Our Board & Patrons

The primary role of the Board is to also determine, monitor, and strengthen the organisation's impact on the people we aim to serve in courts across Victoria and Queensland.

Board members must also act in accordance with Court Network's Statement of Purposes and Rules, which includes all relevant legal obligations and responsibilities, particularly with respect to offering proper financial oversight.

Our Rules prescribe the participation of Networker members on the Board to ensure that operational and front-line practice wisdom can be represented as part of the Board's strategic work. This also provides an opportunity for Networkers to connect with the governance side of running the organisation; and allows for greater accountability to the wider Networker community to know that Networker members are contributing to decisions that impact on the future of the organisation.

Board President | The Honourable Marcia Neave AO

Appointed AGM 2016

Marcia Neave was a Judge of the Court of Appeal Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria from 2006 to 2015, until her appointment as Chair of the Royal Commission into Family Violence. Prior to those roles, she was a legal academic for many years, holding chairs at several Australian universities and was the Foundation Chair of the Victorian Law Reform Commission

Vice President | Deputy Chief Magistrate Felicity Broughton

Appointed AGM 2013, re-elected AGM 2016

Felicity was appointed as a Victorian Magistrate in January 2000 and has been a Deputy Chief Magistrate since 2007. Felicity is currently a Supervising Magistrate for the Family Violence and Family Law Portfolio having been appointed in August 2011. She was Supervising Magistrate for the court’s sexual assault portfolio from 2006 to 2012 and for the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal from 2001 to 2004. She is a member of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine’s Council and Ethics Committee. She was a board member of CASA House from 1989 to 2000 and of the Children’s Protection Society (CPS) from 1993 to 2000 serving as their President from 1996 to 1999.

Treasurer | Don Tidbury

Appointed AGM 2015

Don Tidbury is an experienced health care executive who has worked across the public health and not-for-profit sectors. As a qualified CPA and GAICD with extensive experience across hospitals, community health and residential aged care, Don has a strong record in leading major improvements in culture, clinical governance, financial performance and stakeholder engagement. Don is currently the Chief Executive Officer for Macedon Ranges Health, an award winning provider of primary care, disability services, welfare, home care and residential aged care to the Macedon Ranges. Don enjoys contributing to the health, aged and community sectors via other voluntary board appointments including the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and the Central Victorian Primary Care Partnership.

Secretary | The Honourable David Harper AM

Member | Appointed AGM 2015

David was a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria from 1992 - 2013, becoming a member of the Appeal Division of that Court in 2009. He was President of the Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (VACRO) between 1995 and 2012, and is now its patron. He became a Member of the Order of Australia in 2008 for service to law reform, the judiciary, international humanitarian law and the community. In 2015 David chaired a panel which advised the Victorian Government on the management of serious offenders. A result of the panel's report was the establishment of the Post Sentence Authority, to which David was appointed inaugural deputy chair for six months ending in October 2018.

Inspector Anne Rudd

Member | Appointed AGM 2013, re-elected AGM 2016

Anne is a serving member of Victoria Police and over the past 16 years she has performed duties within the bayside area, Prosecutions Division, Family Violence Command and more recently, the North West Metro Region. Anne is a lawyer and an experienced prosecutor within the Magistrates' Court and Children's Court where she specialised in prosecuting sexual offences and family violence matters. Anne was a board member of the Therapeutic Treatment Board from 2010-2015.

Nicky Bromberg

Member & Networker | Appointed AGM 2016

Nicky is a current Court Networker, working in the Sunshine Magistrate’s Court and the Family Court. Nicky is a trained Social Worker with a degree in Social Work and Criminology and has volunteered as a telephone counsellor at the Post Natal and Ante Natal Depression Association (PANDA) for a period of 18 months. Prior to social work, Nicky had a 25-year career in the publishing and communications industry, including working for ten years at Text Media as Publishing Director and Hardie Grant Magazines as Director of the business as well as serving on the Board. Nicky has extensive experience in the areas of staff and stakeholder management and in all facets of the publishing of printed and online content.

Joanna Wriedt

Member & Networker | Appointed AGM 2016

Joanna is a current Court Networker, based at the Ringwood Magistrates Court. She is a Director of Dairy Food Safety Victoria and sits on its Audit and Risk Committee. Joanna is Chair of the Victorian Government’s Radiation Advisory Committee and has recently been appointed Chair of the National Asthma Council. Joanna recently stepped down as a Director of Fitted for Work, a community organisation that aims to increase workforce participation for women experiencing disadvantage, where she also chaired the finance, audit and risk committee. She previously served a a five-year term as Director and Deputy Chair of UnitingCare ReGen, an alcohol and other drug treatment and education agency that provides outpatient, residential and prison services. Joanna holds a PhD in medical research and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has previously worked as a lawyer and as an adviser to a Federal Health Minister.

Brigita Cunnington

Member | Appointed AGM 2017

Brigita is currently the Acting Executive Director of the Magistrates Courts Service in Queensland. She has extensive experience in the justice portfolio working in various legal, policy and management roles. She was admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2000 and practiced in native title law including at Crown Law. She has been employed in various roles in Queensland Courts since 2006 including as Director of the Office of the State Coroner and Director of Courts Innovation Program.

Ian Lang

Networker & Member | Appointed AGM 2017

Ian is a current Networker at the Supreme and District Court in Queensland. He has had extensive experience in governance roles with other community based not for profit organisations, including sitting on the board of the Mount Gravatt Community Centre for twelve years, with seven of those years as president. Ian is a current member of the steering committee at the Mount Gravatt Police Citizen's Youth Club. Such positions have given Ian strong experience in governance, financial oversight and strategic planning as well compliance with legislation and service agreements. Prior to retirement Ian has worked as a project manager with the Queensland Government and as a Senior Policy Advisor to a Queensland Government Minister.

Neil Michael

Networker & Member | Appointed AGM 2017

Neil is a current Court Network volunteer at the Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court where he has been providing services to court users for the past seven years. Neil spent his working life in the service industry in Melbourne. Since retirement he has volunteered as a Community Visitor and a Panel Secretary for the Office of the Public Advocate (Disability Stream), a position he has held for nine years. He has also been the Coordinator of his local Neighbourhood Watch for seven years. Neil’s aim is to represent Metropolitan and Regional Networkers, in Victoria and Queensland, as he was born in Queensland, and give them a voice on the Court Network Board and achieve the best possible outcomes for everyone. Since retirement, Neil has devoted his spare time to volunteering and to giving back to the community by assisting vulnerable people who find themselves in difficult circumstances.

Maria Dimopoulos

Member | Appointed AGM 2018

Maria is nationally and internationally recognised as an expert specialising in the intersections of diversity, gender equality and the law. She has had extensive experience in policy formulation for the Government sector, research for social planning and in community education. In 2008, Maria was appointed by the Federal government to the National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. Maria is the current Chairperson of the Harmony Alliance. In 2017, Maria was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award by the Migration Council of Australia for her tireless devotion to Australian multiculturalism and support for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse women.

John Albert

Networker & Member | Appointed AGM 2018

John is a current Court Network volunteer at the Melbourne Magistrates, Children’s Court and more recently County Court and has volunteered with Court Network for three years. Since retiring John has also been involved as a mentor and committee member of Big Brothers, Big Sisters, refugee settlement assistance through the Brigidine Sisters. Prior to retirement, John was the global director for a multi-national textile company and has spent many years on boards and committees and been part of the decision-making process.

Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AM

Governor of Victoria
On 1 July 2015, the Honourable Linda Dessau AM was sworn in as Victoria's 29th Governor, the first female in that role. In June 1995, the Governor was appointed a Judge of the Family Court of Australia, where she served for 18 years until July 2013. In 2010 the Governor was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to family law and the community.

The Honourable Catherine Holmes

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland
Chief Justice Holmes was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland on the 11th September 2015. She is the19th Chief Justice. Her Honour was a founding member of the Women's Legal Service, served as a part-time member of the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal (1994-2000), was a presiding judge of the Queensland Mental Health Court (2005-06) and conducted the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry into the 2010-11 floods.

The Honourable Anne Ferguson

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria
Justice Ferguson was appointed as a Supreme Court judge in 2010, predominantly dealing with corporations cases. Justice Ferguson was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2014 and heard appeals in a wide range of criminal and civil matters. In October 2017, Justice Ferguson was appointed Chief Justice of Victoria.