Community advocate and experienced business leader Vivienne Nguyen has been appointed as Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission to take on the $200,000-plus per year post held until recently by Helen Kapalos.
Ms Kapalos’ term had expired in August, and a recruitment process had begun to find her replacement in April after it had been decided to not extend her tenure in the position.
Ms Nguyen was selected for the role due to her 25 years experience in the corporate, community and public sectors, and her strong background in promoting the social, cultural and economic benefits of multiculturalism, and in advocating for the needs of Victoria’s diverse communities.
Ms Nguyen was a Victorian Multicultural Commissioner from 2005 to 2008. As president of the Vietnamese Community of Australia’s Victorian Chapter, Ms Nguyen helped build support for Australia’s first Vietnamese cultural museum. She has worked with a range of culturally and religiously diverse communities, supporting local African communities to engage with state and local governments to strengthen social cohesion. More recently, Ms Nguyen has supported organisations and community members to transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
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“I’m excited to be able to offer my experience and passion to Victoria’s multicultural communities. I am committed to working with communities and government to continue the work of creating a Victoria where everyone can fully participate, no matter a person’s background, religion or identity,” she said upon her appointment to the role.
As Chair, Ms Nguyen will steer the Commission to identify and address issues faced by diverse groups, encourage communities to express and preserve their heritage and traditions and advise the Minister on community issues.
Ms Nguyen will begin her four-year term on Monday, 26 August 2019.