Our People

Angela Brown, Board Member, South Australia

Angela Brown is the Midwifery Program Director at the University of South Australia. Alongside her academic position, she is a member of The South Australian Perinatal Subcommittee, Board Director for the Australian College of Midwives, the midwifery representative for RANZCOG’s Women’s Health Committee and member of SA Health’s Rural Support Service Maternity Services Committee. Angela is regularly invited to represent midwifery on State and National committees or working groups. These roles have enabled her to maintain current competency, develop strong leadership, advocacy and collaboration skills and have afforded opportunities to contribute to the midwifery profession and perinatal policy and guideline development at a State, National and International level. She uses these roles to advance women’s health in South Australia, Australia and Internationally. Angela also has an MBA and a strong interest in leadership and management, change management, finance, operations and human resource management.

Dianne Hill, Board Member, Victoria

Dianne Hill has over 30 years senior leadership experience in Australia and the United Kingdom in women’s health, community development, housing and homelessness, and aged and community care in government and the not for profit sector including strategic planning, public policy and program development and delivery.

In September 2019, Dianne was appointed CEO of Women’s Health Victoria.

With a strong commitment to women’s health rights, gender equality and social justice Dianne is passionate about using leadership opportunities to influence structural and social change and have a positive impact on the lives of women and girls.

Emma Iwinska, Board Member, Queensland

Emma is the CEO at Women’s Health Queensland and the President of Ending Violence Against Women Queensland (EVAWQ). Emma is passionate about empowering women and creating structural change to promote equity for all.

Emma has worked in health for more than 25 years where she has supported a diversity of women in wide ranging environments. Emma holds formal qualifications both in health and in higher education. Alongside her health management skills, Emma has a decade of experience teaching in higher education and embraces a philosophy of lifelong learning.

Emma loves working collaboratively and purposefully to create positive change and listening to the experts in women’s lives – women!

Gemma Black, Board Member, Western Australia

Gemma Black (she/her) is passionate about women’s health and reproductive rights, having facilitated a successful five year campaign to introduce Safe Access Zones in Western Australia (WA). She is currently the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Sexual Health Quarters in Perth, working state-wide.

Prior to joining Sexual Health Quarters, Gemma had the privilege of working in the union movement and federal politics for over a decade. Her passion for equity, social justice and intersectional feminism was encouraged and developed with support from strong women in the labour movement.

Heidi La Paglia, Board Member, Tasmania

Heidi La Paglia (she/her) is a proud Autistic, feminist activist from Hobart, Tasmania. Heidi has worked at Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) for a number of years and currently manages WWDA’s policy and project work. Heidi represents WWDA on a number advisory groups with sector stakeholders. Among other issues, Heidi has a strong interest in ensuring that efforts to support the safety and reproductive rights of women and non-binary people are inclusive of people with disability.

Heidi previously completed Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Philosophy and Arts Honours degrees at the University of Tasmania. In this time, Heidi became heavily invested in feminist and disability rights through the student union movement and has never since looked back.

Professor Helen Keleher, Board Member, Victoria

Helen has recently returned to the AWHN Board, having previously served as a Board member from 1999-2006. In her past role with AWHN, Helen was co-convener of two hugely successful Australian Women’s Health Conferences (in 2000 and 2005).

Helen is now Adjunct Professor with the Schools of Rural Health and Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University.

She is also Director of Keleher Consulting. In this role she works for health and human services with all levels of government, community health and women’s health services, hospitals and non-government organisations.

Helen has significant expertise in women’s health, gender equity, primary health and population health.

She was a Board member of the South-East Melbourne Medicare Local from 2012- 2015, and Chair of Women’s Health in the South-East until October 2016. She is past President and Life Member of the Public Health Association of Australia and was Convenor for the 2017 World Congress on Public Health held in Melbourne. She has also served on committees for many other conferences.

Helen is widely published in journals and has several textbooks including Understanding Health (Oxford University Press, 5th edition will be published in October 2021). Her other co-edited books include Understanding the Australian Health Care System (Elsevier), Health Promotion (OUP), and Community Nursing Practice (Allen and Unwin).

Holly Brennan OAM, Board Member, Queensland

Holly Brennan OAM has worked in women’s health, prevention of violence against women and children, sexual and reproductive health, child protection, sexuality and respectful relationships education and health promotion for over 25 years.

She is currently CEO of the Centre Against Domestic Abuse (CADA) in Moreton Bay region.

Previously, Holly was Manager of Children by Choice, Daniel Morecombe Foundation CEO, the Community Council’s Coordinator for a Primary Health Network (PHN) and the Director of Education and Community Services at Family Planning Queensland.

Jo Flanagan, Board Member, Tasmania

Jo Flanagan is the CEO of Women’s Health Tasmania, a women’s health promotion service which delivers services across Tasmania.

In addition to a background working in women’s services, Jo managed Tasmania’s largest social policy unit for 15 years and has worked extensively in social policy, advocacy and research on a range of social issues affecting Tasmanians.

Jo is on a number of Boards and Committees including the Australian Women’s Health Network, the Tasmanian Foetal Alcohol Syndrome State Coordinating Group, the Tasmanian Government’s Family Violence Consultative Group, and she is co-Chair of the Tasmanian Sexual and Reproductive Health Collaborative Group.