The Derek Amos Institute of Public & Political Affairs
About the Derek Amos Institute of Public and Political Affairs
The Institute is a program of Jamie Hogan Advocate and Lobbyist. It is named after the great Gippsland Mental Health Advocate, Derek Amos OAM, BEM, JP
It seeks to research social issues in regional areas and report to the governments at all levels and other clients as commissioned and further publish the reports and findings for the communities information.
Find out more about the objectives, mission and commissioned research projects by contacting us via the contact page on this web site or use the button below.
About Derek Amos
The Institute is named after the great Gippsland Mental Health Advocate, Derek Amos OAM, JP.
Derek was the Victorian State Member of Parliament for the seat of Morwell for over 12 years. He served as one of the Labor leaders in the lower house alongside many Labor Party greats, such as Clive Holding, John Cain Jnr and Frank Wilkes, holding various shadow ministries.
He retired from parliament in 1980 but went on to serve two terms on the Latrobe Council in Central Gippsland and furthered his career by establishing a number of Mental Health programs and became a long time advocate for people with Mental Health illness which earned him the Order of Australia.
He retired from advocacy work in 2022 due to ill health and lives quietly with his wife in Bairnsdale, however, even as an Octogenarian still offers his services to his community as a Justice of the Peace.
The Institute's supervising and guiding group or think tank consists of the following eminent people below.
Mission, Aims and Objectives
Our Mission
To further the individual and collective social, political, community and economic opinions of regional Victorian’s and to maintain and enhance via research and research publication, the greater good of regional people and their communities.
Our Aims & Objectives
- Provide advice and reports following consultations on projects and issues concerning or being undertaken by the Institute. We are interested in extensive and robust debates on community issues.
- Draft and provide reports, documents and administrative work based on proper formal research
- Act on approved research within the realms of political and public opinions and announcements
- Develop political policy and government-based statements.
- Analyse regional issues and reports
- Approve research projects for public release ensuring the independence of findings and reports.
- Develop and oversee research projects, setting the topic of the research and methodology
The Derek Amos Institute Steering Group Foundation Members
Emeritus Professor Robyn Broadbent
Robyn is Chair of the Institute's Advisory committee aka "Think Tank." She holds a Doctorate in Education, a Masters in Arts, a Bachelor of Social Science and a Bachelor of Youth Work. She is a Life Member of Youth Workers Australia as their Board Secretary.
She has spent many years, until recently, Chair of Youth Work at Victoria University. She is a nationally and internationally acclaimed expert on Young People and their needs. She has served for a number of years of the Chair of the Commonwealth Alliance of Youth Worker and Chair of Victoria University's Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities.
Dr Cameron (Jamie) Hogan
Jamie is the founder of the Institute and a foundation member of the Institute's Advisory Committee. He hold a Doctorate in Law, and a Doctorate in Philosophy. He is a Fellow of a number of professional institutes.
He has served on the Board of Youth Work Australia for a number of years. He was Vice Chair of the Ministerial Gippsland Region Youth Committee (RYC) and a member of the Ministerial Consumer Affairs Advisory Committee of Victoria. He has served as a Company Director for cor[orate and public entities
He has worked and taught in the community services sector for almost forty years. He is semi - retired helping young people, people affected by mental health issues as as their Advocate and enjoys fishing and taking photographs as his hobbies.
Dr John Caldow
Dr Caldow is a research environmental scientist who was CEO of the environmental education institute Bug Blitz for well over twenty years, educating children in projects regarding small animals and insects across Victoria, taking them on outdoor adventures in the wild.
John originally trained as a school teacher and taught in and around East Gippsland particularly in the Wellington Shire.
John has worked with other local academic environmentalist producing various policy statements and papers.
John Sier
John is a Fellow of the Real Estate Institute, a UK Fellow of the Royal Institute of Surveying, a Fellow of the Property Institute and a Fellow of the Institute of Valuers. He is an auctioneer, property consultant and valuer holding many associated qualifications including a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA). He is located on the Mornington Peninsula and served for almost 25 years as a Bail Justice in that region.
In addition he has lectured at a higher education and VET level in real estate practice, property development and management. John is one of the highest qualified real estate agents in Australia.
He also served as a Warrant Officer in the Australian Army Reserve until mandatory retirement.
Donna Gabriel
Donna is Managing Director of Donna Gabriel Consulting and is highly respected in sports coaching being awarded the Australian Sports Medal. She is a trained Teacher holding a Bachelor of Education and several professional accreditations including a Life Fellowship regarding International Students.
She is now a sports and disabilities consultant with a history as an academic and working in education in women's prisons She serves on the Institutes Advisory Committee and is located in inner metropolitan Melbourne
Gail Vinyl
Gail qualified as a social scientist gaining a degree in Sociology with a Business Minor almost forty years ago. Gail has worked in the Mental Health sector for most of her career.
She has served as Chief Executive Officer of two large community Mental Health Organisations over many years. She has served on a number of committees in the Gippsland region and Latrobe Valley before her recent retirement from active employment
David Jefferson
David is a Masters qualified social worker gaining Bachelors degree and Masters degree from Melbourne University and worked in the youth children's and community sector for almost forty years. David has worked for the Victorian State Government, in rural Victoria in Mildura for VACCA as a Social Work Team Leader and in community worker education.
He has lectured in Community Services at TAFE and at one of the largest private education institutes in the country where he was the ACWA Academic Director responsible for all course accreditations.