Chair
Andrew has worked as an Allied Health Assistant for Canberra Health Services since 2015. Since 2020 he has also been the Profession Lead for the AHA workforce across ACT Health; a role which entails assisting with the governance, and initial and ongoing credentialling, of the AHA workforce. Prior to working for Canberra Health Services, Andrew worked as an AHA in a residential aged care facility.
Deputy Chair
Tara is an Allied Health Assistant and co-founded the Allied Health Assistant Network of Australia (the forerunner to AHANA) in 2020. Tara has worked as an Allied Health Assistant for more than a decade, with experience in public, private and not-for-profit health, disability and support services in Australia and overseas. Tara has been employed by Charles Darwin University as a TAFE Lecturer in Health and Community Services since August 2024 and immediately prior to that worked as an AHA with a Northern Territory-based National Disability Insurance Service (NDIS) provider (2021 to 2024).
Director
Annette is a PhD qualified Podiatrist of 30+ years, who has worked within the Victorian DHHS as Project Manager developing the Victorian Assistant Workforce Model, and Supervision and Delegation Framework for AHAs and the support workforce in disability; as well as Monash Health where she was an AHA Advisor. She now currently works within the disability sector as the General Manager Therapy Services at SCOPE.
Director
Dr Susan Nancarrow is an Allied Health Professional, former Director of Services for Australian Rural & Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) and spent two decades as an academic in Australia and overseas. Susan has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Podiatry) and a Master of Applied Science, as well as a Doctor of Philosophy. Susan's directorship is held in connection with her position as Chief Executive Officer of HealthWork International Pty Ltd, which is financing AHANA's initial development activities under a loan arrangement with a five year payback period.
Director
Corrie is an Allied Health Assistant, working in a community based disability setting (predominantly paediatrics) for the last 3 years and in a hospital setting prior to this. She also supports the delivery of both the Certificate III and IV AHA courses, and sits on her state based Allied Health Industry Action Group. Corrie holds a Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance (Physiotherapy), a Diploma in Professional Pilates Instruction, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Corrie was also awarded the 2024 Allied Health Assistant of the Year at the Australian Allied Health Awards.
Director
Lucy has had a 25 year career spanning health and disability in Australia and UK, in both clinical and governance roles. After a decade in AHA workforce governance for Monash Health and for the Victorian Department of Health, Lucy now holds the role of Workforce, Innovation, Strategy, Education and Research (WISER) Unit lead for over 1800 Allied health staff at Monash Health. Lucy has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy), a Bachelor of Applied Science (Ergonomics), a Postgraduate Diploma of Health Policy, a Postgraduate Diploma of Health Promotion, a Masters of Public Health, a Certificate IV in Disability and a Cert IV in Training and Assessment.
Director
Dr. Ed Johnson is a social entrepreneur with degrees in linguistic anthropology and speech pathology, and a PhD in health sciences. He worked in rural and remote Australia (mainly in Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi communities) for over a decade as a speech pathologist before moving into academia and applied anthropology. Ed now lives on Dharug land and is the coordinator of the RARE Program at the University of Sydney, which aims to support indigenous and bush communities to create and consolidate sustainable social enterprises. Ed is a co-founder of Umbo, and a past president of SARRAH.
Director
Allan is an experienced policy analyst and senior manager with long experience in government, national peak bodies and the not for profit /community sector. He has a particular interest in health and social assistance related workforce development, distribution and capacity building. Over the past decade he has worked extensively on workforce development related policy with Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health, Indigenous Allied Health Australia, Universities Australia among others and currently works as an advisor focused on improving service system access and equity, to promote better health and wellbeing, outcomes and sustainability.
Company Secretary
Lauren is an experienced lawyer (currently non-practising) and governance professional with close to two decades' experience in public sector, educational and private sector settings. Lauren supported AHANA through its initial development phase with core policy and procedural work and continues to perform executive officer and company secretary work for AHANA while managing its operations under the direction of the Board. Company Secretary is not a Board role but is a statutory position, and Lauren is committed to ensuring AHANA operates with the highest level of practical, governance support.
