Acting Chair: John Ferraro

John is currently the Director Corporate Governance Support at Eastern Health. John is a trained orthoptist and has previously worked as a clinician in the private and public sector. Previously he has also been employed in various roles including as a business manager at the Eye and Ear Hospital, an Academic Tutor at La Trobe University and a project manager at for the Centre for Eye Research Australia.

He has extensive experience in corporate governance, acute health and primary health care and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. John holds a Bachelor of Science, a Bachelor of Orthoptics and a Master of Health Administration. John is also a Board Director for the Victorian Deaf Society.

• Audit & Finance Committee

Treasurer: Peter Ogden

Peter has been a resident of West Heidelberg for almost forty years and has conducted his small business out of offices in West Heidelberg for almost as long. Peter became an active volunteer for the West Heidelberg Community Health and Welfare Centre, shortly after it opened in 1975. Peter is the chairperson of the Audit & Finance Committee of Banyule Community Health and has also served on the Board of Olympic Adult Education for the past ten years.

• Audit & Finance Committee

Abdalla Ahmed

Abdalla is a Somali Community Leader in West Heidelberg and works hard to advocate for and improve the lives of Somali people living in Melbourne. He is the President of the Australia-Somali Society and the Founder of the Raaso Relief Rehabilitation and Development Organisation both of which are based at Banyule Community Health.

• Client Services & Staffing Committee.

Frances Baum

Frances has been a resident of the West Heidelberg and West Ivanhoe area for more than 30 years. Frances taught at St. Pius X Primary School and was later appointed Principal. Some years later she returned to the area to work as a Pastoral Associate at St. Pius X Parish.

Now, living in West Ivanhoe, Frances works as leader of our local community, Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and has also been involved in adult education, counselling and theology and scripture studies. Frances takes an interest in people from all nations and faiths, and with such a mixed community as we have in Banyule, this is very important.

• Client Services & Staffing Committee

Bill Barber

Bill has been a resident of Montmorency for the past forty years and was the Director of Building & Health Services with the former Eltham Shire (prior to council amalgamation). He has a Diploma in Building & Building Surveying as well as a Certificate IV in Legal Studies. Bill has also worked for the former cities of Coburg and Malvern as well as a private building surveyor.

Bill continues as a Registered Building Surveyor and Domestic Builder and is a consultant to the Building Commission assessing applicants for registrations in a variety of practitioner registrations as well as sitting on tribunals in prosecution against building inspectors charged for acts of unprofessional conduct.

A Fellow of the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors and an Associate of the Institute of Legal Executives (Victoria), Bill was awarded the Shire of Eltham Centenary Silver Medallion for Services to the Community. Bill barracks for Collingwood, Montmorency and Lower Plenty and was elected to the board in 2007.

• Client Services & Staffing Committee

Robert Dunn

Bob has been involved with Diabetes Support Group for 13 years, commencing with Greensborough/Diamond Valley Community Services which amalgamated with Banyule Community Health Service in providing a wide range of primary care services to residents of the City of Banyule.

Bob has been a key person in the Support Group, working tirelessly for the group organising bus trips and social functions, while acting as chairperson and the main contact for the group.

Bob is an editor and primary contributor to our monthly Diabetes Newsletter currently distributed to 260 members. Bob is dedicated to raising community awareness of diabetes and other chronic diseases and to the service available through their health service.

Bob was elected to the Board of Directors in 2010 and is currently a member of the Client Services and Staffing Sub-Committee.

David McKenzie

David commenced his career as a primary school teacher and has taught at many local schools such as Watsonia, Viewbank, Greenhills, Briar Hill and Eltham. David is also accomplished in the political arena, highlights of this aspect of his career include being

• David was a foundation member of the Diamond Valley Council (1964) and Shire President 1969 – 1971.
• Member of the House of Representatives for Diamond Valley 1972-1975
• Former Chairman of the Publications Committee of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the joint House and Senate Publications Committee.
• The National President of the Association of Former Members of the Australian Parliament.

David has always shown a keen interest in community health and served on the Board of the Victorian Family Planning Association from 1976 – 1992 (acting as President for four of those years). He is also a former member and President of the Diamond Valley Community Health Board of Management and subsequently has served as Vice-President of Banyule Community Health until early 2007.

• Audit & Finance Committee

Anthony O'Donnell

Anthony O'Donnell is currently a project manager working on capital projects at Eastern Health, including a role in the redevelopment of Box Hill Hospital. His background is as a registered nurse specialising in oncology and haematology and he has spent most of his clinical career at Box Hill Hospital and the Austin Hospital.

Previously Anthony has been employed in a number of roles including unit manger of the cancer unit and manager of the critical care service at Box Hill Hospital, and he has managed a number of capital projects at Eastern Health.

Anthony has extensive experience working in the acute health sector both as a clinician and a health planner and holds a Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) and a Masters of Health Administration.

Dr Melissa Russell

Melissa's background is as a physiotherapist and she has worked in a variety of fields of physiotherapy in Australia and overseas.

Following many years as a physiotherapist Melissa undertook her PhD through the University of Melbourne and the National Ageing Research Institute and completed it in 2008. She has since worked in public health research, focusing on the areas of healthy ageing, the benefits of physical activity and injury prevention.

She is currently employed at the University of Melbourne as a Lecturer in Epidemiology and Coordinator of the Master of Public Health course.