For a man with a resumé as long as his beloved home town’s main street, Dale Denham has managed to keep a pretty low profile — up until recently.
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The decade-long Kyabram District Health Service board member, vice-chair of Community Bank Kyabram & District, long-time Kyabram P-12 council member and recent addition to the Kyabram Parkland Golf Club board, has now been forced into the limelight with the honour of becoming a Kyabram District Health Service life governor.
It follows his 2020 crowning as not only Kyabram’s Citizen of the Year, but also the winner of the award on a shire-wide level — recognising an outstanding list of achievements which, if he were a financial institution, would have him very much on the positive side of the ledger.
Mr Denham, speaking to the Free Press under a little duress, said receiving the life governorship was a very humbling experience.
He was bestowed the honour by Jean Courtney and Marg Chalker, two of only 10 living health service life governors.
There have only been 26 life governors named by the health service in its history. Ms Courtney, Maureen Aitkens and Judy Greer were the last people recognised with the honour by an institution which has been serving Kyabram since 1933.
“Jean and Marg are both life governors and Jean was a mentor for me when I first started,” Mr Denham said.
“She guided me through those initial stages of involvement with the health service and I’ve also worked with Marg in her role as the president of the KDHS auxiliary.
“The auxiliary has been among the most valuable contributors to KDHS over many years.”
He only ended his association with the service earlier this year due to legislation preventing him from serving any more than the 10 years on the board.
“KDHS is a great organisation — from the current board to our CEO Anne McEvoy, who is a great leader, to the executive directors, the staff, VMOs, volunteers and wider, who have made unbelievable contributions,” Mr Denham said.
“I would also like to thank Chris (Motton) and the current board of directors for the acknowledgement, and past directors as well.”
If not for a review by the state government in 2015, which limited board directors to nine years’ service, the life governorship may have included even more achievements.
“I got a 10th year (and a bit) from the Victorian health department due to special circumstances,” Mr Denham said.
He was typically humble in his acceptance of the award, heaping praise on professional partners and acknowledging family support in the process.
In a rare moment of expanding on his own life, he thanked his wife Suzie, along with children Nicholas, Stephanie and Sophie.
“They have always supported me, despite the amount of time I spend at all the board and committee meetings,” he said.
KDHS board chair Chris Motton said Dale’s 10-year tenure had been filled with leadership, selflessness and dedication.
“His leadership helped KDHS to solidify working relationships with Loddon Mallee Health Network and the Hume Health Service Partnership, propelling regional healthcare initiatives,” Mr Motton said.
“He was involved in many pivotal capital projects that have re-shaped the health service and significantly enhanced healthcare delivery for the community.
“Beyond this impressive list of accomplishments lies a person deeply connected to our community.”
He said Mr Denham’s efforts to improve Aboriginal health outcomes, maintain community focus and nurture strong community bonds had left an enduring legacy of collaboration and inclusivity.
“He may be reluctant with speeches, but his actions speak volumes,” Mr Motton said.
Mr Denham’s involvement with KDHS came after a “tap on the shoulder” from former KDHS board chair Mike Sweeney.
“He thought I could contribute something to the board, and with KDHS being one of the biggest organisations (including employers) in the district, I thought I may be able to make a small contribution,” he said.
Mr Denham’s family members are lifelong Kyabramites and as close knit as they come. He and his wife have run building design company Denham Design for 23 years, son Nicholas is a construction project manager in Melbourne, Stephanie is a nurse at Geelong, where she lives with her sons Archie and Kai, and Sophie is studying law and working in Kyabram.
Mr Denham said while he was stepping away from board duties, he would still be involved as a community member of the KDHS Board Community and Cultural Governance Sub-Committee and relevant project control groups.
Seven of the current nine board members have started in the past three years and he said it was important to have fresh faces in the director’s roles.
“It is always good to have new directors bringing new skills and diversity to the board,” Mr Denham said.
He said the most rewarding part of his involvement with the health service was being able to contribute to the Kyabram and district community, describing it as a “great town”.
For the record, however, the health service involvement was only really the icing on a cake which is far from finished.
Mr Denham was a Haslem St Primary School councillor from 2001-08, president for five of those years, and went on to become a P-12 school council member, serving again as president for three terms.
He retains a position as a community member on the college council, stepping away from the more demanding roles after his daughter finished her secondary school education.
His expertise has not been solely confined to the community space. He was a board member of the Kyabram Football Netball Club in 2009-10 and had a long association with the Kyabram Lawn Tennis Club.
He has also become a member of the Kyabram Parkland Golf Club management group, making a significant professional contribution to the completion of the recent clubhouse re-development, and has served on the Kyabram Development Committee for a decade.
In his time with KDHS, his achievements include being board director from February 2013 to June 2023; a member of community and cultural governance committee 2013-23 (chair 2018-20); member of corporate governance committee 2018-2023; chair of leadership committee 2020-2022; member of credentialing committee 2020-22; chair of board of directors from April 2020 to February 2023; vice-chair of Board of Directors from February to June 2023; and member of Loddon Mallee and Hume region board chairs committees from April 2020 to February 2023.
He has also served in an expanded role as a committee member for Tongala Health Community Voices and for eight years as a Stanhope Health Community Committee member.
Another of his great passions saw him part of the Kyabram Community Bank Steering Committee and serve the financial institution for 10 years.
He has had two stints as vice-chair, a position he holds at the moment, and is regularly seen in the back stalls when the organisation makes its various contributions to assist community events.
While he will be squirming in his seat reading of his achievements, it is certainly worth taking the time to acknowledge what has, so far, been an outstanding contribution to the community.
And, no doubt, there is more to come. Stay tuned.
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