Volunteering Tasmania Appoints New CEO

Tasmania’s peak body for volunteering has appointed a new CEO following the departure of Adrienne Picone who is taking the helm as the CEO for Volunteering Australia in Canberra in the new year.

The new Tasmanian CEO is Alison Lai, who has held previous roles in government, community development and voluntary board and mentoring work. She will take up the position on 23 January 2017.

Lai will move from a government role within the sports division of the Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet where she was in charge of sport and club development, overseeing the team responsible for increasing the capacity of sport and recreation organisations.

Currently a board member on Advocacy Tasmania, Lai said she was particularly passionate about mentoring. In the past 12 months she has been a volunteer mentor for the Hobart City Mission’s Small Steps program, The Smith Family’s iTrack program and the University of Tasmania’s corporate mentoring program.   

“I am very excited to be joining the Volunteering Tasmania family and having the wonderful opportunity to play a key role in the next stages of their success and growth,” Lai said.

“I have very big shoes to fill thanks to Adrienne, who has done an incredible job establishing Volunteering Tasmania’s reputation, not only as experts in volunteering, but also as a welcoming and highly trusted community organisation.”

Outgoing CEO Picone said: “With a background in marketing and communications, community development and project management, Alison brings a wealth of experience working alongside volunteering involving organisations across a range of sectors.”

Picone was appointed as CEO of Volunteering Australia in October after Brett Williamson resigned from the role.

Williamson was in the position for three years. In September he announced publicly his intention to stand down and return home to his family base in Brisbane.

Williamson told Pro Bono News at the time that he had “mixed feelings” about the move, but said it had been an “absolute privilege to be part of a team so totally committed to growing volunteering and civic participation in Australia”.

Picone said she was delighted to be entrusted with the role at Volunteering Australia and helping to advance volunteerism.

“The last eight years have been some of the most rewarding of my professional life,” Picone said.

“Volunteering Tasmania is a great organisation and I have been very proud to be at the helm of an organisation that is helping volunteering to flourish.”