The President FRANCA ARENA A.M.
Franca Arena was born in Genoa - Italy. She immigrated to Australia in 1959.
She worked as a journalist with the Italian newspaper La Fiamma and as a producer/broadcaster in Italian with stations 2SM, 2CH and 2KY.
She became active in Ethnic Affairs and Women's Affairs and was appointed to several Federal and State Government Advisory bodies.
She was one of the founders of the Ethnic Communities Council of New South Wales and of S.B.S. (Special Broadcasting Services)
In 1977 she won a Churchill Fellowship to study overseas the integration of minority groups into the host society.
In 1981 she received an Order of Australia for her services to the ethnic communities. In 1990 she received l'Onorificenza di Commendatore della Repubblica Italiana (Knight Commander of the Italian Republic) from the Italian Government.
In 1981 she was elected to the New South Wales Parliament, the first woman of ethnic (Italian) background ever to be elected to an Australia Parliament.