Farewell and best wishes to David Westlake
David Westlake has announced his retirement from the role of Business Support Manager at LPV after 17 years with the organisation.
David began his paid role at People Living with HIV/AIDS Victoria (now Living Positive Victoria) in October 2007.
Kevin Rudd had just been elected as prime Minister, Rove McManus hosted the number one show of the year, some guy in a turtleneck called Steve Jobs launched the iPhone -that will never take off- and the number one song in Australia in October 2007 was by Fergie called “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – thanks, I’ll try not to!
With an already rich and diverse engagement with community fundraising at VAC and the ALSO Foundation, and a history of engagement with the leather community working at Eagle Leather, David was poached by the then CEO, Sonny Williams, to come and join People Living with HIV AIDS Victoria.
Unlike other key staff who had arrived via secondment or prior roles at the Victorian AIDS Council, David’s initial role was on reception, welcoming clients, colleagues and answering phone call inquiries about advocacy and peer support, which at the time were all directed via a range of landline numbers allocated to relevant internal staff. For many people living with HIV, David would have been their first point of contact with our organisation.
His disarming manner, understanding of confidentiality requirements from a lived experience context and his enduring professionalism was already on display, leading to a natural extension of duties across the organisation.
In 2010 David extended his contract as Administration Officer and continued to grow with the organisation to become Business and Finance Manager.
Business administration and financial oversight are essential to the running of any organisation, especially a small not for profit community organisation like LPV. David’s leadership in the wheelhouse of our operational structure has enabled others to take on the advocacy, client support and public-facing roles that often garner more community profile and prestige.
Integrity, warmth and generosity made him a logical fit to oversee work health and safety as well as human resourcing issues. Before it was required by legislation, David ensured that a person-centred approach was also considered an essential part of employee wellbeing and not just prioritised for our clients and community members. Many of us have sustained their roles at LPV as a direct result of David’s support, intervention and understanding.
A trusted staff representative on the board, David played a role in ensuring administrative functions of our AGM and election processes were enabled and enacted in line with our rules of incorporation and worked alongside seven different presidents, four CEO’s and one interim CEO during his time here.
His legendary ability to ‘tone down the crazy’ – which can sometimes arise in community-based organisations -has been second to none providing a considered voice of reason and rationale during the many personal, professional and private challenges we’ve traversed over the last 17 years.
Among the myriad things that make up his legacy David’s recent leadership in our relocation working group, working with leaders from LPV and Positive Women Victoria to find the right location, then engagement with contractors and designers was seen by him as his parting gift to us. Seeing us settled into our new home at 25 Elizabeth Street in Melbourne’s CBD, with a solid foundation for the years ahead of us, is something he rightly takes particular and personal pride in. Any time you come in you’ll see the design, the functional fit out and the look of our new home you’ll see David in everything here, long after he has gone.
So it’s with somewhat conflicting emotions, knowing that you can’t replace David’s corporate knowledge, trusted counsel and esteemed affection, that is now offset by the gratitude, heartfelt thanks and just a little bit of envy for the excitement of the opportunities that are ahead for him and his beloved husband, beyond our shores. We bid farewell to more of a family member than a friend, a fixer and fabulous contributor, not just for Living Positive Victoria, but for the Victorian HIV response more broadly.
It is with abundant love and positivity for all future endeavours that we thank you David, for your caring soul, dedication to the fight and very naughty sense of humour.