State Representatives

The AYAD Program has State Representatives who are returned AYADs, work to promote the AYAD Program and development issues to the Australian public, engage RAYADs in activities on a state level and act as a core focus group for continual improvement of the AYAD Program.

State Reps act as a central contact point for RAYAD social events. If you would like to contact your State Rep you can email them at:

Become a State Representative

The AYAD Program calls for nominations in November of each year for the RAYAD State Representatives for the following year.

There are two State Representatives for each state. State Representatives hold their positions for the duration of one year.

If you are unable to make the commitment to become a State Rep you can still be an active part of state based activities by working with your local representative. If you are interested in joining the State Team please email your details through to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Meet the current State Representatives

ACT
	Monica Gray went to Bangladesh in Intake 22, where she worked with Habitat for Humanity to develop communication, fundraising and project proposal strategies for both disaster response and community development programs. Habitat for Humanity seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat Bangladesh builds culturally appropriate flood and cyclone resistant homes for communities stuck in the cycle of poverty. Monica returned to Australia in July 2009 and is now working the Department of Health and Ageing.		Cetana Das went to Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Qinghai, China) in Intake 19 where she worked for the Snowland Service Group (SSG). One of Cetana’s greatest contributions to SSG was to run a training session on the social impact of development projects for staff members of various Tibetan NGOs in the region. Shortly after returning to Australia in 2007, Cetana worked as Policy Advisor for the Australian Council for International Development. Cetana is currently Assistant Director at the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, where she is responsible for providing strategic policy advice on addressing harms associated with alcohol misuse in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
NSW
	Jessica Crause went to Nepal in Intake 23 where she worked as a Speech Pathology Trainer/Educator for PHECT-Nepal with Interplast Australia as her Australian Partner Organisation. She worked both rurally and remotely developing and implementing teaching and training programs for healthcare assistants to work with the cleft lip and palate population of Nepal in a unique intensive service delivery model. These teaching and training programs helped to ensure that this marginalized and socially disadvantaged population was integrated into education and employment. As part of her role in Nepal, she assisted with and consolidated the logistics and operations of surgical, speech therapy, dental and Ear, Nose and Throat camps within central and peripheral Nepal with the Interplast Surgical Outreach Program. She returned to Australia in November 2009 and is currently working in NSW in Sydney South West Area Health Service as a clinical educator. She has also just embarked on a Masters of International Health.		Eve Warburton jwent with Intake 22 to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, to work as the Programs Officer for the Aceh Research Training Institute (ARTI). ARTI is a joint initiative between Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh, The University of Melbourne, and AusAID, which aims to develop the resources and capacity of local researchers in the social sciences. As Programs Officer, Eve was responsible for coordinating ARTI’s training and mentoring programs. After one year as an AYAD, Eve returned to ARTI for another six months as the Programs Manager, this time supported by Volunteering for International Development Australia (VIDA). She returned to Sydney in January of 2010, and is currently working as a Research Assistant in the Department of Political and Social Change, College of Asia and the Pacific, at the Australian National University.
NT
	Alex Barker joined the AYAD programme in Intake 18 as a Programme Officer for UN WFP in Lao P.D.R. Here he developed School Feeding nutrition training in remote areas of Phongsali and Luang Namtha, and was the focal point for gaining US Department of Agriculture funding for three years to extend UN WFP School Feeding programs across the Southern Lao provinces of Attapeu, Xekong and Salavan. While in Laos, Alex raced Dragon Boats on the Mekong, developed a taste for fried grasshoppers and Lao Hai, and was a founding member of the Lao Elephants AFL club. Alex moved to the Northern Territory in July 2009 where he is teaching English, History and Science in the remote indigenous community of Arlparra, 3 hours North-East of Alice Springs, and coaching the footy team in a giant red sandpit.		Shenagh Gamble went to the Philippines in Intake 19 implementing sustainable waste strategies with Benguet State University in La Trinidad. Shenagh was working with the university’s “Eco-Waste Team” to improve waste collection infrastructure at the university, to develop and deliver waste education campaigns, and to engage students in stakeholder consultation processes. Since returning to Australia in July 2008, Shenagh has moved to the Northern Territory to work as Sustainability Programs Coordinator for the Local Government Association of the NT. Shenagh is also undertaking a Development Internship with Australian based organisation “Food Water Shelter”, who builds and run eco-friendly children's villages with education, social and health facilities for children in developing countries.
QLD
	Stephanie Denman went to Cambodia in Intake 11 as a Project Officer (Agriculture) with AustCare.  Her role was to assist in the implementation and review of the integrated pest management program associated with Austcare’s Integrated Landmine Clearance program.  During her time with AustCare Stephanie also assisted in development and implementation of a range of agricultural programs throughout North West Cambodia. At the end of her AYAD placement Stephanie returned to Cambodia to work with a range of NGOs in a consulting capacity.  Stephanie was appointed to the FarmBis program as a Queensland Networker and came back to Australia in late 2005.  More recently Stephanie has been working in an agricultural policy role with the Queensland government.		Santiago Ayala went to Fiji and Solomon Islands in Intake 15 where he worked as UN Resident Coordinator Analyst for the United Nations System in the Pacific. In his role, Santiago provided advice and coordination in the development of the Development Assistance Framework for the Pacific (UNDAF), strategic plan that synchronizes activities of all 15 UN agencies working across 14 countries in the region. The role involved stakeholder consultation, liaising with governments across the region, non-government organizations and other development partners in order to develop a Development Assistance Framework to satisfy their needs and priorities. Since returning to Australia Santiago has been working for Queensland Health in strategic planning and policy development, completing a Masters of International Studies (Peace and Conflict Resolution) and seasonal lecturing for the Masters of Development Practice at the University of Queensland.
SA
	Tim Heath joined the AYAD Program in Intake 24 as a Crop & Livestock Systems Project Officer and spent four months in China. Tim joined a collaborative project between the University of Adelaide and the Tibet Agricultural Research Institute. The project, now in its sixth year, has introduced new cropping practices into Tibet and trained young scientists from the Tibet Agricultural Research Institute in techniques aimed at increasing farmers’ average income. Tim has a rich Agricultural background having grown up on a family farm in Southern Australia before completing tertiary qualifications and working as an Agronomist in the Mid-North of South Australia. Since returning from China as an AYAD Tim has been fortunate enough to take on a full time role with the University of Adelaide working on the same project he volunteered on as an AYAD in 2009. He is very excited to have the opportunity to continue to work on the project and is also taking this opportunity to begin his Masters.		Amelia McFarlane spent 12 months in the remote north-west of Bangladesh, as a Communications Officer for CARE Bangladesh's SHOUHARDO Program. Addressing availability, access and utilisation issues that lead to food insecurity, SHOUHARDO also looks to the underlying problems, such as a lack of participation, social injustice and discrimination, which prevent impoverished people from realising their full life potential. Amelia's role was focused on strengthening the capacity of local staff and partners to develop new communication processes and strategies for improving the program, using reflective practices, knowledge sharing and process documentation. She has returned to Adelaide to continue her work with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and plans to complete some further study in the area of community development and form connections with the local Bangladeshi community.
TAS
	Jess Feehely went to Vanuatu in Intake 16 as Legal Advisor for the Wantok Environment Centre (WTEC). WTEC is a national non-government organisation established to promote the care and protection of Vanuatu’s natural environment. Jess worked primarily on a project to extend a regional ban on taking the threatened Coconut Crab. The project involved community consultation and workshops, liaising with various government agencies to give effect to the ban and training local leaders to monitor and report breaches. Jess returned to Australia in June 2007 and recommenced her role as a lawyer with the Environmental Defenders Office in Hobart.
VIC
	Alice Duzevich went to Tonga as an AYAD in Intake 22 where she worked as a Community Development Officer within the Women and Food Division of the Tongan Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Fisheries. Her role involved designing recipes tailored to Tongan communities wants and needs and she worked closely with local staff and women to implement an interactive, cooking demonstration program for community women. In an effort to combat Tonga's high prevalence of Non-Communicable diseases, a large focus of the demonstrations were around healthier eating and the program was supported by the Ministry of Health's, Health Promotion Unit. Alice returned from Tonga in 2009 and now lives in Melbourne where she is embracing the amazing food scene that it offers. Her passion for food is stronger than ever and she is dabbling in numerous facets of the industry.
WA
	Caroline Browne travelled to Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam during Intake 20. She undertook 2 roles as a Nurse Educator at a private Vietnamese hospital and as a Migrant Health Program Capacity Building Specialist with the International Organisation for Migration. Her role was to help educate and promote further training for local Vietnamese nursing staff and improve hospital and clinic policies and infrastructure. Since returning to Perth, Caroline has been working for the Australian Red Cross Blood Service as a Donor Session Leader.		Sally Godwin went to Nias Island, Indonesia in Intake 22 for six months as a Community Development Officer when she joined a small NGO called Pusat Kajian dan Perlindungan Anak (PKPA - Centre for Study and Child Protection). PKPA provides assistance to children in emergency situations, researching and publishing of child related issues, outreach support for poor urban children and  reproductive health and education programs. During her assignment Sally worked with her counterparts to provide training, monitoring and evaluation for numerous child protection and community development programs run by her host organisation. Now living in Perth, Sally works as a lecturer in Community Services for the Central Institute of Technology (TAFE) and is studying part time for Masters in International and Community Development with Deakin University.