Community Advisory Committee of the Southern Health Board
Membership Profile
Mr Naim Melhem is a Board member of Southern Health. Naim has extensive experience in local Government as a Councillor with the City of Springvale and City of Greater Dandenong. He served a Mayor of the City of Greater Dandenong in 1999-2000 and was re-elected to council in 2000. He has an extensive history of involvement with local community organisations including the South Eastern Arabic Association, St Nicholas Orthodox Church, Springvale Community Aid and Advice Bureau and Springvale Community Health Centre Board.
Ms Geraldine Bride lives in Patterson Lakes. She is a member of St Joseph's Catholic Church Social Justice Group, currently focussing on assisting Asylum Seekers on bridging E visas in the Southern region, in conjunction with the Hotham Mission. This group is also lobbying the government to review their policies regarding Asylum Seekers on Temporary visas. Geraldine is also a member of the Church choir. She works full time as a Coach/Training Officer/Facillitator/Debriefer with the Child Support Agency. She has one son who is a doctor currently based at Monash Medical, Moorabbin campus.
Mr David Cowlishaw is a member of the Southern Health Board. He retired from the National Australia Bank in 2001 following an extensive and varied career, which began in Western Australia in 1962. Senior appointments included: District Manager Metropolitan Melbourne, Head of Credit Victoria and Tasmania, secondment to an associate Merchant Bank in Indonesia as Company Secretary, General Manager of the Bank's U.S. operations based in New York, Managing Director National Australia Trustees. David is currently Chairman of Crisis Support Services a non profit telephone counselling service, Chairman of the Dandenong Transit Cities Advisory Committee. David is married with two adult sons, has a strong interest in current affairs and a variety of sports, including horse racing, football and cricket.
Mr Noble (Bill) David is President of the Victorian Road Accident Support Association Inc. (V.R.A.S.A.), Secretary of the Southern Ethnic Advisory and Advocacy Inc., Executive of the RoadSafe Outer South East Inc., Board member of St Anthony Coptic Orthodox College of Frankston. Bill is also Social Support Officer for the frail and persons with disabilities and a committee member for the Kingston Council Access and Equity and Advisory Committee.
Mrs Renice Giles is a resident of Cranbourne and is a receptionist in a local general practice. Renice has been a member of the Cranbourne Community Health Service for ten years and was a member of their Community Reference Group. Renice is also the president of the Cranbourne Ambulance Auxiliary and a member of St Johns Anglican Church and is a pastoral care representative.
Ms Lenoar Gullquist currently chairs the Community Advisory Committee, is a resident of Pakenham and has lived in the Cardinia Shire for 32 years. Lenoar is currently a Community Liaison Officer for the Shire, and has extensive links to community groups through her current work, her many previous positions working with the community (1983 to present), and representing the community as a Councillor for the Pakenham Shire (1977 - 81).
Mr Ron Maroun is a resident of Dandenong North and has lived in the area since 1980. He grew up and finished his schooling in Dandenong. He is father of three young children who were all born at Southern Health hospitals. Ron is actively involved in a range of volunteer work, as he enjoys helping others and making a difference to someone else’s life. He is a member of the city of Greater Dandenong Customer Research Panel, Vice President of Shalimar Park Pre-School (Dandenong North), a committee member of Marionite Catholic Church, he is actively involved with the St Gerald’s primary school committee and a volunteer to the senior citizens within his church community.
Ms Nga Nguyen is a resident of Keysborough and is a year 10 student at Killester College. Nga is the youngest of five children and has been living around the area of Springvale for 15 years. Nga is a Community Service Representative at her Catholic Girls' College. Nga has helped Red Cross by assisting disadvantaged children at Emerson Special School and helps fundraise for various organizations such as the Deafness Foundation. Nga is currently involved in the @55 Bus Project. Nga enjoys promoting fundraising and being involved in school-based curriculum activities such as the Talent Quest and Productions.
Dr Pamela Williams (Renowden) is a resident of Glen Waverley. She was formerly a Senior Lecturer in Family and Consumer issues at Deakin University. She has two children attending Monash University. Pamela is a member of the Breastcare Consumer Reference Group at Moorabbin Campus of Southern Health. Pamela participates in a number of networks representing women - principally involving women and breast cancer as well as the National Council of Women Victoria, an umbrella for a range of women's organisations. While her children were at school she participated in many school activities and has maintained contacts with local residents through this and through helping her husband run a local cub pack. She has had experience in representing consumers in a number of ways.
Ms Judy Little has been a resident of East Oakleigh for nearly 20 years. Judy currently coordinates Parent to Parent Inner East which is a support group for parents/carers of children with a disability. She has a severely disabled 20 year old son and has been an extensive consumer of the health care system in that time. She is a member of The Children’s and Young People’s Working Party of the Chronic Illness Alliance Inc, trained to volunteer for Monash/Oakleigh Community Support and Information Service and is linked to the association for Children with a Disability, The uncontrolled Epilepsy Group (Epilepsy Foundation of Vic), Very Special Kids and in the past the Respite Working Party at St Pauls College, Kew.
Ms Khadija Ilia is an active member of DAWA, Diverse Australian Women's Association, a Muslim Women's Collective. She is also a member of South East Community Housing, City of Kingston's Village Committee and the City of Greater Dandenong's Interfaith. She also studies Art Therapy.
Ms Norma Seip retired from the tertiary education sector earlier this year and has immersed herself into voluntary work, particularly relating to people with disabilities. Norma is a member of the City of Greater Dandenong Disability Reference Group (representing parents and carers). She also represents the City of Greater Dandenong at the Municipal Association of Victoria’s Civic Participation Project and is involved in many voluntary activities in her local community as well as being a member of many special interest groups. This year also sees the completion of Norma’s studies to become a Civil Celebrant. Apart from being a committed community member, her special interest in disability awareness stems from her role as a parent of a disabled child; as a carer to an elderly relative and also being physically disabled herself. Norma says “I am active in carer support, advocacy and representation roles and I have a strong personal interest in issues for young people with care responsibilities and those from a non-English speaking background”. Norma’s ability to overcome obstacles through her belief that it is only our perception that limits us has been both inspirational and motivational for those who have been associated with her, personally and professionally. “I believe everyone has a story worth telling and that by my being able to tell some of those wonderful stores, I may be able to make a difference to some very special lives”.
Ms Louise (Louk) Thiele works with, and advocates on behalf of, the Cardinia community in her role as Manager Community Services at Cardinia Shire Council. Community Services is responsible for providing Family and Children's Services, Youth Services and Community Development and Research in Cardinia and for planning the future social and physical infrastructure needs from a community services perspective. Louk and the Community Services team also represent Council and the community on a wide variety of committees at the local level and at State and Federal Government levels to ensure services are planned, comprehensive and connected.
Ms Judy Robertson is a Lecturer at Monash University and lives in the Dandenong Ranges. She has represented various community groups in a number of forums over the years, wanting to ensure families and their communities have a strong voice in the health care system. She believes the Community Advisory Committee offers an ideal opportunity to integrate consumer and community views at all levels of operations, planning and policy development. Judy is an active class representative and committee member at the school attended by her two young children in Berwick. Her husband is a Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic servicing the south eastern area.
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For further detail about the Community Advisory Committee,
or community and consumer participation email:
helen.obrien@southernhealth.org.au
