Vanessa Stevens-Downie is a leader, trained and qualified lawyer, and storyteller. She is the Executive Truth and Treaty Coordinator for Victoria’s Department of Health and has worked in First Peoples health and wellbeing for a number of years. Her recent achievements include leading the department’s negotiations and preparedness for Treaty, outcomes-based funding for Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and leading the department’s policy response to the Yoorrook Justice Commission. She also designed and implemented the Child Safe Standards which apply to over 40,000 organisations working with children.  

  

Her key stills are strategic leadership, systems reform, people development, and strategy planning and implementation. She is humbled and excited to have this opportunity to realise First Peoples’ self-determination through Truth and Treaty.  

  

Vanessa is alumni of Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Community Leadership Program. She has a Masters of Laws from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) / Bachelor Laws (Hons) from Monash University. She lives in Naarm with her family, including her two young children who say she cooks the world’s best spaghetti bolognese.