Farewell and thank you Nadine Liddy!
Message from Carmel Guerra OAM, MYAN Australia Chair:
I would like to take this opportunity to formally acknowledge and farewell Nadine Liddy after 12 years’ service with MYAN Australia. The contribution of Nadine to building a national youth settlement sector has been significant and ground-breaking.
Nadine commenced her journey as a youth worker and as the Manager of youth programs at CMY. She was then employed as the National Coordinator, NAYSS (Newly Arrived Youth Support Service) Lead Provider program, the predecessor to the Reconnect Specialist program. This involved holding forums, workshops, developing resources and facilitating training for staff around Australia. It was innovative work at the time and demonstrated her leadership and skills in designing service delivery models for refugee and migrant young people.
This work was the catalyst to develop MYAN. MYAN Australia was constructed from the partnerships with the funded specialist NAYSS agencies across Australia. Nadine took up the challenge to build a national structure with passion, integrity, and the utmost professionalism within an environment where there was no funding available. It was tireless work to bring very different state and territory partners together.
MYAN Australia succeeded because of her ability to listen, think strategically and facilitate a collegial working relationship across the states and territories. She is principled, tenacious and a strong advocate. The fact that we have a funded national peak body for refugee and migrant young people’s issues in Australia is an incredible achievement. MYAN has changed the national policy and program landscape for multicultural young people in Australia.
At the heart of her work has been her unyielding commitment to ensuring migrant and refugee young people are heard and supported to participate in civil society. She does her work with young people with resolve, compassion and heartfelt commitment.
Her work has left a mark both in Australia and internationally. MYAN, through Nadine, has been recognised for its work by UNHCR and been commissioned to lead work on youth settlement and participation, and delivered training in a range of international forums and settings.
Nadine has a delightful sense of humour, a sharp intellect and is a great conversationalist on anything from world politics, youth work, to cooking and travel!! She will be missed in the sector, and by the MYAN family. We wish her all the best in her endeavours as she finds new challenges and takes an opportunity to smell the roses, return to study and reflect on what is next.
On a personal note as Chair of MYAN, I will miss her enormously as we have been on the journey to build MYAN Australia together. Thank you, Nadine, on behalf of the MYAN executive, staff and colleagues across the country for all you have contributed to MYAN and most importantly to improving the lives of multicultural young people in Australia.
