About Us >> Board and Management

 

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is dedicated to supporting the work that Rural Health West undertakes to improve health outcomes across Western Australia.

Rural Health West is governed by a nine member Board, made up of elected and appointed Directors. Members of the Board have a wide range of experience in the health sector, politics, Government relations, agriculture, tertiary education and financial services.

Hon. Terry ‘Tuck’ Waldron
Chair

Raised in the agricultural town of Jingalup, Tuck is a former Nationals WA Minister, representing the electorate of Wagin from 2001 until his retirement in 2017.

Tuck was an avid footballer and cricketer, playing in both the Western Australian National Football League, and the South Australian National Football League. He worked in real estate and as the general manager of the West Australian Country Football League prior to entering politics.

He is currently Chair of Western Australian Cricket Association, Regional Development Australian – Wheatbelt, and the Central East Aged Care Alliance.

Tanvi Haria

Tanvi is an established non-executive and executive with extensive business and commercial acumen in financial and corporate services, strategy, audit and risk management, corporate governance and business transformation. She is a Fellow of CPA Australia and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Her experience spans public, private and not for profit sectors within a variety of industries including infrastructure, education, health, community services, tourism and manufacturing.

Her non-executive experiences include Company Secretary and Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee at Rural Health West, member of the Board, and Committee for Finance, Audit and Risk at Metropolitan Cemetries Board, member of the Resources Committee at Edith Cowan University. Her prior roles include Board Chair, Treasurer and Chair of the Finance and Risk Committee at Neuro Muscular WA (formerly Muscular Dystrophy WA), Councillor of CPA Australia WA Division Council.

As an experienced C-suite executive, Tanvi held the position of Chief Finance Officer, General Manager Commercial and Corporate Services, and Board Secretary at Fremantle Ports. Her leadership responsibilities included finance, information communications technology and cyber security, procurement and contract management, Board secretariat functions.

Matthew Tweedie

Matt has over 30 years’ experience as an executive and non-executive director in the public, private and NGO health and community sectors in Western Australia. His strengths lie in communications and government relations, stakeholder management, organisational leadership, strategy development, and strategic advocacy. He has a wide network of political and community leaders within Western Australia.

He is currently the Director of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia WA, an influential peak body that exists to promote and advocate for the Community Pharmacy sector dedicated to improving access to primary health care for all West Australians. Previous executive roles include:
• CEO Canning Division of General Practice;
• Health Services Manager Kimberley Health Service
• Executive Director of the Asthma Foundation of WA
• Football Manager West Perth Football Club

In addition to his executive experience, Matt has experience in board directorship. His past appointments include:
• Director Rockingham Kwinana Division of General Practice
• Deputy Chair 360 Health
• Director WAPHA

Matt holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and post-graduate qualifications in education and company directorship. Throughout his career, Matt has maintained a strong focus on the planning and delivery of primary and tertiary health care with a strong interest in delivery of services into rural and remote WA. Matts interests include water polo, aussie rules, golf and his grandchildren.

Associate Professor Mathew Coleman

Associate Professor Mat Coleman is a highly experienced psychiatrist having worked in the Northern Territory, NSW, WA, the United Kingdom and in Germany. He graduated in medicine from Flinders University of South Australia in 1998 before moving to Darwin to start his medical career. Having been an Australian Army Reserve Medical Officer for a short period, he then had four years of experience working with the British Army between 2003-2007. During this time he gained valuable experience working with military personnel, their families and veterans before returning to Australia.

During his travels, he was able to complete a Psychology Degree in addition to post graduate Health Management qualifications before returning to Australia to undertake further training in Psychiatry. He eventually completed sub-specialty qualifications in Addiction Psychiatry, in addition to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Sydney.

Dr Coleman is currently a Consultant Psychiatrist with WA Country Health Service, and Clinical Academic and Associate Professor in Rural and remote Mental Health Practice with the Rural Clinical School of WA. Dr Coleman is nationally recognised and supports training of rural psychiatrists.

Associate Professor Karen Bradley

RN B (Nursing) ML MACN FACHSM GAICD

Karen is an experienced health care executive and non-executive Director with more than 30 years experience in the public and not for profit health sectors in Western Australia.

Her previous appointments include Executive Director Clinical Leadership and Reform and Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer with the Department of Health, executive Nursing and Midwifery leadership roles with the South Metropolitan Health Service and WA Country Health Service.  Most recently Karen led the Health Operations team in the State Health Incident Coordination Centre as part of the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Nursing from Edith Cowan University and a Masters in Leadership (Social Justice) from The University of Notre Dame Australia.

Karen is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management, Vice President and Branch Councillor with the WA Chapter, a member of the Australian College of Nursing and a Graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Stephanie Trust

MBBS FRACGP ACCAM

Dr Stephanie Trust is a Gidja/Walmajarri woman and was born and raised in the East Kimberley. She initially trained as an enrolled nurse before converting this to an Aboriginal health worker qualification and worked with Aboriginal medical services in Kimberley and Pilbara regions for around 12 years. In 2000, Dr Trust travelled to Perth to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor.

Dr Trust is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners with a passion for remote primary health care, Aboriginal health, chronic disease management and is a designated aviation medicine examiner. She has previously been Medical Director at the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Council, Board member of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association, East Metropolitan Health Service, Kimberley-Pilbara Medicare Local and Kimberley Stolen Generation Aboriginal Corporation, and has been a Cultural Mentor and Advisor for the Western Australian General Practice Education and Training Ltd.

Dr Trust is currently the Clinical Director and Principal GP at Wunan Health & Well Being Centre, positions she has held for nearly nine years. She is strongly committed to the next generation of doctors, and mentors up to four medical students per year, whilst hosting them at the practice. Since 2016, Dr Trust has been a Principal GP Supervisor with both the RACGP and ACRRM, and has introduced many registrars to remote medicine in the East Kimberley whilst providing education and training. A few of these registrars have since Fellowed and become permanent residents to Kununurra.

When not clinical, Dr Trust spends her hours broadening professional relationships as Wunan Health and strives to expand their service with allied health and addiction medicine. Dr Trust has been leading the development of the Low Medical Withdrawal Unit, which is due to break ground later this year.

Cr Liz Guidera

Liz has long been a champion of rural communities. She has served on the Shire of Katanning council for 14 years, becoming Shire President in 2015.

Liz was also an inaugural reference group member and former Chair of the Rural Remote and Regional Women’s Network of WA (RRR Network).

Liz has served on the Board of Regional Development Australia Great Southern and is a current Board member of the Great Southern Development Commission.

David Rigby

BSc (Exer&SprtsSc)  M Physio

As Owner and Principal Physiotherapist of Pilbara Physiotherapy and Pilbara Therapy Services, David oversees a highly driven team that provides allied health services to the greater Pilbara region.

David established the business in 2014 after seeing a need for quality healthcare in the region.

Under David’s leadership, Pilbara Physiotherapy and Pilbara Therapy Services have become multidisciplinary businesses servicing many areas of the Pilbara through funded programs focusing on prevention and self-management of chronic diseases, Indigenous health, NDIS services and Occupational Therapy services across the lifespan, in addition to private services encompassing pain and disease management.

David also represents the private allied health sector on the Regional Clinical Committee.

Chantal Bachere

Chantal is a general and mental health trained registered nurse, with 20 years experience in Mental Health nursing.

Chantal’s experience ranges from acute patient care and mental health promotion to education and lecturing, in roles such as clinical nurse specialist and mental health nurse educator.

In her current role as Mental Health Academic for the WA Centre for Rural Health in Geraldton, Chantal develops and facilitates a mental health training program to the community, and provides workforce development and upskilling in the health, education and welfare sectors.

Working in regional Western Australia for the past 15 years has given her a strong understanding of the mental health needs of the community and its nursing workforce.

Chantal’s current work focuses in developing a clinical upskilling mental health nursing program to be rolled out in the Midwest’s WA Country Health Service regional hospital to address mental health nursing workforce issues.

She is committed to advocate for the improvement of mental health outcomes and increase the community’s mental health awareness and literacy.

Rural Health West Senior Management Team

Rural Health West works hard behind the scenes to ensure people living in country communities have good access to healthcare.

Rural Health West’s day to day activities are managed by a small executive management team, each of whom have strong and extensive backgrounds in the local health sector.

Tim Shackleton
Chief Executive Officer

Tim has extensive experience in the rural and regional health sector in Western Australia, previously working for rural health counterparts, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the WA Country Health Service.

His current focus for Rural Health West is developing stronger links with partner organisations in the rural health sector and securing long-term funding for the company’s recruitment, retention and outreach initiatives.

Tim is experienced in strategy development, health service planning, stakeholder engagement and project management.

He holds a Bachelor of Science (Human Movement) and Post Graduate Diploma in Health Services Administration.

Kelli Porter
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, General Manager Workforce

Kelli has extensive knowledge of Australian health issues and reform, with experience spanning the not-for-profit, government and private health sectors. She has a strong strategic focus on Australian health care and health workforce, with a commitment to delivering solutions for rural communities through building stakeholder relationships and sustainable services.

Kelli provides leadership and management of the Workforce Division at Rural Health West, incorporating Workforce Solutions, Regional Services and Community Workforce Planning.

She holds a Bachelor of Science (Health Promotion), a Graduate Certificate in Health Policy and Management and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Leesa Thomas
General Manager, Education and Engagement

Leesa has extensive experience in the events and education sector. Having worked at Rural Health West for 16 years, Leesa began her tenure in 2006 as Manager in the Education and Skills Development department.

In 2019 Leesa became the General Manager of Regional Innovation and Outreach, before being appointed to her current role as General Manager Education and Engagement in 2021.

During her time at Rural Health West Leesa has been responsible for the creation and delivery of a range of new programs including, the Rural and Remote Retrieval Weekend, Health Professionals Networks, WA Rural Health Long Service Awards and expansion of the WA Excellence Awards program. Leesa is currently undertaking a Master of Business Administration with Southern Cross University.

Kerida Hodge
General Manager, Communications and Business Analytics

Kerida is responsible for overseeing Rural Health West’s marketing, communication and membership functions. These activities ensure that rural medical and health professionals are aware of the support and development opportunities available to them, and that the organisation is accurately representing the rural workforce at all levels.

Kerida holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Curtin University, with a double major in Marketing and Public Relations. She has twenty years’ experience in communications and marketing and been recognised multiple times by the Public Relations Institute of Australia (WA) for her work developing and implementing large-scale communications strategies.

Rural Health West Medical Advisors

Rural Health West employs several Medical Advisors to ensure that our organisation can provide the best available information and services to the rural health workforce.

The Medical Advisors’ guidance and advice enables us to deliver bespoke programs and advocate for policies that improve the health of those living in rural and remote communities across Western Australia.

All our advisors are medical practitioners who have experience working in rural communities.