WCHM Board Members
Alison Osmand – Chair
Alison Osmand obtained degrees in Arts and Laws from the Australian National University in Canberra. She was admitted to practice in October 1991 and has practised exclusively in the area of family law since that time. Alison commenced her career in law at the Legal Aid Office (ACT), and then went into private practice in 1998. Throughout her career Alison has been involved in a number of committees including the ACT Continuing Legal Education Committee. She has also been involved as a board member for a number of community organisations. Alison has extensive experience in complex family law disputes as well as in the representation of children in the Family Court. She has a special interest in relocation cases, for which she was awarded Children’s Lawyer of the Year.
Judith Briscoe - Deputy Chair
Judith’s professional career has always been in the health care arena starting out as a Registered Nurse in the specialist field of cardiothoracic medicine. She worked in that field internationally, nationally and locally before transferring her interest to risk management, continuous improvement, evaluation and consumer participation within the health care sector, again at national and local levels. She has a long standing interest and commitment to clinical and corporate governance in both the public and private sectors of health care service delivery and has participated in a number of national forums on quality and safety, most notably the 1996 Taskforce on Quality in Australian Health Care.
Kathleen O'Sullivan - Treasurer
Kathleen has been working for Government Departments for 13 years, and is currently the Director of the National Building and Infrastructure Investment program in the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. She is studying a Master of Management at the Australian National University, was admitted as a Fellow CPA in 2006, and holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) qualification. She possesses a broad range of business and management skills and experience, and has extensive experience in establishing and maintaining corporate governance frameworks and the application of accounting and auditing standards in complex and sensitive environments.
Jane Dahlstrom – Member
Jane Dahlstrom is a Pathologist at ACT Pathology, Canberra Hospital and Professor of Anatomical Pathology at the Australian National University Medical School. She is a past president of the Medical Women's Society of ACT and Region, and has been the chair of the Breast Cancer Treatment Group of ACT and South East NSW. She is a keen educator to health professionals and the community, and is involved in a number of health related research projects.
Eve Burnes – Member
Eve completed a Bachelor of Professional Communication at the University of Canberra in 2003. She has worked in the community sector, government and private enterprise, in community development and communications based roles.
Robyn McClelland - Member
Robyn McClelland is Clerk Assistant (Table) in the Department of the House of Representatives. She is responsible for those areas of the department which provide programming, procedural, legislative and research support to the Chamber and Main Committee of the House, and which promote community understanding of and interaction with the work of the House and the Parliament. She acts as Clerk-at-the-Table of the House of Representatives. Robyn has also worked in the Australian National Audit Office on a number of performance and financial audits, and in the National Library of Australia as Director, Resource Management. Robyn has a Master of Administrative Studies Degree and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from the Australian National University, and a Graduate Diploma of Education from the University of Canberra. She is a member of the Society of Clerks-at-the-Table and the Institute of Public Administration (ACT).
Robyn has competed in local triathlons for over a decade – eventually managing an Olympic distance event in 2007. In 2009, Robyn qualified for age group selection in the Olympic Distance for the World Championships. Robyn has been a member of the Triathlon ACT Executive Committee for the past two years, and is married with three daughters.
Jacki Fairweather - Member
Jacki has been a professional Triathlete from 1992-2000 winning seven World Championship medals (including 1996 Triathlon World Champion, 1996 & 1999 Duathlon World Champion) and she was awarded Sports Woman of the Year in 1996 by the Confederation of Australian Sport. She currently works as a Senior Sports Consultant at the Australian Sports Commission and prior to that was Head Coach of the AIS Triathlon Program from its inception. She has held various positions on Triathlon and Athletics club and state boards and committees since 1987 and was the first ever Athlete’s representative on the Triathlon Australia Board. She was also an Executive Board Member of the International Triathlon Union (ITU) 2004-2008 and Chair of the ITU Coaches Commission. Jackie has a Bachelor of Human Movement Studies (First class Honours) and a Master of Science (Exercise Physiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation) from Eastern Illinios University, 1991. She is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Brooke McKail – Member
Brooke previously worked as Policy and Development Officer at the ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) and is now the Executive Director of the Mental Health Community Coalition (MHCC), which is the peak body for community managed mental health services in the ACT.
Lauren Burke – Board Member
Lauren is currently the Engagement Manager with the Young UN Women Australia Canberra Committee for 2011, and also held this position in 2010. As part of the executive she was heavily involved in the establishment of the Committee, which was set up to support the work of UN Women (formerly UNIFEM) through fundraising and awareness raising events and to promote the development of leadership skills among Canberra women. Lauren is currently working in the Health Systems and Governance Branch in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (since July 2010). She completed an honours thesis on rural health policy and persistent workforce shortages in 2008 and has a long-held interest in health policy and promotion, and gender equality and women’s issues.
Alana McInerney – Board Member
Alana has been working in the community sector for many years, starting her career as an assistant in nursing caring for palliative care clients and working as an access supervisor for children removed from their parents' care. For a period of time she also sat on the Women and Prisons working party, to assist in better outcomes for women in the justice system. Alana currently works as a support worker at Beryl Women Inc, which provides accommodation and assistance to woman and children escaping domestic violence. Her role is to provide clients with case management support, advocacy, referral and support. She is studying a Diploma of Community Welfare at CIT, and has a great interest in women’s services and development of support services for women in Canberra.