Board member profiles
GIULIANA BAGGOLEY Appointed August 2011
Giuliana Baggoley is an optometrist in clinical
practice and is also employed as clinical policy
adviser for Optometrists Association
Australia.
Giuliana has previously served on the Optometrist
Association of Australia Boards and she is
currently involved with her local P&C
Association.
The majority of her professional life has been
spent in rural and regional Australia and she now
lives in Canberra where she is married with two
young children.
Giuliana’s interests include health, and following
media and the arts.
Giuliana thrives on community involvement. “I am
interested in people’s stories and I value how
different experiences and lifestyles enrich a
community.”
JACK MANNING BANCROFT Appointed August 2011
At 19 years of age and in the third year of his
media and communications degree, Jack founded the
Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME),
partnering 25 Indigenous and non-Indigenous
university student volunteer mentors with 25
Indigenous students from Alexandria Park Community
School in a pilot program.
Jack has since become the CEO of AIME and in 2011
the program now operates out of 10 universities
across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
Heading up a group of 35 full-time staff, Jack and
the team are currently working with close to 1000
university student volunteers who will mentor over
1000 Indigenous high school students in 2011. The
program is currently increasing the Indigenous
rates of school completion and university admission
across the East Coast of Australia – to the point
where some of our sites are already exceeding local
and national averages.
At 26 years of age Jack's vision is to see
Indigenous high school students finishing school
and entering universities at the same rate as their
fellow Australians.
Jack was the 2010 NSW Young Australian of The Year,
and has recently been awarded the Young
People’s Australian Human Rights Medal. Jack and
was also the University of Sydney’s 2010 Young
Alumni of the Year.
SIBYLLA BUDD Appointed August 2006
Sibylla Budd grew up in
Canberra and moved to Melbourne to study acting at
the Victorian College of the Arts, where she
graduated with a degree in dramatic art.
Since then, Sibylla has shot to prominence with her role in the Australian drama, The Secret Life of Us, and Australian feature film The Bank. Her other television work has included roles in The Farm, All Saints, Something In The Air, Kath and Kim, Sea Patrol and Canal Road.
Sibylla's film credits include September, The Bank, The Book of Revelation and The Bet, for which she was nominated for an AFI award for best supporting actress in 2007. Sibylla has also worked solidly in theatre with the Melbourne Theatre Company, Company B (Belvoir street theatre), The Griffin and Newtheatricals.
MARIA COSMIDIS Appointed August 2011
Maria Cosmidis is currently employed by the AFL as
a Multicultural Programs Manager, and has a long
history of working in the field of multicultural
affairs, being the current Chairperson of the Metro
Migrant Resource Centre and sitting on that board
for over 10 years.
Maria is currently undertaking her Masters of
Management as part of a scholarship with the
Australian Sports Commission’s “Sports Leadership
Grants and Scholarships for Women”. She is also a
member of the “Next Generation of Corporate
Leaders” program initiated by Women on Boards and
UBS Investment Bank.
She is also one of the producers of a movie review
show on a local Sydney radio station and enjoys
heated debate amongst co-reviewers on the latest
film releases.
A passionate sport participant and fan, Maria
enjoys watching and playing sport and spending time
with her young daughter. Being of Greek heritage,
Maria and her family travel to Greece
regularly.
BARBARA DAVID Appointed August 2008
Barbara David has broad
experience with both young and mature-age
Australians. Her career has included time spent as
a high school music teacher as well as a lecturer
and researcher in social and child psychology at
the Australian National University.
Barbara has retired from lecturing and is currently
reliving the student experience, undertaking a TAFE
Diploma in Visual Arts. She was awarded Arts and
Media Student of the Year in 2007.
Barbara's passion for informed investigation of
social issues continues in her ongoing supervision
of PhD students. Their research covers topics such
as the role of modeling (imitation) in children's
gendered behaviour, and the part played by
perceptions of capability in the perpetuation of
inequality in the workplace.
KHOA DO Appointed August 2006
Khoa Do was born in
Vietnam and came to Australia as a refugee when he
was two years old. Khoa began working in the
performing arts in the late 1990s, developing and
producing a number of shows and films. He is now a
film director in his own right, having achieved
significant success in his short career.
Khoa's most recent works include Footy Legends in
2006, starring Anh Do, Angus Sampson and Claudia
Karvan. His first feature film, The Finished
People, was a gritty and realistic story about
at-risk adolescents on the edge of survival. The
film won international acclaim and was nominated
for an Australian Film Industry Award for Best
Direction, and Film Critics Circle of Australia
Awards for Best Film and Best Director. It won the
Independent Film Independent Spirit Award in
2003.
Khoa has also worked as a volunteer with Open
Family Australia at Cabramatta in Sydney, assisting
at-risk youths. He was awarded Bankstown City's
Young Citizen of the Year Award in 2002.
Khoa was named Young Australian of the Year in
2005.
KAREN HAYNES Appointed August 2011
Karen is from Brisbane and since 2008 she has been
a Queensland Baptist Pastor, ministering at
North-East Baptist Church in Nundah. Her
ministry primarily focuses on teenagers and young
adults. She also works for Australian
Baptist's Cross-Cultural Agency, Global
Interaction.
Karen’s current role includes leading a team
of people who provide a worship service, various
programs and individual care to people aged 11 to
30.
As a Youth Ministry Facilitator for Queensland
Baptist Youth, Karen connected Youth Pastors, ran
events and was also on the management committee of
the National Youth Ministry Convention in 2009.
Karen became reacquainted with the challenges
facing teenagers while working as an Indigenous
Learning Support Officer during 2007, where she
tutored young people in Maths and English.
Karen has worked with young people and their
families since she was teenager. She began her
working career in administration and business
roles, after completing a Bachelor of Business, but
then changed direction and completed a Master of
Divinity (Pastoral Studies) through Malyon
College a member of the Australian
College of Theology.
Between 2005-2008, Karen’s involvement with the
community included being a Youth Leader with a
Baptist Church, administration and director
roles on a Scripture Union’s camp, and
member of two chaplaincy committees. Since 2007,
Karen has also been involved as treasurer of the
Malyon College Student Association and Student
Representative to the Malyon College Council. She
currently chairs a Chaplaincy
Committee.
In 2010 Karen took on the role of Group Facilitator
at the Queensland Student Leadership Forum on Faith
and Values and is currently a Committee Member of a
finance sub-committee of Queensland Baptists.
NATHAN HINDMARSH Appointed August 2011
Nathan Hindmarsh is considered one of Australian
rugby league’s great forwards. He captains
the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League
and has played his entire career to date at the
Eels. In 2010 he became the most-capped Eel in the
history of the Club, having played more than 265
games for Parramatta.
Nathan is also a New South Wales State of Origin
and Australian international representative
second-row forward. He is the first player to make
10,000 tackles in the NRL and is current co-holder
of the world record for the most tackles made in a
single game, making 75 tackles against the
Melbourne Storm in round 23 of the 2007
season.
Nathan five times, consecutively, received the
Provan Summons award (most popular player in rugby
league) and has also been named ‘Women’s favourite
Son’ at the annual Women in League awards for the
past three years.
He was also the 2009 recipient of the Ken Stephens
medal for outstanding services to charity. His
dedication to community programs such as Can
Assist, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Hope
Rwanda, The Nathan Hindmarsh Cup and his ongoing
work with numerous One Community programs secured
him the medal.
Nathan grew up in country New South Wales. He is
married to Bonnie and they have three boys -
Archie, Buster and Rowdy - all under 6 years old.
SOPHIE KOWALD Appointed August 2006
Sophie is undertaking
a Master of Laws at the University of Melbourne and
works at the Australian Communications and Media
Authority.
Previously Sophie worked as a research fellow at
the Centre for Media and Communications Law at the
University of Melbourne where she researched a
paper on the control of cross-border tobacco
advertising, promotion and sponsorship in a joint
project with the VicHealth Centre for Tobacco
Control. Sophie has also worked as a judicial
associate in the Federal Magistrates Court of
Australia and as a casual academic in law and media
studies at four universities.
For many years Sophie has been a singer in choirs
including The Australian Voices, Canticum, The
Melbourne Chorale and most recently, the Sydney
Philharmonia choirs. In this capacity, Sophie has
participated in a number of festivals, concerts and
educational workshops with children living in
metropolitan and regional Australia.
Born in Canberra, Sophie was raised in Brisbane,
recently enjoyed three years in Melbourne and now
lives in Sydney.
JOHN LEE Appointed August 2006
John Lee is Chief Executive of the Tourism &
Transport Forum (TTF) the peak body for the
tourism, transport and aviation sectors. John’s
career to date has spanned a range of industries,
including public transport, major events and
tourism.
John's previous roles include Director General of
the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet,
Department of Commerce, CEO of the NSW State
Transit Authority, Director-General of Transport
(NSW) and Head of Communications and Marketing at
CityRail.
John has spent most of his life based in western
Sydney where he has been involved in numerous
community and charity projects.
John is married and his family includes two
daughters and a son.
JANEMAREE MAHER Appointed August 2008
Associate Professor JaneMaree Maher is Director of
the Centre for Women’s Studies and Gender Research,
in the School of Political and Social Inquiry, at
Monash University in Melbourne. She has degrees in
Law and Arts (Hons) from the University of
Melbourne (1991) and gained her PhD in 1999 from La
Trobe University.
JaneMaree’s research focuses on birthing,
pregnancy, women, family life and work. She
currently involved in research focused on how
families manage working and caring. She teaches in
the areas of media and popular culture, and gender,
culture and power.
JaneMaree has experience as a board member in
girls’ education and recently participated in the
Victorian Government Centenary of Suffrage
Reference Group, celebrating women’s right to
vote.
She has three teenage daughters who share her
passion for the Essendon Football Club.
PAULA McNAMARA Appointed August 2008
Growing up with
parents in the hospitality industry, Paula made her
first coffee at 15 and has worked in a variety of
restaurants and cafes in Melbourne, London and
Sydney. Preferring to work in cafes Paula loves the
sense of community and familiarity that builds up
over time between the regular customers and staff.
'In a big city that can be quite anonymous, cafes
can be a small haven.'
Paula is also involved in her daughter's school
community and sports club, which keeps her involved
in the community as well as busy while she isn't
studying.
Paula is completing her Arts Degree at Sydney
University, majoring in English Literature and has
a strong interest in theatre, film and television.
'Time constraints have made television my main form
of entertainment and I love documentaries,
particularly stories about real people and the
challenges life throws our way.'
NIGEL MILAN, AM Appointed August 2011
Most of Nigel’s
career has been in television and broadcasting, in
both the public and private sectors, in Australia
and New Zealand. He has also held numerous
non-executive directorships in not for profit
organisations. He was a member of the board of the
Fred Hollows Foundation from 1997 – 2007 and was
Chair from 2002.
He was National Chief Executive Officer of the
Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) from October
2006 until October 2010. He is currently CEO of the
Livestock Health and Pest Authority based in
Orange NSW.
He was Managing Director of the Special
Broadcasting Service (SBS) from 1998 until 2006.
Under his tenure, SBS’s television and radio
audiences grew significantly as did the quantity
and quality of Australian (including indigenous)
produced programs on the network.
In Australia, he had a successful commercial radio
career in CEO and leadership roles in the
Macquarie, Bond Radio and ARN networks. He was
Chief Executive Officer of Radio New Zealand from
1991-1995.
Nigel and his wife Judi own a small cattle farm in
the Southern Highlands of NSW. His daughter Lucy is
a teaching musician and singer, she lives in
London.
JAIME PHILLIPS Appointed August 2011
Jaime Phillips’ career has taken her to regional
and remote communities across Western Australia.
Working in the private sector, Jaime develops
community strategies for large resource and
infrastructure projects. As a director of Palea
Project Associates, Jaime moves between corporate
offices, construction sites, mines and remote
towns. She is inspired by projects that
create jobs, address disadvantage and capture the
imagination of local and Indigenous people in the
regions.
Jaime has an honours degree in History and English
from the University of Western Australia and is
involved in Perth’s creative sector. She volunteers
on urban design and art groups and is fascinated by
plans to revitalise the cityscape of
Perth.
Jaime has served on the National Advisory Council
of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the
Advisory Committee of the Western Australian
Maritime Museum.
PETER PHILLIPS Appointed August 2011
Peter grew up in Frankston and now lives with his
wife and two young sons, Will and Tom, in
Melbourne.
Following university, Peter worked in Canberra as
an economist with the Commonwealth Treasury, and
has maintained an interest in economics and
regulatory policy since then. Peter is the
director of a small regulatory and governance
consultancy, specialising environmental and
regulatory frameworks.
Peter has a Bachelor of Economics (Hons), Master of
Applied Finance and Master of Regulatory Studies,
and is currently working on a regulatory history of
Victoria for his PhD. He has a keen interest
in Australian history and is in receipt of a
research grant to write a history of Australia in
the First World War.
Peter is involved in a number of small community
groups, including his sons’ cub group, football
team, and various church committees. Peter
also serves as a Bails Justice and Justice of the
Peace.
GRAHAM RIXON Appointed August 2008
Graham Rixon is currently engaged in part-time
educational consultancy work particularly in the
areas of school registration, middle schooling,
technology in education, strategic planning and
executive coaching.
He stepped down as Principal of Penrhos College a
Uniting Church School, Perth, Western Australia at
the end of 2007 - a position he held since
September 1986.
Graham is a passionate educator and has worked on a
number of state and national committees aiming to
improve the quality of education in both government
and non-government schools. He is currently an
Educational Consultant for the Western Australian
Department of Educational Services.
Graham is the Chairman of the Amanda Young
Meningococcal Septicemia Foundation - a non-profit
organisation working in the area of community
awareness, survivor and carer support and
offering grants for research to develop a
Meningococcal Type B vaccine.
Graham grew up in Melbourne where, along with his
career in education, he was active with Lifeline
and his local Uniting Church. He moved to Perth in
1986 with his wife, Meredith and two children.
Graham and Meredith share interests in travel,
reading, cycling and kayaking.
NATASHA STOTT DESPOJA, AM Appointed August 2008
Natasha Stott Despoja is a former Senator for
South Australia (1995-2008) and former Leader of
the Australian Democrats.
Natasha has made a significant contribution to a
wide range of policy debates. She was a
spokesperson on portfolios including foreign
affairs, higher education, science and
biotechnology, Attorney-General's, privacy, women,
work and family.
Natasha is an Honorary Visiting Research Fellow at
The University of Adelaide and is a columnist for
The Advertiser.
She is also a Director of beyondblue, the Burnet
Institute and the South Australian Museum. She is a
member of the Advisory Committee of the Museum of
Australian Democracy and The University of
Adelaide's Alumni Advisory Committee.
Natasha lives in Adelaide with husband Ian and
their children Conrad and Cordelia.
JOSEPHINE TIDDY Appointed August 2006
Dr Josephine Tiddy is
the Managing Director of JTCT Consultants
specialising in dispute resolution and
organisational wellness. She provides strategic,
legislative and policy advice to organisations in
all sectors and investigates, mediates and resolves
disputes.
She has worked with people since her early years as
a nurse, which was followed by the establishment
and management of the first Australian Nurse
Counselling Service at the South Australian Women’s
and Children’s Hospital.
As Commissioner for Equal Opportunity, Josephine
managed and promoted controversial and complex
legislative and social changes throughout South
Australia and nationally - changes which have been
accepted as common practice and integrated into the
Australian community. She held the post for 16
years, making her Australia’s longest serving Equal
Opportunity Commissioner.
An expert in discrimination law, she has an in
depth knowledge of the disadvantages people
experience and the services they require. Josephine
has written widely on equality, fair treatment and
discrimination. Her book, It’s Just Not Fair,
describes the personal stories of Australians,
supported by the law, who confronted and changed
the way our society thinks, works and lives. She
was awarded an honorary doctorate by The Flinders
University of South Australia in recognition of her
national contribution to administrative law, public
policy, dispute resolution and legislative
reform.
Josephine is actively involved with the community.
She is a Justice of the Peace, a member of The
Rotary Club of Adelaide and a Fellow of the
Australian Institute of Company Directors and
serves on various boards and statutory committees.
CRAIG WHITE Appointed August 2008
Craig has served as a
Queensland police officer for almost 20
years.
He has been awarded both the National Service Medal
for 15 years Police Service and the Queensland
Police Service Medal for good conduct.
Craig has served throughout Queensland including 10
years working in remote communities in Far Northern
and Central Western Queensland. During that time he
was involved in implementing a number of publicly
funded projects aimed at reducing substance abuse
and domestic violence.
As well as being a serving member on numerous
boards and committees, Craig is currently involved
in a number of community organisations. He holds a
Masters Degree in Business, Graduate Diploma in
Human Resources and a Diploma in Public Safety
(Policing).
Craig is married and has three children and enjoys
spending spare time with his family.
PETER WILLIAMS Appointed August 2011
Peter Williams is a Fellow of the Dietitians
Association of Australia and a Visiting Principal
Fellow at the University of Wollongong, where he
was previously Associate Professor of Nutrition and
Dietetics.
Before working at the University of Wollongong,
Peter was the Director of Scientific and Consumer
Affairs at Kellogg for three years, and previously
worked as the Chief Dietitian and Food Services
Manager at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in
Sydney.
Peter has been an active researcher in nutrition in
Australia, with over 100 peer reviewed
publications. He has served on National Health and
Medical Research Council working parties for the
review of Dietary Guidelines for Australia and the
review of Nutrient Reference Values, and is a
member of the steering committee for the Heart
Foundation's Pick the Tick program. He has also
conducted consultancy projects with the NSW
Department of Health to help develop Nutrition
Standards for Adult Hospital Inpatients.
Peter is among those selected to be on the Federal
Government’s The National Food Policy Working Group
which includes representatives from supermarkets
chains, farmers, service providers and leading
scientists. From 2005-2011 Peter was a
member of the Board of Food Standards Australia New
Zealand and now serves on the the Therapeutic
Goods Authority's Advisory Committee on
Complementary Medicines (ACCM).
In his spare time Peter enjoys cycling, bushwalking
and yoga.