Dear Members, Clients and Volunteers
Re: notification of membership vote from the special resolution
I am writing to inform you that the members who attended recent AGMs of the five Huntington’s State Associations – SA&NT, WA, Tasmania, NSW/ACT and Queensland – have agreed to merge into a new, single entity, Huntington’s Australia (HA). We are all very excited about the opportunities to enhance and sustain the services we provide to the Huntington’s community.
The merger will bring together five associations with a shared vision of enabling those impacted by Huntington’s disease to live their best lives. This is a momentous occasion - a culmination of lots of hard work from many people and the start of a new era of national unity of purpose and effort.
We have a merger implementation plan which we have been slowly progressing in anticipation of a positive vote, which will now kick into full swing. We have already registered HA as a company with ASIC, with the ACNC as a charity, and are now seeking tax concessions for the company through the ATO. We have also established a governing body for HA, and it is with great pleasure that I announce the following Directors who make up this foundational Board – all are currently board members of their state associations:
• Chris Glasson, Chair (SA&NT)
• Martyn Jenkins, Public Officer & Secretary (WA)
• Jason De Bakker (Queensland)
• Stephen Garrard (NSW/ACT)
• Kaila Stevens (WA)
• Elizabeth Thompson (SA&NT)
In tandem with the above activities, we have also been conducting a process to select a CEO to lead HA and are happy to announce that the new CEO will be Lenni Duffield, previously CEO Huntington's WA.
I will keep you abreast of future merger progress and will finish this missive by thanking you all so very much for your understanding and support in moving us forward towards this brave new world of unified and sustainable services to our national HD community.
Regards
Chris Glasson
Chair HA
29 November 2022
Supported by
