Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Group

Honorary Associate Professor Carmen Parter (Co-Chair)

Honorary Associate Professor Carmen Parter, Macquarie University, is appointed as a member with expertise in health. She was appointed on 15 July 2022. She is a former Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife with extensive experience in the health industry working as a woman’s health practitioner, educator, health services researcher, policy maker, manager of project teams and senior executive leader.

She is a researcher and author presently working at the University of Queensland Poche Centre for Indigenous Health (part-time) who was awarded an international award in recognition of her scholarship working with community.

Carmen was the inaugural Co-chair of the Indigenous Working Group of the World Federation of Public Health Association, a member of the Lowitja Institute member community, Fellow of the CATSINaM and an ambassador for the MK Study. She is presently setting up a foundation to invest in community to help solve ‘wicked’ issues that apply system change inquiry methods.

Karl Briscoe (Co-Chair)

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP)

Karl Briscoe is a proud Kuku Yalanji man from Mossman – Daintree area of Far North Queensland and has worked for over 20 years in the health sector at various levels of government and non-government including local, state and national levels which has enabled him to form a vast strategic network across Australia.

Karl has taken up the position as the Chief Executive Officer of NAATSIHWP to progress and represent the invested interests of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners.

Previous to NAATSIHWP Karl was the Clinical Services Manager at the Galambila Aboriginal Health Service in Coffs Harbour. He has a vast array of experience at Senior Executive levels including previous positions as the Executive Director of Indigenous Health and Outreach Services in Cape York and Torres Strait Hospital and Health Service, which provided the skills and knowledge to coordinate strategic intent to address the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Karl commenced his career in health when he completed an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker traineeship with Queensland Health in Mossman Community Health where he progressed to the Senior Health Worker role, Principal Policy along with Partnership Management positions. He completed the Primary Health Care training up to the Advanced Diploma and then went on to complete a Masters of Public Health, Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management, Diploma in Practice Management, MURRA Indigenous Business Master Class Program and is currently enrolled in the Masters of Indigenous Business Leadership.

Karl’s vision for his people is to see dramatic improvement in the premature mortality rates of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, not only in communities but the entire nation, ensuring the life expectancy rates of our people are equivalent or better than that of non-Indigenous Australians.

Kym Ayscough

Executive Director of Regulatory Operations, Australian health practitioner regulation agency (Ahpra)

Ms Kym Ayscough is Executive Director, Regulatory Operations leading Ahpra's teams delivering the core regulatory functions of registration, notifications and compliance. Ahpra's National Legal Practice, led by General Counsel Jamie Orchard, is also part of the Regulatory Operations directorate.

Kym has been with Ahpra since the commencement of the national scheme in 2010, taking up the newly created role of Executive Director in 2014. She has 25 years’ experience in professional and occupational regulation in the legal, pharmacy and wider healthcare sectors. Kym was elected to the Board of Directors of the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR) in 2016, serving as its President in 2019/2020. She was re-elected in 2021 and in this role provides leadership to the community of regulators internationally.

Kym holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and Masters of Law and Management and has completed (and occasionally taught in) the CLEAR Executive Leadership for Regulators program.

Melissa Browning

Program Manager, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Unit, Ahpra

Melissa Browning is a Coodjingburra, Bundjalung, Kullilli and Kombumerri woman and the Program Manager within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Unit. She has a Bachelor of Management (Community) and has worked in the public health sector with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for 20 years in coordination, policy development and cultural safety education. She  joined Ahpra in August 2023 and supports the implementation of the National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy 2020-2025.

Dr Ali Drummond

CEO, Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives

Dr Ali Drummond is CATSINaM's Chief Executive Officer. He previously worked in the role of Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology.

A Meriam le and Wuthathi man, Mr Drummond is a Muliyan Founding member. Mr Drummond's extensive experience and achievements are detailed via his ORCID profile and LinkedIn profile.

Mark Edwards

Executive Director, People and Culture, Ahpra

Mark Edwards joined Ahpra in September 2018 as the Executive Director, People and Culture.

Prior to joining Ahpra, Mark worked within the transport and infrastructure industry in NSW holding senior HR leadership positions and was responsible for leading large-scale reform and transformation projects during a period of significant organisational change. During his career, Mark has had extensive experience in the design and delivery of strategic people programs that have contributed to improved organisational performance and positive workplace cultures. Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of NSW and a Masters of Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Sydney.

Martin Fletcher

CEO, Australian health practitioner regulation agency (Ahpra)

Martin Fletcher started with Ahpra in December 2009 as the inaugural chief executive officer. With more than 25 years’ experience in patient safety in Australia, the United Kingdom and internationally, he brings a strong expertise in public protection and quality improvement to the work of establishing and leading Ahpra.

Before joining Ahpra, Martin was chief executive of the National Patient Safety Agency, the leading National Health Service body for patient safety in England and Wales. From 2004 to 2007 Martin worked with the World Health Organisation in Geneva to establish a global program of work in patient safety. From 2000 to 2002, he worked with the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care to establish the first national program of work on patient safety in Australia.

Martin holds a Master of Management degree in public sector management, an Honours degree in behavioural sciences and an undergraduate degree in social studies. Martin holds an honorary appointment as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Health and Biomedical science, RMIT University. Martin also serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities.

Jayde Fuller

National Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Unit (Ahpra)

Jayde Fuller is a Gamilaroi woman and the National Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Unit. She has a Bachelor of Arts, Double Majoring in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and has worked in the public health sector with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for 11 years in policy development and cultural safety education. She has worked for Ahpra since 2019 and leads the implementation of the National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy 2020-2025.

Belinda 'Bel' Gibb

Manager, Indigenous Policy and Programs at the Australian Medical Council

Belinda is a proud Dharug woman, the traditional owner group from Western Sydney Australia. She has over 20 years’ experience in education, policy and program delivery, in both government and the not for profit sector, including a senior manager role at the Healing Foundation, and CEO at Australia’s leading Indigenous education provider, the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC).

Since joining Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV) in 2017, she has contributed to a number of projects, including the ICV Action Research Project, and working with Better Evaluation to redesign the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander evaluation website.

Belinda also sits on a number of Boards, including the Dharug Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation (DNAC) and CRANAplus, a not for profit organisation which exists to ensure the delivery of safe, high quality primary healthcare to remote and isolated areas of Australia.

Tanya McGregor

Ahpra Board Member and CEO, Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia

Tanya is a proud Yaruwu (Broome) woman who has lived and worked most of her life on the lands of the Larrakia people in the Northern Territory and now on Kaurna land in South Australia.

Tanya has extensive experience on Committees, boards and Ministerial Council’s. Tanya is currently the Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Cricket Advisory Committee for SACA and the SA representative on the Cricket Australia Indigenous Advisory Committee. She also previously served on the Rostrevor College Board and Committee (CTG), Ember Connect, the Aboriginal National Health Leadership Forum (NHLF) and a member of Cancer Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Group on Cancer Control.

Marilyn Morgan

Board Director, Clontarf Foundation

Ms Morgan is a partner in Langton and Associates consulting in ESG and Aboriginal economic and business development. She is a qualified physiotherapist and an Honoured Life Member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association and Southerners FC Pemberton WA. Marilyn is Chair of the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Physiotherapists, Director of Kaitijin Mia Mia Aboriginal Foundation (“the Bush University”), Close the Gap Campaign Steering Committee (CTG), Ember Connect, the Aboriginal National Health Leadership Forum (NHLF) and a member of Cancer Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Group on Cancer Control. Ms Morgan is a national leader in Aboriginal health and sport, cultural safety education and business development. Ms Morgan was formerly a Commissioner of the Conservation Commission WA and a Director of the Aboriginal Economic Development Council WA, AFL SportsReady and Advisor to the AFLPA.

Ms Rachel Phillips

Chair, Psychology Board of Australia

General Registration (Higher Degree pathway), Endorsement in Clinical Psychology

• B Arts (Hons), M Clin Psych

Rachel Phillips is an endorsed Clinical Psychologist and Board-approved supervisor of provisional psychologists. Rachel has worked predominantly in the Queensland public health sector across a variety of settings, including acute hospital, community child and youth mental health, and alcohol and drug outpatients. She has more recently worked in psychology leadership positions and is currently employed as the Executive Director, Clinical Support Services at Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Rachel has also worked in private practice – as a sole practitioner, within large practices, and with psychiatrists. Rachel has had a longstanding role as a clinical supervisor of provisional psychologists completing the different pathways to general registration as well as registrars in clinical psychology.

Rachel’s experience in psychology regulation started when she was appointed to the National Psychology Examination committee in 2010 and assumed the Chair role in 2017. She was appointed to the Queensland Regional Board in 2014 and to the Psychology Board of Australia in August 2015.

Linda Renouf

Community Member, Paramedicine Board of Australia

Ms Linda Renouf has extensive experience in policy within state and federal government and roles within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service in Queensland and Western Australia. She is admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland and is currently an appointed Member of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, former Conciliator at Fair Work Commission, and Principal Policy Advisory, Queensland State Government peak advisory body.

Linda has a Bachelor of Law, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Master of Law and Doctor of Philosophy (Law) Candidate currently. She is also appointed as community member to the Queensland Board of the Psychology Board of Australia.

Chris Robertson

Executive Director, Strategy and Policy, Australian health practitioner regulation agency (Ahpra)

Chris Robertson is Executive Director, Strategy, Policy and Health Workforce for Ahpra. He has held senior leadership roles for over 20 years in health policy and regulatory reform, as well as workforce planning and innovation.

Chris is an authority in the design and application of the National Law across 15 health profession boards, which was a COAG reform initiative. It established a single national regulatory scheme for what is now over 800,000 registered health practitioners. He represents Ahpra in national and international health and regulatory fora and has been an expert member of national panels including the NPS National Prescribing Competencies as well as the ACSQHC review of Dental scope of practice.

Chris holds a Graduate Certificate of Health Management from the Queensland University of Technology and a Bachelor of Commerce from Griffith University. He was previously a registered nurse with qualifications in critical care from the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. Chris is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a graduate of the MIT Sloan Digital Business Strategy program.

Professor Lisa Whop

Community Member, Associate Professor National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research, Australian National University

Associate Professor Whop is a Torres Strait Islander NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow and epidemiologist. She is Australia’s leading authority on cervical cancer control in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Her research program focuses on cervical cancer control (screening and vaccination) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

Lisa is the Chief investigator on the Centre for Research Excellence on Targeted Approaches To Improve Cancer Services (TACTICS) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians where so co-leads the Prevention and Screening stream and Principle Investigator on an ARC Discovery Indigenous grant focused on understanding the modifiable factors that influence uptake and completion of HPV vaccination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents.

Lisa brings research experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, creating meaning ways of engagement and community empowerment within an Indigenist research approach to direct her program. Lisa has special interests in achieving equity by process and outcomes in epidemiology, vaccine preventable disease and translation of research into policy and practice.

Olli Wynyard Gonford

National Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and Culture Programs, Ahpra

Olli is a Koorie man, born and raised on Biripi Country on the Mid-North Coast of NSW, with Dhurug ancestry. With over a decade of community co-design experience working with governments, corporates, and communities, Olli's work as a service and learning designer seeks to place people at the centre of everything he does - designing with them, rather than for them.

Olli is committed to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to have their knowledges and practices recognised and valued - especially in health and care - and led the design and delivery of Moong-Moong-Gak, Ahpra’s national cultural safety training program.