Governance

Aboriginal Housing Victoria is:

  • a company limited by guarantee and established under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth);
  • a registered housing agency under the Housing Act 1983 (Vic)
  • a registered charity under the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012 (Cth); and
  • a public benevolent institution, entitled to tax concessions under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth).
  • endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) from 01 Jul 2000.

AHV ascribes to modern governance models and pays heed to the Principles and Recommendations of the ASX Corporate Governance Council. To that end, AHV has established a Governance PolicyBoard Charter and Code of Conduct.

View past Annual Reports and Board Communique here.

Board

Board Members

The AHV Board is comprised of non-executive directors that bring a diverse perspective to the Board’s consideration of strategic, risk and performance matters and are best placed to exercise independent judgement and review and constructively challenge the performance of management. 

All directors must live in Victoria and a majority must be Aboriginal. 

Place your cursor over the images below to find out more about AHV's Board members.


  • Daphne Yarram

    Daphne Yarram - Chairperson

    Daphne has championed the cause of the Victorian Aboriginal community in voluntary, government and private sector roles for over 30 years. Daphne was a foundation member and elected to the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples Board for three terms.

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  • Alan Herrman

    Alan Herrman - Director, Chair of Assets Committee

    Alan has over 20 years of experience in property, infrastructure, and funds management roles in Australia, as well as internationally across the United Kingdom, Europe and South-East Asia. Previous roles include working as a Partner at PwC. He is currently a Partner and Head of Strategic Consulting, Australia and NZ at Cushman and Wakefield. Alan joined Aboriginal Housing Victoria’s Asset Committee as a specialist Asset Management Advisor in November 2015.

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  • Damein Bell

    Damein Bell - Deputy Chair and Director

    Damein Bell is a Gunditjmara man from southwest Victoria, Australia. Damein is an Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity through the University of Melbourne and a Fellow with the Royal Society of Victoria. Damein worked with his community in achieving the UNESCO World Heritage Listing for the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in 2019 and continues to work for the First Nations cultural rights, caring for country and Indigenous nation building.

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  • Andrew Sherri

    Andrew Sherri - Director

    Andrew is a career corporate CFO with diverse industry experience across both For Purpose and Corporate entities.  As an influential contributor, Andrew provides expertise across a range of disciplines with a focus on driving strategic expansion and improvement projects, together with supporting varying reporting and governance frameworks.

    Andrew was appointed to a casual Board vacancy in September 2025.

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  • Duean White

    Duean White - Chair of Governance Committee and Director

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  • Bevan Mailman

    Bevan Mailman - Director

    Bevan is a corporate lawyer with expertise in commercial transactions, corporate advisory, corporate structuring and business development having held positions with leading law firms and companies. 

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  • Haleh Homaei

    Haleh Homaei

    Haleh is a senior executive and non-executive director with over 30 years’ experience in housing, government, stakeholder engagement, and governance. She has led complex, mission-driven organisations through significant transformation, balancing financial sustainability with strong social impact. As former CEO of HousingFirst, Haleh oversaw a major rebranding and growth strategy, increasing the organisation’s asset base by 30% and delivering a $195 million development pipeline across multiple Victorian municipalities. Her leadership is grounded in strategic acumen, sector advocacy, and deep knowledge of political and regulatory systems.

     

    As Chair of PowerHousing Australia, she played a pivotal role in driving the recent merger with the Community Housing Industry Association—resulting in the creation of a strong, unified national voice for the community housing sector. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has previously served as Chair of CHIA Victoria and on the boards of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and other sector bodies.  Internationally, she advised the Government of Timor-Leste and participated in UN negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals, bringing a global perspective to her work in community and affordable housing.

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