The Kidsafe Victoria board is comprised of representatives from Deakin University, Monash University's Accident Research Centre (Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit), CK Designworks, VicRoads, Coroners Prevention Unit and a number of individual community members.

 

Robert Caulfield LFRAIA - President

CK Designworks

Beginning with an RAIA research scholarship in 1977, Robert Caulfield has been continuously active in conceiving and implementing a range of architectural services, products and ideas for the RAIA around Australia. He is the Founder and for 30 years was the Managing Director of Archicentre Limited - the building advisory service of the RAIA - and perhaps the only architectural advisory service of its kind in the world. Robert is the recipient of several industry awards, including the RAIA VIC Chapter's President's Award in 1987. He served as RAIA National President in 1990-1991. Robert is also the founding partner and CEO of CK Design Works, a progressive, medium-sized architectural firm in Melbourne.

During the course of designing buildings, Robert realised the importance of good design in creating safe environments for children and older citizens. This led to his long and dedicated involvement with Kidsafe.

 

 

Helen Bishop - Vice President

VicRoads

Helen Bishop (Lindner) is a Senior Project Manager for early childhood with VicRoads and has over 20 years experience in the early childhood sector. This includes working as an advisor with DEECD, managing and developing a range of early childhood programs, working as an early childhood consultant and also with Kindergarten Parents Victoria.

Helen has three primary school aged children and has a strong interest in policy development and child injury prevention. Helen has a Masters of Public Policy and Management, a Graduate Diploma in Administration of Child and Family Programs and is an early childhood educator.

 

 

 

 

Marianna Wickert - Treasurer

Marianna has spent most of her career working in various marketing and planning roles.  She is currently employed in a family tax/business consultancy firm - Stemil Consultancy that provides support in her role as Treasurer at Kidsafe Victoria. She previously spent two years involved in the committee of a Community Based Childcare centre that opened her eyes to many of the challenges faced both by parents and the industry.

As a mum to an active six year old boy, she has a wealth of current and practical experience in the role of parent that she contributes to Kidsafe Vic. Her life goal - 'to make the world a better place"......how better to do it than to make the world a safer place for our children!

 

 

Jenny Littlewood has a degree in Sociology and Public Media from Leeds University (UK). She has worked in a variety of marketing communications roles in the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors for the past 20 years.

Jenny provides Kidsafe with a range of skills including strategy development, stakeholder relations and workshop facilitation.  Prior to joining the board, Jenny assisted Kidsafe Victoria develop a cause-related partnership with Findababysitter.com.au that is now a national partnership.  Jenny has also helped broker transport safety initiatives with Connex and Metlink.  

 

 

Erin Cassell - Board Member

Ms Erin Cassell B.A. MPH is a Senior Research Fellow at Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC). She has qualifications in sociology and public health.  Her current research interests include home, sport, and child injury prevention research, older persons falls prevention, and the evaluation of injury prevention interventions.  She is the designated representative on many WHO Safe Communities committees and forums.

 

 

 

 

 

Prof Mark Stokes - Board Member

Deakin University

Mark is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at Deakin University.   In 2000 Mark was appointed Director of the Victorian Injury Surveillance and Applied Research unit at Monash University. Here he undertook development of multivariate and univariate statistical models to forecast injury epidemiology and the impact these would have on population quality of life.  At this time Mark was elected to the board of Kidsafe Victoria, which he remains actively involved with to date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linda Ivett - Board member

VicRoads

Linda Ivett has extensive experience in Road Safety through her numerous roles with VicRoads. Building on her experience as a teacher in inner urban Melbourne, Linda commenced her career with VicRoads as a road safety education consultant, providing professional development to teachers throughout Victoria.

Subsequent roles have seen her manage the statewide road safety education program, project manage the development, implementation and evaluation of community based pedestrian programs, manage the development of road safety educational resources for schools and early childhood centres and manage Victoria's motorcycle road safety program.

Linda is currently the Manager, Vulnerable Road Users in the Road Safety and Network Access Division of VicRoads.  She chairs the Road Safety Education Reference Group and is a member of the Victorian Bicycle Advisory Council.

 

 

Martin Botros has qualifications in law and physiotherapy. As a physiotherapist he previously worked with Yooralla, Scope, EPIC, and DHS solely in the area of paediatrics, assisting children with specific developmental needs reach their maximum physical potential and increase their independence with everyday tasks.

Martin is also a Board Director of Eastern Health, a hearing panel member for the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and a Tribunal Member with Football Federation Victoria. In his spare time, Martin delivers medical law lectures and tutorials to undergraduate medical students at Monash University and international medical graduates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gus Seremetis - Board Member

 

Gus Seremetis has held senior leadership positions in the not for profit and private sectors for both national and global organisations.  Her experience includes strategic planning, change management, continuous improvement, budgets and human resources. 

Gus holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resources (Strategic Workforce Planning) and has served on a number of committees over the years.  She recently held the position of President with the Board of Kalparrin.  Kalparrin is a not for profit organisation that specialises in supporting children with disabilities.    

Gus is currently the Executive Manager Operations – Southern Region for Campbell Page. Campbell Page is an Australian not for profit organisation operating in over 100 locations that have now expanded into the UK.  They have over 25 years experience in providing employment, disability and community services to a diverse range of people.

 

 

 

Erica Edmands - Board Member

 

With degrees in law and labour relations/economics from University of Melbourne, as well as coaching certifications, post graduate qualifications in finance and accreditation in Genos Emotional Intelligence, Erica has 20 years business experience spanning law, professional services, government, banking, financial services and manufacturing.

Commencing her career as an EEO and Diversity Lawyer with Freehills, Erica later held Head of Human Resources roles with Comalco Smelting and Minter Ellison and was Associate Director of Australia's leading work life and diversity consultancies, working within Australia and Asia. Erica is also an Associate Director of mental health at work (mh@work), a successful mental health education company. A sought after facilitator, commentator and speaker on diversity, self leadership, mental health and resilience, Erica has appeared on ABC radio and television; written many opinion pieces for major newspapers and journals and is contributing author to published texts on mental health in the workplace and resilience. She has particular expertise in discrimination and harassment investigations, cultural workshops (harassment, bullying, discrimination), resilience and mental health. As a mother of three young children, she also has a keen interest in child safety.

 

 

Samantha Hauge - Board Member

 

Helen has 15 years of paediatric experience at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. The RCH is the Paediatric Major Trauma Service for the state of Victoria. She is the Trauma Service Manager and this is a multifaceted role which ensures that RCH has an effective trauma service. She is responsible for the overall coordination and execution of all projects related to paediatric trauma.

Helen coordinates state wide paediatric trauma seminars within regional Victoria, delivering much needed trauma team training and education to rural clinicians for the past ten years. She is a member of the Trauma Coordination Group which is a sub committee of the State Trauma Committee at the Department of Health, Victoria.

In 2009 she participated in the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons trauma verification team in Queensland.

Helen is also a member of the Australasian Trauma Society executive committee and she chairs the Australasian Paediatric Trauma Network. She was an integral member of the Trauma 2010 organising committee and is on the scientific committee for the Trauma 2012 conference.

Helen has three beautiful, active children, is passionate about paediatric patients and is committed to injury prevention and safety in ‘little people’.

Her other passions in life are photography, reading, dancing, the great outdoors and any humanitarian issue where an injustice is occurring.