Board
Tooba Awais
President
Tooba is a parent, an experienced and high-achieving teacher, and a Director of ACSSO, representing Victoria. In her teaching career, Tooba has always worked to involve the wider community in education, to provide students with the most rewarding experiences. She has extensive experience working with students from different cultural backgrounds.
Tooba is a firm believer that effective education not only involves school and students, but effective parent engagement in their children’s education.
In joining the PV Board, Tooba brings a strong motivation to inform parents about how important and vital family engagement is to their child’s success.
Sharron Healy
Immediate Past President
Sharron first became aware of Parents Victoria, as so many do, during a trying time at her children’s primary school. She decided to join the small but dedicated group of volunteers on the PV State Executive in 2005. From 2010 to 2018 Sharron was President of Parents Victoria, performing the leadership duties until December 2022. The Board invited Sharron to remain on the Board as Immediate Past President which she accepted. From 2020 to 2023, Sharron was also President of ACSSO, the peak body representing parents in public schools in the national education arena. Sharron is the current ACSSO member representative for Victoria. Sharron continues to be a strong advocate for public education and a longstanding, committed volunteer.
Trish Marks
Treasurer
Trish is an experienced Leadership Coach, which has given her the opportunity to work with many different levels of leadership and to develop resourceful ways to create focused, strategic and action-driven negotiations and discussions. She runs her own coaching consultancy and has extensive experience in sales and relationship management.
Trish aims to contribute to Parents Victoria by using her ability in effective listening and communication skills, working with people to bring out the best of who they are in any given situation that optimises their ability to see things from many different perspectives so they can have more clarity and value directed conversations, goals, and outcomes.
Paul Fry
Paul brings a wealth of experience to the PV Board, not only as a parent and School Councillor but also as a Family Support leader in education. He has qualifications in Community Services, Youth Work and Adolescent Health and Wellbeing and has completed extensive professional learning in Family Therapy, Mental Health, Trauma Awareness & Suicide Awareness. Paul has led Family Support programs in primary and secondary schools, and also has extensive experience in practitioner and management roles in Family Support work through various roles within agencies and the Education Department.
Raelene Vine
Raelene is passionate about giving all children the best opportunity to engage in learning, whatever their familial circumstances. Over many years she has demonstrated her strong commitment to the home/ school relationship as a partnership – one she describes as “incredibly valuable”. Raelene has been an active member of the Parents and Friends group at her children’s school in rural Victoria for 23 years, and has been on the School Council for over 15 years. Raelene’s contribution to education has been recognised with a DEECD Education Community Service Award, the PV Joan Kirner Parent Participation Award, and Life Membership of Parents Victoria.
Nominate for the Board
Staff
Gail McHardy
Chief Executive Officer
Gail McHardy has long been one of Victoria’s leading advocates for parents of students in Victorian government schools.
Mother of two, Gail’s introduction to the education sector was not only as an active parent participant at her own daughters’ schools but volunteering and working for the statewide peak body, Parents Victoria. Gail has had many opportunities to share her extensive knowledge, professional commitment, experience and energy with many school communities, future teacher graduates and with other stakeholders across all education sectors.
Leanne McCurdy
Chief Operations Manager
Leanne joined Parents Victoria around 2000 as a temporary Administration person – to fulfil the specific task of assisting with Parents Victoria’s Annual Conference. It was for a five week assignment but she was inspired, and invited, to stay.
Being an active parent participant and helper at her children’s primary school, and then joining the Parent Club and the School Council at the Secondary College was a great complementary combination of work and family!
Alan Davies
Communications Officer
Alan has been maintaining PV’s website since around 2001. He got involved through the Parent Club at his children’s primary school. Since then he has provided a range of communications services including website maintenance, media training, writing and editing, advice on communications systems and the publication of the PV journal Parents Voice.
Nominate for the PV Board
You can nominate under one of two categories:
- Elected member – you must be the parent of a child at a Victorian government school
- Appointed member – open to anyone who can make a valuable contribution to Parents Victoria because of their special skills, interest or experience.
Board documents
The role and responsibilities of our Board are outlined in the following documents:
If you are interested in nominating for the Parents Victoria Board, please contact our office.
