material in possession of the Board should be addressed to: 

Freedom of Information Manager 
Adult, Community and Further Education Board  
Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions  
GPO Box 4509 
Melbourne VIC 3001 

Competitive neutrality requires that, where services of government business compete or potentially compete with those of the private sector, any advantage arising solely from government ownership be removed if it is not in the public interest. Government businesses are required to cost and price these services as if they were privately owned. Competitive neutrality policy supports fair competition between public and private businesses and provides government businesses with a tool to enhance decisions on resource allocation. This policy does not override other policy objectives of government and focuses on efficiency in the provision of service.

The Board does not operate as a business whose services compete, or potentially compete, with the private sector, therefore the National Competition Policy is not applicable to the Board.

The Public Interest Disclosures Act 2012 (PID Act) encourages and assists people to make disclosures of improper conduct by public officers and public bodies. The PID Act protects people who make disclosures in accordance with the PID Act, and establishes a system to investigate and take rectifying action on the matters that have been disclosed.

The Board does not tolerate improper conduct or reprisals against those who have come forward to disclose such conduct. The Board is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in its administrative and management practices. It supports disclosures that reveal corrupt conduct, conduct involving substantial mismanagement of public resources, or conduct involving a substantial risk to public health, safety or the environment.

The Board will take all reasonable steps to protect people who make such disclosures from any detrimental action as reprisal for making the disclosure. It will also afford justice to the person who is the subject of the disclosure, to the extent legally possible.

Reporting procedures 

Table 6 outlines the Board’s performance in 2022–23 against the SPF objectives. 

Table 6: ACFE Board performance against SPF objectives 

Note: Businesses may be counted in more than one group.