Board of Directors

Andrew Barchinski Vice Chair UTS Liaison

Bachelor of Social Studies (University of Sydney) 1980; Master of Arts in Psychology (University ofSydney) 1984. Active member in Plast since 1967. Received 'Order of the Eternal Flamel for community service from Plast World Conference (New York City, 2013). Teacher in NSW Ukrainian school system 1978-80. Founder and first President (1978-80) of Ukrainian Student's Association at University of Sydney. Founding member (1984) and current President of Ukrainian Welfare Association Inc. Public service career since 1980 in a range of professional and managerial roles eg social worker, quality assurance auditor and manager of the Australian government’s Disability Services’ Complaints Unit. Also held a judicial role as member of the NSW Guardianship Tribunal from 2000 to 2010. Long-time supporter of a number of social justice initiatives and organisations such as Amnesty International. Ceased full-time employment in 2012. Currently undertaking further study in an allied health qualification.

Odarka Brecko PR and Media

Retired teacher, Teacher & Principal St Andrews Ukrainian School (50yrs), Parish Council St Andrew’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish, Deputy Chair Ukrainian Education Council Australia, Vice President Ukrainian Women’s Association Australia, President NSW Ukrainian Women’s Association Australia, Board member Karpaty Foundation, Board member Ukrainian Youth Association Australia. Actively working in a volunteer capacity as a mentor and trainer for young people (children and youth), in the community to ensure that they become good citizens of Australia and contributors to the Ukrainian and mainstream communities, active in ensuring that the women in the community maintain an active voice and role in its further development and enhancement with a strong commitment to education and the transmission of Ukrainian language and culture. Appointed to Board 8th December 2019.

Igor Hawryszkiewycz Strategic Committee, Academic Committee

Completed PhD studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Computer Science with a minor in Management in US; Master of Engineering and Bachelor of Electrical Engineering with honours at the University of Adelaide. His career began as an engineer at the PMG (now Telstra) in planning telephone networks, later as a research engineer in developing digital networks and managing a small computer centre. Subsequent to this, he became a Senior Analyst in Telecom in the planning of large computer network between Sydney and Melbourne focusing on database and telecommunication networks. In 1986 he joined what is now Canberra University in Canberra as a Head of Discipline in Information Systems to develop new courses for training computer professionals for the New South Wales Institute of Technology (now University of Technology, Sydney) as Head of Department of Systems, Management and Leadership. In those roles he developed courses in Computer Sciences while himself carrying out research and teaching in various areas of computing science and information systems. He has published 6 books, a number being translated into German, Spanish and the latest in Japanese. He has over 250 publications and has been invited as a visiting Professor in a number of institutions that included University of Vienna, GMD in Germany and University of Tilburg in the Netherlands among others.

Maria Havryliv-Mychno Chair Strategic Committee, Academic Committee, Grievance Committee

Masters of Education, Graduate Diploma in Religious Education, Diploma in Teaching, Certificates in leadership, behaviour management, diverse learners and ESL. In Maria's career as a primary school teacher, Maria held several school leadership positions mainly within Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) as Religious Education Coordinator, Deputy Principal and Principal across several schools and was a Literacy Education Officer. Being an active member of the Ukrainian Community Maria has taught at Ukrainian schools in Canberra and Sydney, was church treasurer (Canberra), a member of Plast, chorister - church and local Ukrainian choirs in Queanbeyan, Canberra and Sydney, weekly Ukrainian radio announcer in Canberra and Sydney. Currently, Maria is Secretary for for the Ukrainian Women’s Association NSW branch and a committee member of the Ukrainian Women’s Association Australia and member of the Parish Council of St Andrew’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lidcombe.. She was appointed a FUSA Director on 18 March 2016.

Lesia Holubko Finance Committee

Fellow Institute of Public Accountants – Financial Accountant 25+years, retired. BA (behavioural Sciences) Macquarie University 1981; Diploma of Languages (Ukrainian) Macquarie University 2006; Certificate IV Community Services; Certificate IV Bowen Therapy; Private Manager, NSW Trustee & Guardian since 2008. Treasurer: Veselka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Sydney since 2003. Travels regularly to Ukraine and provides Bowen therapy services on a voluntary basis in Lviv oblast at Drohobych & Boryslav Departments of Social Services. Parishioner St Andrews Ukrainian Catholic Church, Lidcombe & Roman Catholic Parish of Lower North Shore, Northbridge. Director Ukrainian Studies Foundation since 2018.

Slawka Hoshowski Secretary, PR and Media

Retired secondary school teacher. B.A. (1971) Dip.Ed. (1972) UNSW. Taught Fairfield Boys’ HS, Ryde HS, Kingswood HS, Beverly Hills GHS. Member of Ukrainian Youth Association Plast. Member Boyan junior choir, Boyan Choir, Volodymyr Ivasiuk Choir, Sutsvittya Women’s Ensemble. Teacher at St Andrew’s Ukrainian School since 2011, appointed as a USFA Board member in 2014.. Board member Ukrainian Welfare Association Including voluntary work Ukrainian parcel service.

Myron Iwanczuk Treasurer, Finance Committee

Bachelor of Business Studies (Accountancy Major, Economics sub major) UTS 1981, CPA, CFTP (Snr) with over 30 years’ experience in various finance roles and as a Treasurer working within both the public and private sectors. Treasurer, Plast Ukrainian Youth Association of NSW (1996-1998), (2001-present), and former Treasurer, Plast Federal Executive. Appointed Director of USFA September 2018.

Jurij Suchowerskyj Library

Retired. Active member of the Ukrainian Community. Former member of a number of Ukrainian community committees. Member of Ukrainian Scouts movement Plast, serving several terms as State and Federal head of the Organisation. Director of Ukrainian Studies Foundation in Australia Ltd 1995-2004. Chairman 2002-2004. Re-appointed Director of USFA 20 December 2008. Chairman 2017-2023.

Olga Boichak Academic Committee

Dr Olga Boichak is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Cultures and the Director of the Computational Social Science Lab in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Sydney University. She is a sociologist researching the role of information and communication technologies in shaping public perception and outcomes of wars. She is the author of over 30 research articles that lay the groundwork for new directions in the studies of peace and conflict, particularly in the areas of participatory war, influence operations, digital humanitarianism, and open-source intelligence.