Chair
Andrew Richardson has worked as an Allied Health Assistant with Canberra Health Services since 2015, and has served as the Profession Lead for the AHA workforce across ACT Health since 2020, supporting governance and credentialing processes.
As AHANA Chair, Andrew brings extensive experience in both clinical practice and workforce development, including prior work in residential aged care. His contributions, including award nominations and national governance work, reflect his commitment to strengthening the professional identity, capability, and visibility of AHAs across Australia.
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Director
Deb Agnew-Riddell is the Director Practitioner at Nurturing Hands Allied Health P/L and a Certified Practising AHA (#1052).
An AHANA Founding Member, Deb leads a multidisciplinary team providing mobile therapy for NDIS and TAC clients. She is deeply committed to the recognition and professional growth of the Allied Health Assistant workforce. Through her role on the Board, Deb aims to support AHANA's strategic direction and enhance collaborative healthcare outcomes.
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Director
Kylie Saccotelli is Monash Health’s pioneering Allied Health Assistant and Support Workforce Advisor, proudly becoming the first AHA at Monash Health to hold this leadership position.
With more than 14 years’ experience across diverse clinical roles, Kylie brings deep insight into the Allied Health Assistant profession and the evolving needs of the AHA workforce. She is a vocal advocate for AHAs and a firm believer in their readiness to step confidently into leadership roles within their own discipline. Her work is grounded in championing opportunity, strengthening professional identity, and shaping the future of the AHA workforce at Monash Health and beyond. Kylie’s commitment to elevating the profession—and the people within it—continues to inspire meaningful progress across the allied health sector.
Director
Tara Intarapanya 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. She has been employed by Charles Darwin University as a TAFE Lecturer in Health and Community Services since August 2024, and previously worked as an AHA with a Northern Territory-based National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider (2021 to 2024).
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Director
Annette Davis is a PhD qualified Podiatrist with over 30 years’ experience.
As a Project Manager within the Victorian DHHS, Annette helped to develop the Victorian Assistant Workforce Model, and the Supervision and Delegation Framework for Allied Health Assistants (AHAs) and the support workforce in disability. She has also served as an AHA Advisor at Monash Health. Annette now 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 held senior executive roles in higher education, including Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research), Chair of Academic Board, and Professor of Health Sciences. Susan has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Podiatry) and a Master of Applied Science, as well as a Doctor of Philosophy. She is passionate about driving innovative ways of understanding and shaping the health workforce to better meet the needs of the 21st century.
Director
Corrie is an Allied Health Assistant, with extensive experience working in a community-based disability setting (with a strong focus on paediatrics), as well as experience within the hospital and aged care environments. Corrie is also a TAFE lecturer for the Certificate III and IV AHA courses, and sits on her state based Allied Health Industry Action Group. She 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 Whelan has had a 25-year career spanning health and disability in Australia and the UK, in both clinical and governance roles.
After a decade in AHA workforce governance for Monash Health and the Department of Health, Victoria, Lucy now serves as Workforce, Innovation, Strategy, Education and Research (WISER) Unit Lead for over 1,800 allied health staff at Monash Health. Lucy holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy), Bachelor of Applied Science (Ergonomics), Postgraduate Diploma of Health Policy, Postgraduate Diploma of Health Promotion, Masters of Public Health, Certificate IV in Disability, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Director
Ed Johnson is the Director of a rural and remote allied health telehealth service employing speech pathologists and occupational therapists across Australia, and a university educator in social entrepreneurship.
Ed’s background is in linguistic anthropology and speech pathology, with experience in workforce design and governance. He is interested in AHANA and the Allied Health Assistant workforce as practical solutions to maldistribution, service gaps, and sustainable team-based models in rural and remote contexts.
Director
Allan Groth is a policy analyst and senior manager with experience in government, national peak bodies, and the not-for-profit and community sectors.
Allan has a particular interest in health and social assistance-related workforce development, distribution and capacity building, with a focus on remote communities. Over the past decade he has worked extensively on workforce development-related policy with Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH), Indigenous Allied Health Australia, and Universities Australia. Allan currently works as an advisor focused on improving service system access and equity, with a view to promoting better health and wellbeing, outcomes and sustainability.