Sisay Dinku is expected to play a key role in promoting engagement and cohesion across migrant groups in Victoria, especially among African communities.
Standing with the Victorian Multicultural Affairs Minister, Robin Scott, Mr Dinku shakes hands and greets dignitaries like old friends.
It's the launch of a new state government initiative, a truck offering members of the public a virtual reality experience, designed to promote cultural understanding.
It's one of Mr Dinku's first official functions as a Victorian Multicultural Commissioner, but the Ethiopian-born migrant has long been an advocate for the state's various African communities.
Victorian Multicultural Commission Chair Helen Kapalos says Mr Dinku's appointment forges an essential link with the communities.
"It's an important community, they do need our help. That community intelligence and seeing that leadership back in the community is an incredibly potent symbol for them."
And it couldn't come at a more important time, with the state's African communities - in particular Sudanese-born communities - experiencing unprecedented levels of negative media attention.
The 2015 census shows Sudanese-born citizens make up just 0.11 per cent of Victoria's population.
But Victorian Crime Statistics report the group is over-represented in its figures in the same year, suggesting they're responsible for 5.65 per cent of car thefts, 7.44 per cent of home invasions and 13.9 per cent of aggravated robberies.
Sisay Dinku says more support is needed for integration and settlement programs.
"There's a lack of understanding, a lack of awareness of the rule of law, especially with young kids engaging with the justice system that will happen. But in terms of the majority of African communities, they are law-abiding."
He says addressing negative perceptions of African-Australians is a major first step in his battle to promote social cohesion.
Chairman of the African Think Tank, Dr Berhan Ahmed, says a lot of misconception about Australia's African-born communities comes down to cultural differences.
"We come from a communal society. And as a communal society we go as friends and brothers, in groups. But in a western system, going in groups is gangs. Yes, crime is crime, and I'm not saying crime is not bad, but to label them that way is to fail them."
Sisay Dinku sees his role as not just a conduit for the community, but to also come up with new ways to promote social cohesion with the wider Australian community.
Mr Dinku says a whole-of-community approach is the best way to achieve integration.
"Not only focusing on African communities, working across the spectrum of all society, between African communities, between Vietnamese communities, between Chinese community."
As part of his role, Mr Dinku will be representing the interests of these communities to the government.
But Dr Berhan Ahmed says this commissioner's appointment also provides youths in the African-born communities with a role model to look up to.
"This is a step in the right direction, that our kids will be inspired to dream big and see that the future is brighter because they can get into parliament, they can get into government."
