The Veterans, Emergency Services & Police Industry Institute of Australia (VESPIIA) Awards for Excellence on Friday 27 Sep 24

Cover Photo Left to right ; Ian Lindgren, Mike Romalis (Former APPVA WA Representative) and Steve Danaher (Current APPVA WA Representative)

I am very proud of the Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans' Association and its members today after attanding the Veterans, Emergency Services & Police Industry Institute of Australia (VESPIIA) Awards for Excellence on Friday 27 Sep 24.

The award categories are shown below

Peacekeeper members took out three of the Individual Awards.

Volunteer of the Year - Ian Lindgren

This award acknowledges the significant and highly valued contribution made a volunteer to our community and organisations and honours a volunteer who has assisted through their efforts and dedication of time to an organisation and cause.

I accept the award on behalf the the APPVA and the work we do with over 170 other veteran organisations that work together across the country.

Student of the Year - Natalie Merryman

This award recognises outstanding work by an individual tertiary student. It is awarded for a substantial project, report, book, thesis, article or piece of research which makes a significant contribution to the sector and/or outcomes for the community we serve.

Natalie is undertaking a PhD, is a former Director of the APPVA, and is unertaking a project on Exploring women veterans' experiences of the Australian Defence Force as a gendered institution.

Academic of the Year - Ben Wadham

This award recognises an outstanding achievement in research in the advancement and identification of issues, challenges, and topics relevant to Veterans, Emergency Service, Police, and/or their families.

In other words, APPVA members took out three of the four individual categories and that is commendable.

Unfortunately, the APPVA was pipped at the post as Organisation of the Year. In truth; I think we did very well.

Well Done

Well done to all nominees who reached that height in these national awards and were runners up. ASPIIA should be acknowledged as a organisations established by members of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts, who to their credit think of the veteran and veteran family communities on a national scale.

Rod Hutchings Matt Keogh Phillip Thompson OAM MP Kahlil Scarf Fegan DSC, AM Chris Moss Andrew Jenkins Jess S. Mischa Damon Pauline Ryan Guy Richardson Nathan Bradney Matt Burke OAM Mark Horner Steve Danaher Greg Whitehouse Shannon Hennessy