Vonda Malone
{{short description|Indigenous Australian community leader}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Vonda Lisa Malone
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| birth_place = Thursday Island, Australia{{Cite web |date=15 June 2018 |title=Councillor Vonda Malone, Mayor, Torres Shire Council |url=https://www.naidoc.org.au/news/because-her-we-can-mayor-vonda-malone |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=NAIDOC}}
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| nationality = Torres Strait Islander, Australia
| other_names = Vonda Lisa Moar
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| known_for = First female Mayor{{Cite web |date=22 April 2020 |title=RE-ELECTED MAYOR VONDA MALONE AND COUNCILLORS SWORN INTO OFFICE |url=https://www.torres.qld.gov.au/news/article/1/re-elected-mayor-vonda-malone-and-councillors-sworn-into-office |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=TORRES SHIRE COUNCIL}} of the Torres Shire Council.{{Cite web |title=2016 Torres Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary |url=http://results.ecq.qld.gov.au/elections/local/LG2016/TorresShireCouncil/results/mayoral/summary.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190317043715/http://results.ecq.qld.gov.au/elections/local/LG2016/TorresShireCouncil/results/mayoral/summary.html |archive-date=17 March 2019 |access-date=2017-12-04 |website=results.ecq.qld.gov.au |df=dmy-all}}{{Cite web |title=Mayor - Torres Shire Council |url=http://www.torres.qld.gov.au/mayor |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021043345/http://www.torres.qld.gov.au/mayor |archive-date=21 October 2019 |access-date=2020-02-14 |website=www.torres.qld.gov.au}}{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=2020 Local Government Elections: Saturday, 28 March 2020 |url=https://prodresults.elections.qld.gov.au/lga2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223051226/https://prodresults.elections.qld.gov.au/lga2020 |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 December 2020 |access-date=16 June 2020 |publisher=Electoral Commission of Queensland}}
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Vonda Lisa Malone is a member of the Queensland Government Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry.{{Cite web |date=2024|title=Appointment of leaders brings truth-telling and healing closer |url=https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/100197 |access-date=29 April 2024 |publisher=Queensland Government}} Vonda was the first female Mayor of the Torres Shire Council.
Family
Vonda is the daughter of Mary Isabella (Bella) Moar and is of Peidu Tribe, Erub Island{{Cite web |title=Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group |url=https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/your-rights/for-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-people/our-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-advisory-group |access-date=2022-05-08 |website=Queensland Human Rights Commission |language=en}} and grew up on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait region.
Career
Vonda has an extensive background in diplomacy and leadership. She served as an Australian diplomat with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and later with the United Nations Office of the Human Rights Commission. Vonda is the founding Chair of Torres Health Indigenous Corporation.{{Cite web |title=Torres Health Board |url=https://torreshealth.org.au/board/ |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=Torres Health}}
From 1 May 2022{{Cite web |date=6 April 2022 |title=Local leader appointed top role in Torres Strait |url=https://www.tsra.gov.au/news-and-resources/news/local-leader-appointed-top-role-in-torres-strait |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=TSRA}} to 23 May 2024,{{Cite web |date=23 May 2024 |title=New role for Torres Strait Regional Authority CEO |url=https://www.tsra.gov.au/news/new-role-for-torres-strait-regional-authority-ceo/ |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=TSRA}} Vonda was the Chief Executive Officer of the Torres Strait Regional Authority. Before this role, she was Chair of the Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance{{Cite web |title=TCICA COMMUNIQUE AUGUST 2019 |url=https://tcica.com.au/2019/08/05/tcica-communique-aug-2019/ |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance}} and Chair of Community Enterprise Queensland/Islanders Industry Board of Service (IBIS).{{Cite web |date=28 July 2021 |title=Community Enterprise Queensland Welcomes New Board |url=https://www.ceqld.org.au/ceq-news/community-enterprise-queensland-welcomes-new-board/ |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=CEQ News}} Additionally, she served as the Executive Manager of the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area Health Partnership.{{Cite news |date=15 May 2013 |title=Senior Medicare Role for Vonda |pages=7 |work=Torres News |url=https://issuu.com/regionalandremote/docs/2013-05-13_torres_news |access-date=18 April 2022}}
Vonda has been involved in several advisory capacities, including as a member of the Indigenous Reference Group for the Developing Northern Australia Initiative,{{Cite web |title=Cr Vonda Malone |url=https://voice.niaa.gov.au/whos-involved/biography/cr-vonda-malone |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=Indigenous Voice}} the NIAA Senior Advisory Group,{{Cite web |date=8 November 2019 |title=Indigenous Voice Co-Design Senior Advisory Group announced |url=https://www.niaa.gov.au/news-and-media/indigenous-voice-co-design-senior-advisory-group-announced |access-date=30 June 2024}} and the Telstra Advisory Committee.
In 2001, Vonda became a Fellow of the United Nations Office of the Human Rights Commission Indigenous Fellowship Program. She is also a member of the Oxfam Australia Straight Talk Steering Committee,{{Cite web |date=14 July 2017 |title=Oxfam Engaging Indigenous Australian Women In Policy-Making Process With National Forum |url=http://old.agora-parl.org/pt/node/20615 |access-date=2022-05-08 |website=Agora Portal}} a representative on the TCHHS Clinical Safety and Quality Committee, a member of the Torres Strait Dementia Project, and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Awards
- Centenary Medal - For distinguished contribution to the Torres Strait Regional Authority.{{Cite web |date=1 January 2001 |title=Centenary Medal |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1117857 |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=AUSTRALIAN HONOURS SEARCH FACILITY}}
- 2017 McKinnon Emerging Political Leader of the Year{{Cite web |date=15 March 2018 |title=Cr Vonda Malone: McKinnon Emerging Political Leader of the Year |url=https://www.mckinnonprize.org.au/2018/03/15/cr-vonda-malone-mckinnon-emerging-political-leader-of-the-year/ |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership}}
- NAIDOC Award of Excellence.{{Cite web |date=6 July 2018 |title=TORRES MAYOR |url=https://f-magazine.online/torres-mayor-vonda-malone/ |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=F Magazine}}
Education
- Fellow of Australian Rural Leadership Program{{Cite web |title=ARLP GRADUATES Course 19 |url=https://rural-leaders.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ARLP-Course-19-Directory.pdf |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=AUSTRALIAN RURAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM}}
- Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management{{Cite web |title=Vonda Malone |url=https://climateemergencysummit.org/speakers/vonda-malone-speaker-profile/ |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=National Climate Emergency Summit}}
- Graduate Certificate in Australian Rural Leadership