Chairperson: Kiri Valsamis
Kiri Valsamis has completed a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Home Economics and a Graduate Diploma in Educational Computing. She also has completed trade Certificates in Commercial Cookery and Hospitality. Kiri has been teaching for over 25 years and is currently teaching a range of Technological and Applied Studies courses.
Kiri has taught in a range of socio-economic and academically diverse school settings and has undertaken a number of curriculum-based projects including: writing online resources and coordinating regional competitions and judging for the Board of Studies and Tournament of Minds; and co-authored food technology textbooks: Wholefood Book 1 and Wholefood Book 2.
Kiri is currently the President of the Home Economics Association of Australia (NSW) and a member of the Technology Educators Association and the Australian Association of Food Professionals.
Kiri is interested in supporting community food-based activities and events. She has judged regional Agricultural Shows and the Bankstown Pressure Cooks competition. She has also demonstrated at the Bankstown Festival of Flavour as well as for Nutrition Australia.
Secretary: Barbara Ward
Barbara Ward is currently the Managing Director of the SAN Foundation at the Sydney Adventist Hospital. Barbara has worked in the Not-For-Profit sector for over 16 years and has held a number of prominent positions including CEO Exodus Foundation and Deputy CEO Austcare.
She has worked in a variety of capacities across many industry areas, including fundraising, welfare services, humanitarian aid, finance, human resources, state & local government and management consulting. In addition to Nutrition Australia, Barbara serves on a number of Boards both locally and overseas, including SHARE (SMR) Inc (President), Lupus Association, UGood and also provides advice in a non executive capacity to the Fundraising Institute of Australia where she previously held the position of Vice President (NSW).
Barbara also presents at various conferences both nationally and abroad.
Treasurer: Todd Dewey
Todd is a Principal Consultant in the area of Internal Audit , Assurance and Governance working with Oakton.
Todd is a highly experienced specialist in the provision and management of internal audit services and financial management for federal and state
government agencies, NGOs and private sector organisations with over 20 years commercial experience. Todd specialises in the delivery of internal audit and assurance services, Governance, risk management, probity, fraud and financial assessment
and financial management consulting.
In addition to his work at Nutrition Australia (NSW) Todd serves on the Management Committee for Lupus Association NSW (formerly Treasurer) and SHARE (SMR) Inc (formerly Treasurer, currently Secretary)
Committee Member: Tom Yardley
Tom has a broad range of corporate experience covering all aspects of Sales and Marketing, Learning and Development and Operational Management. Tom has served in General Management roles for several years and is currently with Toshiba Australia.
While he claims no expertise in the area of nutrition, he has a keen interest in the optimum application of advice about healthy living which, if acted upon, will lead to a long and productive life. Tom joins Nutrition Australia to add his corporate perspective to the team.
Committee Member: Alice Gibson
Alice Gibson has recently completed her honours year in clinical dietetics and nutrition after finishing a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition in 2010, both at the University of Sydney. Whilst studying, she is working as a research assistant to the Live Life Well Diabetes Prevention Trial at the Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders based at the University of Sydney.
Alice has a passion for travelling and cooking and has a tradition of going to a cooking class in every country she visits. She loves to inspire healthy living amongst her family and friends and looks forward to supporting Nutrition Australia achieve this on a community level.
Alice is a member of the Nutrition Society of Australia and the Dietitians Association of Australia and is currently the Committee of Management Student Member for the NSW division of Nutrition Australia.
Student Committee Member: Helen Havryliv
Helen was Nutrition Australia Volunteer of the Year in 2011 for NSW, and is in her third year of a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) at the University of Wollongong. Since becoming a volunteer for NA NSW, Helen has assisted with cooking demonstrations and healthy-eating presentations, attended expos on behalf of NA, promoted NA membership to fellow students, and helped to put together NA NSW’s quarterly newsletter for child-care centers, ‘Toddler Bites’.
Helen also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, majoring in Public Relations, where she worked in consumer public relations for three years before deciding to study nutrition.
Helen has a love for creating delicious concoctions of healthy foods from fresh and seasonal produce on a student budget. She is a major advocate for healthy living and enjoys being able to spread the nutrition-word via her work with NA. She is also a volunteer for her local Surf Life Saving Club.
