
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:
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Become a State Representative
The AYAD Program is now calling for all 2012 State Representative nominations, if you are interested in becoming a State Rep, click here for more information and to apply.
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
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ACT |
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NSW |
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Kiri Dicker
Kiri spent 12 months with the AYAD Program in the Solomon Islands as a Program Advisor to the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) Solomon Islands. During her assignment, Kiri assisted the YWCA to develop several new programs and assisted the YWCA to develop a long term partnership with the AusAID Pacific Leadership Program. After returning from the Solomon Islands, Kiri started her own community development consulting business, Think Out Loud Consulting. She works on a variety of projects across Australia and the Pacific with a focus on community centered strategy and organisational capacity building. Kiri maintains close friendships with her counterparts in the Solomon Islands and continues to be actively involved in the YWCA movement at a local, national and global level
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NT |
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QLD |
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SA |
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Anna Day
Anna was an AYAD in Laos and worked with the Lao government as a Communications Officer on two projects. She began with a Public Administration and Civil Service Authority project working to raise the standard of the Lao public service. Anna worked with project staff to promote the work being done across Laos to improve and reform governance and public administration. She also worked for the South East Asian (SEA) Games Organising Committee in the lead up to Vientiane hosting the games in 2009. Her role with the Organising Committee was to strengthen the capacity of her colleagues to present written documents and build relationships with the International Olympic Committees of the ASEAN nations. When she returned to Adelaide, Anna took up a communications role with SA Water and has maintained her connections to Laos by supporting Lao students studying locally.
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Amelia McFarlane
Amelia spent 12 months in the remote north-west of Bangladesh as a Communications Officer for CARE Bangladesh's SHOUHARDO Program. Addressing the 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 returned to Adelaide, after some further travel in South America and Europe, to continue her work with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and has recently begun a Master of Regional and Community Development with Monash. She enjoys staying in touch with other RAYADs and maintaining involvement with the alumni
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TAS |
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Melissa Gordon
Melissa spent 12 months in the Philippines from 2004 during Intake 12, where she worked on an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) funded tree farmer project. Her role was primarily to assist in development of extension needs for those connected to tree farming in Leyte Island. She was also involved in numerous other activities such as helping to train local staff in the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software. Melissa spent one year in the role before returning to the University of Queensland to complete her Degree in Environmental Management, Tropical Forestry. She then worked for a plantation company for two and half years as a tree farm supervisor. She is now a PhD student at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. Her research focuses on community engagement in the forest plantation industry. Melissa’s passion to contribute to sustainable forest management outcomes is still alive and thriving.
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VIC |
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Nathaniel Reader
Nathaniel spent 6 months in Vietnam working as a Business Development Officer with the Action Centre for City Development, a Hanoi based NGO. During his assignment Nathaniel assisted the Action Centre with one of its social enterprise projects, "Just Massage", a small business providing training and employment opportunities in massage therapy for visually impaired young people from Vietnam. Drawing on his experiences as an entrepreneur and small business consultant in Australia and Japan, Nathaniel helped Just Massage develop and implement a business planning process, as well as deliver business administration and language training to Just Massage's therapists. Following his time in Hanoi, Nathaniel returned to Melbourne to resume work with the Parliament of Victoria's Electoral Matters Committee. He is also continuing to explore his passion for small business through his company, Reabro Business Consulting, and is currently working with several businesses in Melbourne
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WA |
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Laine Mcdonald
Laine went to Cambodia in Intake 21 where she worked as a Human Trafficking Prevention Officer at HCC, a local grassroots anti-trafficking NGO. Based in the capital Phnom Penh, Laine’s role required extensive travel to the rural and remote provinces, developing, implementing and evaluating projects designed to alleviate poverty and decrease instances of human trafficking, unsafe migration and child labour. After completing her AYAD assignment, Laine remained in Cambodia for an additional year working as Legal and Aftercare Director at an anti-trafficking and exploitation organisation, (SISHA) South East Asia Investigations into Social and Humanitarian Activities. Since returning to Perth, Australia, Laine has practised as a Child Protection Lawyer and now represents people who have been hurt by exposure to asbestos as a Lawyer at Slater and Gordon
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