ACORN CEO Diane Harapin recognised in King's Birthday Honours
The King's Birthday 2023 Honours List recognises and celebrates 1,192 recipients, including awards in the Order of Australia (General and Military Divisions), meritorious awards and recognition for distinguished and conspicuous service.
Mrs Diane Harapin has been awarded the Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division for service to children through adoption reform. Her achievements include:
National Adoption Awareness Week/ AdoptChange
- Foundation Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, 2008-2013.
- Variety of roles including Education Group Leader, Education Kit Coordinator, Writer/ Policies Creator, Fundraiser, Political Liaison with Prime Minister and relevant Ministers, Media Liaison and Volunteer, 2008-2013.
Sunrise Children's Village - Cambodia
- Volunteer and Sponsor, 2001-2003.
- Manager, Charity Fashion Shows and Gala Fundraisers, 2000-2002.
Adoption - Other
- Former Volunteer and Sponsor, Cambodian Children Fund and Cambodian Children's Trust, 2000-2014.
- Member and Advocate, New South Wales Adoption and Permanent Care Committee, 2012-2013.
- Contributor to Commonwealth Review on the Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices, 2012.
Foundation for Breast Cancer Care
- Company Secretary, 2014-2016.
- Founding Board Member and Volunteer, 2014-2017.
- Various roles including Marketing/Branding, Strategist, and Coordinator, Ambassador Manager, 2014-2017.
Education Philanthropy
- Chair, The Governor's Centre Ltd, Sydney Boys/ Sydney Girls High Schools, since 2019.
- Ambassador and Mentor, The Scots College Indigenous Education Bursary Program, 2013-2021.
Sydney High School Foundation
- Director of Development, 2018.
- Founder and Co-editor, Community Magazine, since 2018.
- Appeals Co-ordinator, since 2019.
- Volunteer, since 2019.
- Volunteer, Bursary Program , 2019.
Community
- Committee Member, Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation, 2020-2022.
- Senior Mentor, Executive Women's Program, The University of Sydney, since 2016.
- Coordinator, Viral Kindness Eastern Suburbs Group, 2020.
- Committee Member, Pandaid, 2020.
- Former Volunteer, various organisations including Business Chicks, Women in Business and Future Women.
- Former Fundraiser, White Ribbon and Domestic Violence New South Wales.
- Strategist, Cooper Rice Brading Foundation launch, 2018.
Professional
- Chief Executive Officer, Australian College of Perioperative Nurses, since 2023.
- Chief Executive Officer, Together for Humanity Foundation, since 2022.
- Chief Executive Officer, Australian Vision Research (formerly Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia), 2020-2022.
- Chief Executive Officer, BreastSurgANZ, 2014-2017.
- Director, Tysat Consulting, Telstra Management Project, 2010-2014.
- Founding Director, Frontline Selling Australia, 2008-2010.
- Director, Education and Training Director, IBK Asia Pacific, 1999-2007.
- Teacher, various schools, New South Wales Department of Education, 1989-2014.
Author
- Co-Author, Carried in Our Hearts,2013.
- A comprehensive guide to adoption for educators, 2010.
- Teachers' knowledge of the Law (MPhil), School of Policy and Practice, The University of Sydney, 2003.
