Dr Hari Harinath (new CRC Chair), Minister Dominello and Hakan Harman (CRC Chief Executive Officer)
Former Chairman of Cricket NSW, Dr Hari Harinath OAM, has been named the new Chair of the Community Relations Commission’s (CRC) Advisory Board. Minister for Citizenship and Communities Victor Dominello announced Dr Harinath’s appointment with seven part-time Advisory Board Members.
“The make-up of the new Advisory Board truly reflects the changing face of multicultural NSW.
“The newly appointed board members are Devpaal Singh, Steven Widders, Ken Hong, Cathy Guo, David Knoll AO, Margaret Piper AM and Dr Eman Sharobeem.
“They have been recruited through a skills-based assessment process and will be led by Dr Harinath, a distinguished individual who has been a leader within the Indian Australian community for many decades.
“Dr Harinath has been a medical practitioner in Sydney for nearly 40 years and has served as a senior cricket administrator for 30 years.
“He is a current CRC Advisory Board Member as well as Chairman of Parramasala and a NSW Centenary of Anzac Ambassador. I am confident the new team will bring the experience and passion needed to be effective advocates for our state’s cultural diversity communities.”
Mr Dominello said the appointment of a new Chair came at a pivotal moment, with the CRC soon to become Multicultural NSW under a new three-year strategic plan, Harmony in Action launched last month.
“Legislative changes will see the organisation placing a stronger emphasis on the beliefs and values which unite all Australians – including our volunteering ethos, our Aboriginal heritage and our commitment to commemorating those who have served in defending our freedoms.”
The other members are Devpaal Singh an Engineering/Law student at Sydney University of Indian background who is currently President of the Sydney University Sikh Society and National Communications and Marketing Director of Sikh Youth Australia. He will be one of the two youth Advisory Board Members; Steven Widders, an Aboriginal Australian from the Anaiwan Nation who has worked as an adviser on disability issues on many government and semi-government agencies including the NSW Disability Council and the First People’s Disability Network; Ken Hong, a Sydney lawyer of Korean background who is the President of the Korean Australian Lawyers Association and the Korean Australian Young Leaders; Cathy Guo who migrated to Australia from China has qualifications in Accounting and Economics and diverse accounting and taxation experience in the banking, financial services and insurance sectors; David Knoll AO a barrister and mediator who has held prominent positions with the University of NSW Faculty of Law and the NSW Bar Association. He is a former Commissioner of the CRC and a former President of the Jewish Board of Deputies. He has been recognised for his work in promoting interfaith understanding through the establishment of the JBD’s Respect, Understanding and Acceptance schools program; Margaret Piper AM provides consultancy services on refugee and asylum-seeker issues to government agencies including the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and also works with the Refugee Council of Australia and Australian Red Cross; and Dr Eman Sharobeem who has been the Director of the Immigrant Women’s Health Service since 2004, a member of the Anti-Discrimination Board, the Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Network and the Fairfield Liverpool Workers Network. Dr Sharobeem is being reappointed after her previous term as a Commissioner expired on 28 February 2014.
Published in The Indian Sun, Sydney
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