Sydney, Australia, 5 October 2018: Professor Brian Layland, OAM OLM Fellow UNSW (HON. Causa) has resigned as Chair and Director of the Brien Holden Vision Institute Board.

The resignation will take effect on 31 October 2018.  The Board has elected Frank Back as the new Chair and Sandra Bailey has assumed all of Professor Layland’s functions and powers as Alternate Director with immediate effect.  Ms Bailey will be formally appointed to the Board at an extraordinary general meeting on 31 October 2018. 

Professor Layland has also resigned as a member of both the Brien Holden Vision Institute and the Brien Holden Vision Institute Foundation, with immediate effect.

CEO of the Institute, Yvette Waddell said, “Frank Back, new Chair of the Institute, joins me and our fellow directors in expressing our profound gratitude to Brian for his leadership and significant contribution to the Institute over more than 30 years.  Professor Layland will remain closely involved with the Institute.  He will continue his consultancy role and we are delighted to announce that Brian has accepted a new position as Patron of the Brien Holden Vision Institute.”

About Brien Holden Vision Institute
Brien Holden Vision Institute is a non-profit, translational research, education and public health organization. It develops new solutions for vision care, especially for myopia and other refractive errors to eliminate vision impairment and avoidable blindness, thereby reducing disability and poverty. Brien Holden Vision Institute is a social enterprise, investing the revenues from its work into creating scientific solutions and developing and delivering eye care and education programs.

About Sandra Bailey LLB CM GAICD
Sandra Bailey is a Board Member of the Brien Holden Vision Institute Foundation.  She is a Yorta Yorta woman and former CEO of the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW, a position she held for 25 years. Ms Bailey has worked as a Solicitor for the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Services, and served as Head of the Aboriginal Issues Unit of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.  Ms Bailey has served on a number of Ministerial Advisory Committees and boards and been involved in a number of research projects in Aboriginal health including in the areas of child health and resilience.  In recognition of her outstanding service in the Aboriginal health sector, Ms Bailey was awarded the Australian Government Centenary Medal for Contribution to Health in 2003.  In 2014, Ms Bailey was acknowledged for her service to the Aboriginal health sector, receiving the Hall of Fame award at the 2014 NSW Health Aboriginal Health Awards.