Retirement of Ms Virginia Bourke OStJ as Chair and Director of St John Ambulance VIC

Appointment of Mr Mark Engel MStJ as Chair of St John Ambulance VIC

At the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, our Chair Ms Virginia Bourke announced her retirement as Chair and Director of St John Ambulance Victoria, as of 30 June 2022.

Virginia joined the Board in June 2012 and was appointed Chair in April 2017. During Virginia’s tenure as Chair our organisation has seen extraordinary change. Our community impact has more than doubled through the growth of mission related services and programs. These include the introduction of the Coroners Court Services, the new Ambulance Victoria NEPT contract, Defib in Your Street, and the myriad of services we have delivered to support Victoria’s COVID response.

Virginia has always made herself available to present awards to acknowledge the service of our volunteers, preside over official functions and to represent and advocate for St John with government and other stakeholders. With her inimitable elegance of phrase and the odd personal yarn, Virginia’s messages have always held her audience and been appropriate for the occasion.

Good corporate governance is Virginia’s trademark, and she has introduced a robust governance and greater diversity to the Board; both important initiatives that strengthen and mature our organisation.

On behalf of the whole organisation, I thank Virginia for her dedicated and passionate leadership of St John Ambulance Victoria in the Service of Humanity.

It gives me great pleasure to announce the appointment of Mr Mark Engel MStJ as Chair with effect from 1 July 2022. Mark has been a Director of St John Ambulance Victoria since February 2014 and has a distinguished career with senior executive roles at La Trobe University, BUPA Australia and BUPA Health Australia. Mark also has considerable board experience and is a member of the Board Remuneration and Nominations Committee. Mark is known around the Board table for his insightful questions. He brings to the role of Chair a passion for the mission and work of St John.

We congratulate Mark on his appointment.