Fronditha Care has appointed new Directors to its Board leadership team.

The new team includes Jill Taylor (Nikitakis), re-elected at the recent AGM for another three-year term, who is the new President and Board Chair. Kostas Kyrifidis has retained the role of Treasurer, with newly elected directors Dr. Stella Laletas taking on the role of Vice President and Kostas Livadaras becoming Company Secretary. The Board has also co-opted John Kallitsas as a Director, who has a long- standing relationship with Fronditha Care and is a benefactor.

Ms Taylor said: “I am energised by the talent of the new Directors who with their diverse professional backgrounds bring significant understanding of the not-for-profit sector and specifically deep knowledge of the aged care sector, substantial business acumen with exceptional human resource management skills and extensive governance expertise to the Board.”

After 43 years of operation Fronditha Care, with five residential facilities and extensive home care services has built a strong reputation in the aged care sector. This past year has been an exceptionally challenging year for Fronditha Care with the significant impacts of COVID 19 and major Government reform of the sector demanding so much of the organisation in ensuring it maintained its commitment and focus on the safety and wellbeing of those in its care and their families.

READ MORE: Fronditha Care records $6.5m deficit, but says it is manageable and unsurprising during COVID-19

“An equally important responsibility of the Board and CEO was its obligation to maintain strong fiduciary oversight. At the recent AGM our members, including past Presidents, benefactors, auxiliary chairs and commercial partners expressed their significant concerns about the financial management of the organisation in the past year. These members also expressed ongoing concern about the capacity of the leadership of the organisation to seriously address the financial issues, which led to a significant deficit, highlighting the lack of clarity in a plan and related timing to turnaround the business,” Ms Taylor said, adding that the “new board is absolutely focused on fostering greater transparency in its financial operations, renewing the confidence of the Fronditha Care membership and broader community in its capacity to responsibly govern the organisation.”

“I want to thank all previous Directors, including the previous President and Board Chair, Prof. Eugenia Pedagogos, Aspasia Georgiou, Tim Dionyssopoulos, Pam Kalodimos, Soula Cargakis, Dr. Arthur Kokkinias for their service to Fronditha Care and their contributions across their respective tenures. In particular, I pay tribute to their collective commitment to the organisation,” she said.

“I want to reassure members and the community that the Board changes represent an opportunity for a significant refresh and a new chapter for the organisation. I also want to note the current Directors have a strong vision for the way we move forward and face the challenges head on as we rebuild governance leadership and recalibrate our financial position.”

The new Board is currently working on a financial strategy for shaping the future of Fronditha Care and early in the new year will provide a detailed communique to members and the public.

READ MORE: My Life in Lockdown: Fronditha Care CEO Michael Malakonas

“We are focused on re-envisaging operations to ensure financial security and organisational viability. We are committed to achieving this without compromising our proven ability to deliver complex and large scale projects and the highest quality of service delivery, that is greatly appreciated by all those we care for and their families, our members, partners, Government, stakeholders and the community.”

In her closing remarks, Ms Taylor said: “There is a long journey ahead of us and lots of work to do but I’m delighted to lead this truly talented team at this challenging moment in Fronditha Care’s history, continuing the legacy of those who have gone before for more than four decades.”

Fronditha Care is a not-for-profit aged care provider that has been supporting and advocating for the elderly since 1977 and is currently serving over 1200 elders each week across Victoria and NSW. To learn more about Fronditha Care’s Board of Directors, please visit https://frondithacare.org.au/bod/