Our People

Executive Board Members

Board Members

Staff

Bonney Corbin, Chair

Bonney Corbin (she/they) has been Chair of AWHN since 2020, following Marilyn Beaumont’s long term leadership in the role.

Bonney is an urban and regional planner with postgraduate qualifications in public policy and conflict resolution. She has worked at the intersections of women’s rights, gender-based violence and determinants of health for the past 19 years’ in Australia, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the South Pacific.

Bonney currently works nationally at Marie Stopes Australia as their Head of Policy, and is also currently on the board of Genetic Alliance Australia. Bonney’s previous board appointments include the Planning Institute of Australia, Children by Choice and Working Women’s Centres.

Helen Keleher, Deputy Chair

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).

Denele Crozier AM, Treasurer

Denele Crozier is the CEO of Women’s Health NSW the peak body for 21 community Women’s Health Centres in NSW.

Denele has a 39-year history of working in and for community NGO charities specialised in understanding, advocating and promoting women’s health needs from a social model of health care and an understanding of the effects of gender on health outcomes aiming to improve health and welfare services, law, public policy and practice.

Denele is on a variety of Boards and Councils including the Women’s Legal Service NSW, NSW FGM Education Program Advisory Committee.

In 2017 Denele was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.

Heidi La Paglia, Secretary

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.

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!

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.

Karen Martin, Board Member, New South Wales

Karen Martin is currently the Manager of MND support services for people living in NSW, ACT and NT. She also sits on the management committee of Family Advocacy an organisation working towards full inclusion for people living with disability. Her work involves supporting women and in particular those in caring roles within Australia’s two tier disability support framework. She qualifications in Psychology, Dementia Care and is currently completing a Masters in Gerontology.

Karen has worked in the area of ageing and disability for 25 years and having experienced significant health issues as a single parent is committed to improving the experiences of women, particularly older women who are increasingly disadvantaged in the health, caring and housing context as well as people living with dementia.

Megan Elias, Board Member, Western Australia

Megan (she/her) is currently working in the role of Women’s Health Advocacy and Engagement at the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing, the peak body for women’s specialist domestic and family violence, community-based women’s health and sexual assault services in Western Australia. Prior to joining the Centre, Megan worked in community services and government sectors for seven years, focusing on women’s health, sexual and reproductive health, and prevention of gender-based violence.

Megan has a strong interest in evaluation and gender transformative approaches. She loves connecting with, learning from, and working together with others who share her interest and passion for improving the lives of women.

Patty Kinnersly, Board Member, Victoria

Patty Kinnersly is Chief Executive Officer of Our Watch, a not-for-profit organisation established to drive nationwide change in the structures, norms and practices that lead to violence against women and their children.

A leading health, welfare and education professional, Patty was Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Health Grampians for nine years, before joining Our Watch in 2015 as Director, Practice Leadership. She was appointed to the chief executive role in June 2018.

Patty has extensive governance experience, serving on the boards of Ballarat Health Services, the Australian Women’s Health Network, Rural Northwest Health, and Child and Family Services Ballarat.

She is currently a member of the Carlton Football Club Board of Directors, the first to oversee its women’s football programs.

Patty lives in regional Victoria.

Romy Listo, Board Member, Australian Capital Territory

Romy Listo (she/they) is passionate about gender and health justice and feminist organisations. For the last seven years she has worked across women’s and gendered health issues in research, policy and advocacy and health promotion. Romy has a PhD in gender studies from the University of Queensland, where her research explored the role of energy in women’s organising and empowerment in urban and peri-urban South Africa. She is based in the ACT and is currently Health Promotion and Research Officer at Women’s Health Matters.

Kim Blattner, Administration Officer

Kim Blattner has been the Administration Officer for AWHN since 2017, based at the Women’s Health NSW office.

Kim has worked for Women’s Health NSW in the position of administration officer for 5 years. She has previously worked for Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Kim comes with a variety of administration skills including data, IT and operational systems and couples this with a commitment to social justice and equity.

In her spare time Kim loves to go treasure hunting in op shops in the Hawksbury where she lives.

If you are an existing AWHN member and wish to express your interest in joining the AWHN Board, please complete the following form. If you have any questions about joining the AWHN Board please contact the AWHN Chair.