RN, RPN, BAppsSc(AdvNsg), MEd, PhD, FACN, FACMHN, MAICD

Professor Wendy Cross is the Dean of the School of Nursing and Healthcare Professions at Federation University. Until August 2019 she was a National Mental Health Commissioner and is the immediate past Chair of the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery, (Australia and New Zealand) and immediate past President of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.

Wendy has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Advanced Nursing from La Trobe University a Master of Education by research (Ed Psych) from Monash University and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of NSW, focusing on Transcultural Psychiatry.

She is widely sought for her expertise in mental health, education and governance and contributes to a number of organizations as a board director, external panel member and expert assessor.

Wendy had published over 100 articles across all domains (most peer-reviewed) and her primary research interests include mental health and resilience, clinical supervision, practice development, health service evaluation. She is experienced in broad-based research methods including both quantitative and qualitative paradigms. She is currently involved in a number of funded research projects related to mental health, resilience and evaluation of health services.

RN BN Grad Dip Crit Care Grad Dip FET GAICD

Deb Blow has worked in the health industry for over 35 years.  Over this time, Deb worked as an aged care worker before going on to become an Enrolled Nurse and then a Registered Nurse. Deb has worked in a diverse range of areas including; aged care, surgical, emergency, peri-operative and critical care in public, private and rural / remote settings prior to transitioning to the university and then VET sector.

Deb is the Director of Faculty and Executive leader in Health and Nursing with TAFE Queensland.  Her expertise and focus has been on supporting organisations ‘grow their own workforce’ through tailored delivery partnerships. As the Product Lead for delivery of Health and Nursing Training across TAFE Queensland, Deb oversees the development and management of TAFE Queensland Master Product.

Deb holds roles on National committees such as the Nursing and Midwifery Strategic Reference Group, established to provide comment and advice to the Department of Health and the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer (CNMO); and the National Enrolled Nurse Advisory Council (NENAC), a peak body representing the TAFE Sector within Australia.  Deb has also represented TAFE Directors Australia in Commonwealth appointed expert advisory groups in the health, aged care and nursing industry.

Deb is the recipient for the 2020 National Achievement Award through the Australian Training Awards.

RN, BSc, MSc

Annie Butler is the Federal Secretary for the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation. Annie was formally appointed to the role in June 2018, having served as the Assistant Federal Secretary since March 2014, and following years of experience in the clinical, professional and industrial areas of nursing.

Annie is a registered nurse with more than a decade’s experience working in public hospitals, the community and on health education projects, and a further decade working in research and education.

She worked for the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association, for a further decade, as a professional officer, organiser and lead organiser, prior to moving to the national position of Assistant Federal Secretary and now holding the position of Federal Secretary

Annie believes that we must fight to maintain the professions of nursing and midwifery in Australia and ensure their advancement. She is passionate about improving Australia’s system of health and aged care and the critical role nurses and midwives have to play in the future of our health system. Annie is particularly keen to see nurses drive change for improvements in Australia’s aged care sector.

Annie has a degree in Health Science, an Honour’s degree in Nursing.

RM, RN, PhD, FACM

Professor Joanne Gray is a leading midwifery academic and she has been involved in midwifery education in the higher education sector for many years. Joanne’s current role is Head, Graduate School of Health at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).  Joanne has worked as a midwife in both rural and metropolitan New South Wales and has played a key role in the development and implementation of midwifery curricula, including the first distance education midwifery program for registered nurses (Charles Sturt University, 1990) and the first Bachelor of Midwifery to be offered in NSW (UTS, 2005).  Joanne has had a number of academic leadership positions including as Director of Studies and Course Coordinator for the Graduate Diploma and Bachelor of Midwifery programs and as Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Health at UTS. 

Joanne has been active in a number of governance roles and recently completed a six year term as Chair of the UTS Academic Board and as a member and then Chair, Midwifery Accreditation Committee with ANMAC.   Joanne has also recently completed a term as a health practitioner member of the NSW Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. 

Joanne is the current President of the Australian College of Midwives. 

Roslyn Jackson is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years’ experience and has enjoyed a very diverse and exciting career.  She has worked in public practice providing taxation advice, as a corporate accountant in the Australian Government, CFO for a large NFP and COO for an Australian Government Company.

Roslyn has also owned and operated a training and consulting company, based in Canberra, for over 20 years. She has developed and facilitated training packages for many businesses; both for profit and not-for-profit, and for the government sector; Australian, State and Local government.

Roslyn has facilitated courses on behalf of the Australian Institute of Company Directors for over 20 years, helping directors to read and interpret their Board financial statements as well as governance and risk issues. She has taught the professional year of study for Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CA ANZ) and has been an assessor for their examinations. Roslyn has also been an assessor for the Institute of Public Administration Australia annual reports awards presented to Australian Government Departments. 

Roslyn is an experienced non-executive director, having held numerous positions predominantly in the NFP health sector. She has held the Chair of several Boards and also chaired Audit, Finance and Risk sub-committees. Roslyn is currently a director of Capital Health Network Ltd and Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council, Chairs both their audit and risk committees and is an independent audit committee member for the Australian Pharmacy Council Ltd.

BAppSci (physiotherapy), MBA, PhD

Lorraine Sheppard is a professor of physiotherapy and healthcare management whose business, management, governance and leadership expertise has benefited universities, government boards, accreditation panels and not-for-profits.

A former Head of the School of Physiotherapy at the University of South Australia, Foundation Professor, James Cook University, Lorraine completed her terms as chair of the Australian Physiotherapy Council in 2017. She has been continuously involved with regulation, registration and accreditation of physiotherapists through the Australian Physiotherapy Association, Physiotherapy Board of South Australia and the Australian Physiotherapy Council for more than 20 years.  

Lorraine has been actively involved with the Health Professions Councils Collaborative Forum and the Accreditation Liaison Group, the latter a collaboration of the Forum and AHPRA on healthcare accreditation matters. She has served on advisory groups including Extended Scope and Simulation Accreditation Standards, and grants panels for Health Workforce Australia.

RN, MMgt, Dip App Sci (Nursing), Acute Care Cert., FACN, Wharton Fellow, MAICD

Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward grew up on the lands of the people of the Dharruk Nation in Sydney’s West. She has had a successful and celebrated career as a Nursing Leader and Health and Aged Care Executive in Australia for over 25 years. She has held positions of Managing Director, Director of Clinical Operations, Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Director of the Division of Medicine, Associate Director of Women's and Children's Health and Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery in three major health services in New South Wales and Victoria. She has been a NUM, After Hours Coordinator, Campus Manager, Bed Manager and Patient Flow Manager. Her clinical background is in intensive care and aged care. Kylie's expertise is in transformational leadership and management, organisational culture, change management, models of care, redesign and clinical informatics. She has been a lecturer for Masters Degree and Undergraduate Masters Degree nursing students in leadership and management at Monash University. Kylie Ward is now Chief Executive Officer of the Australian College of Nursing (ACN).

Roianne West is a descendent of the Kalkadunga and Djkunde Peoples. A strategy and leadership consultant with over 25 years’ experience in Aboriginal Health Nursing and Midwifery 15 years of which have been in Executive leadership positions at local, state and national levels.  Roianne West is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of First Nations Nursing and Midwifery Consulting.

Roianne West has a PhD which developed a model of excellence to increase Aboriginal Nurses Nationally and is a Principle Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in recognition of her distinguishable contribution and achievement of significant influence and enhancement of learning and teaching in higher education through the promotion of professional standards.