The time, energy and support Heith Mackay-Cruise has given to Vision Australia was acknowledged with a Vision Australia Award at the 2020 Annual General Meeting.
Heith’s work for Vision Australia began seven years ago when he was appointed as a director of the Vision Australia board. Following his board appointment, he also served as a director, and later chair, of the Vision Australia Foundation and a member of the Audit Finance and Risk Committee.
“I’m a proud champion of Vision Australia,” Heith said.
“I’ve been glad to give my time to the organisation.”
Caption: Heith Mackay-Cruise has received a Vision Australia Award.
Beginning his career as a truck driver, Heith then worked in a number of sales and marketing roles, eventually going on to work for Australian Consolidated Press for many years before his appointment to the Vision Australia Board in November 2013.
“They were looking for someone based in Sydney with the right skills, experience and business acumen,” he said.
Heith’s extensive corporate governance experience and his enthusiasm for the work done by Vision Australia has made him a valuable asset to the organisation.
Before his professional involvement with Vision Australia, Heith already had some background knowledge about blindness and low vision.
“I have a great friend from high school who, by the time we finished year 12, was completely blind in one eye and only had 20 percent vision in the other eye.”
The insights gained from his friend helped Heith in his work with Vision Australia. He especially enjoyed talking to clients and learning about how the organisation has supported them to live the lives they choose.
“The board meetings often moved around the country and every time we had a board meeting we had a chance to meet some clients from different locations,” he said.
Vision Australia Chair Andrew Moffat paid tribute to Heith, alongside fellow former Director Sara Watts, who also received a Vision Australia Award at the AGM.
"Heith and Sara joined Vision Australia at the same time, in fact on the same day," Andrew said.
"They have been energetic, both bringing a high level of curiosity and passion, and of course a very deep level of experience from outside the blindness world.
"In Heith’s case so much to do with strategy, the digital world, business models and so forth.
"We now have undoubtedly a better, more robust form of governance thanks to Sara and Heith bringing their intellect and governance insights [to Vision Australia].”
Upon receiving the Vision Australia Award, Heith said he felt both excited and humbled.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the organisation and to all of its members and clients and I hope I will have a life-long relationship with Vision Australia.”
The Vision Australia Awards were first given out in 2006 to recognise and celebrate people and organisations who have contributed their time and resources to support the work of Vision Australia, and the wider blind and low vision community.