ANDREW JACKOMOS

Andrew was appointed in mid 2013 as the inaugural Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People (Victoria), the first such position in Australia.

 

Andrew is a proud Yorta Yorta man and for the past 14 years was the Director of the Koori Justice Unit, in the Victorian Department of Justice; responsible since 2000 for coordinating the development and implementation of three phases of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement (AJA).

During that time, Andrew oversaw the growth of the Koori workforce from three in 1999 to employ well over 140; as well as the establishment and growth of the Koori Court network within the Magistrate's, Children's and County jurisdictions. He is most proud of the relationship developed between the Koori community and the justice system, as represented by the Aboriginal Justice Forum and the supporting network of Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committees.

Andrew's prior roles include: National Operations Manager, Aboriginal Hostels Limited; Victorian State Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC); Chairperson, Yuroke (Melbourne) Regional Council (ATSIC); Regional Manager for North Queensland and Manager, Policy and Secretariat Unit with the federal Aboriginal Development Commission.

Andrew is a member of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, the Aboriginal Justice Forum and the Indigenous Family Violence Partnership Forum. In 2006 he was awarded the Public Service Medal and was admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria). Andrew has also been acknowledged as a Victorian NAIDOC Patron.