Parkhill new ACON CEO

Parkhill new ACON CEO

Nicolas Parkhill will take up the position of ACON CEO following the resignation of Stevie Clayton.

Australia’s largest community-based gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) health and HIV/AIDS organisation selected from within its own ranks despite an international search.

Parkhill is currently ACON’s Director of Community Health.

In a written statement released this afternoon, ACON president CEO Mark Orr said Parkhill had more than 15 years experience in the public and community health sectors. For the last three years, he has headed up both the health promotion and operational divisions of ACON.

Prior to that, Parkhill worked in a variety of senior management and policy development roles for NSW Health and the NSW Cabinet Office, many with a specific focus on alcohol and other drugs. He also has a background in campaign management and public relations.

“ACON has been a recognised world leader in HIV prevention, support and policy for some time,” Orr said.

“However, over the last few years, ACON has also become a leading agency for GLBT health with programs and services that cover sexual health, mental health, alcohol and other drug use, ageing, homophobic violence, domestic violence, community care and housing.

“We currently have 150 staff and 700 volunteers working across nine locations in NSW in partnership with a wide range of government, healthcare and community organisations. Leading such a complex and diverse organisation is an enormous challenge but we’re confident that Nic’s knowledge, experience, enthusiasm and dedication will ensure that ACON continues to meet the needs and expectations of the people and communities we serve.

“On behalf of the ACON Board, I also thank our outgoing CEO Stevie Clayton for her outstanding contribution and wish her all the best in her new endeavours.”

Parkhill said he was honoured and excited to take on the new role.

“In the mid-’90s I worked as a campaign coordinator at ACON and that really developed my passion for being involved in community led HIV responses,” he said.

“I am delighted to now be in a position to lead an organisation that makes such a valuable contribution to the health and wellbeing of GLBT people and people with HIV.

“Having worked closely with ACON’s Board, staff and volunteers for the last three years, I have an enormous amount of respect for their expertise, dedication and hard work, and I look forward to working with them and our stakeholders as we continue to build our community’s health and wellbeing.”

Clayton said Parkhill would make an outstanding leader.

“Nic genuinely understands and values the unique character of the communities we serve as well as the various issues that affect their health and wellbeing. I’m very proud of the work he’s done during his time so far at ACON and wish him all the best in his new role.”

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6 responses to “Parkhill new ACON CEO”

  1. One rarely hears a commenadation for ACON from impoverished hiv boys, who go cap-in-hand begging for meagre assistance so patronisingly doled out by beauracrats! How about a new approach with dignity?

  2. Congratulations Stevie and Nick. But I already said that months ago. What do you want now, arse licking? You wouldn’t be a power Lesbian would you? Yeah, the patronising tone. Hurrah to your superior rank in society. The powerful almighty lesbians. How very dare us to speak our minds! I mean, everyone knows that hiv gay men are inferior to lesbians who profit from them.

  3. Fat chance. Like the posters, the place is looking tired lately. Recruiting within the ranks smells of chronyism, especially with so many applications. If that smell wafts to Macquarie street, will Reece’s axe fall on Commonwealth Street? To their defence, our statistics are better than Victoria’s in terms of HIV spread. But there are many factors to that. Victoria also has better services for hiv boys, rather than NSW playing beurospeak games and allocating recourses to phantom others that exist only for the books. The staff always attend the non gay male groups keeping up the statistics. It’s also a fantastic fringe benefit for them at the expense of the HIV gay boys who are classified as the unsavoury demented pariahs. The services can be patronising, unsanity, rude, and quite run down.

  4. how about “congratulations Nic and thanks Stevie for your years of service to the community” instead?? just a thought …