Yehudi Blacher has over 30 years experience in a variety of Victorian Government departments. His work involved major system and program reforms, including the restructuring of local government, reforms to child and family services, and strategic and land-use planning.

From 2002 until Yehudi’s retirement from the Victorian Public Service in 2011, he was Secretary of the Department of Planning and Community Development (previously the Department for Victorian Communities). Prior to that role, he held a number of Deputy Secretary roles including Deputy Secretary in the Departments of Premier and Cabinet and Human Services and, from 1991 to 1996,  Director of the Victorian Office of Local Government.

Following his public service career, Yehudi has served on a wide range of boards and committees. He was Deputy Chancellor on the Monash University Council between 2014 and 2019. He was Chair and Deputy Chair, VicTrak Pty Ltd 2012-2018, Chair, Commercial Passenger Vehicle Victoria (formerly the Victorian Taxi Commission) 2016-18 and Chair Port of Hastings Development Authority 2012-15. From 2011 to 2013 he was Deputy President of the Institute of Public Administration Australia.

During this period, he has also been appointed by the Victorian Government to provide independent governance advice to local government. Yehudi served as Municipal Monitor for Yarra City Council in 2021-22 and the City of Whittlesea in 2019-20. He is a member of Victoria’s Local Government Arbiter Panel.

Yehudi’s work has been widely recognised. Yehudi received the Public Service Medal in 2012, was made a National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia in 2014, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Monash University in 2022. He was also a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne between 2012 and 2022.