Patron: Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of NSW

Professor Marie Bashir was born in Narrandera, New South Wales and is a medical graduate of the University of Sydney, a former medical resident officer of St Vincent’s Hospital and of The Children’s Hospital. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

After completion of her post graduate studies in psychiatry, she was appointed to establish the Rivendell Child, Adolescent and Family Service to provide comprehensive specialist consultative services for young people with emotional and psychiatric problems.

In 1987, she was appointed Director of the Community Health Services in the Central Sydney Area which enabled closer access to primary health care links with an emphasis on early childhood services, migrant and indigenous health, the health needs of elderly people, and communicable illness.

She was appointed by the Hon Craig Knowles MP, Minister for Health, to chair the Implementation Group on Mental Health to oversee the development of further mental health services in New South Wales as part of the overall health reform process.

In March 2001, Professor Bashir was appointed Governor of New South Wales.

Her awards include Mother of the Year in 1971, and in 1988 she was appointed an Officer, and in 2001 a Companion in the Order of Australia. She was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2003.

In 2004 she was made an Honorary Member of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and also elected as one of Australia’s Living National Treasures.

In 2006 she was invested by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO). Her Excellency also received the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Rotary Club of Sydney, and was made an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE).

Professor Bashir is married to Sir Nicholas Shehadie. They have two daughters and a son, and six grandchildren.

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President - Mr D Riches

David Riches is the President of the Board. David joined the Board six years ago and he believes that Arthritis is an invisible disease which does not get the media attention of other more high profile disease. He believes that he can contribute towards making a difference, a better quality of life for people who have pain and other difficulties because of their arthritis. He has qualifications and experience in Teaching, Road Safety Education Consultant, Health Service Director and runs his own consultancy Population Health business

Vice President - Ms J Tasker

Jude is a pharmacist, now working in the pharmaceutical industry. Qualifications - Bachelor of Pharmacy, Diploma of Hospital Pharmacy. "I joined the Board in late 2004 ... my first meeting was November 2004. Being a Board member I gain the satisfaction of contributing to improving the quality of life of people living with arthritis."

Hon. Treasurer - Mr D Messner

Dennis Messner is the Treasurer of Arthritis NSW. He joined the Board as a Director three years ago. He is qualified as a Chartered Accountant running his own accountancy practice. He became a Director because a friend who had been a Director was resigning and asked Dennis if he would volunteer his accountancy expertise to Arthritis NSW. He has a desire to add business and commercial experience to the organisation and has a personal interest and understanding of what needs to happen because his mother has severe arthritis.

Director - A/Prof. J.E. (BEN) Marosszeky MB BS, DPRM, FACRM, FAFRM(RACP), FFPM(ANZCA)

Ben was appointed chair of the Education Committee of Arthritis NSW in 1979 and subsequently joined the Board. He has a life-long commitment to
rehabilitation and multidisciplinary care. My main reason for joining was to
promote multidisciplinary patient centered care for people with arthritis who
comprise a very large percentage of the population across all age groups. He is currently the Director, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sydney West Area Health Service, Westmead Hospital, Sydney NSW.

Director - Ms D Aspinall

"The Board invited me to become a Director five years ago after I had completed Strategic Planning workshops with them. My participation on the various committees of the Board has allowed me to be part of developing key programs for the charity. I am a Registered Nurse with Post Graduate Qualifications and experience in Health Promotion planning and program development. The launch of the online self management program - Challenging Arthritis was an achievement."

Director - Ms D Sykes

Diana Sykes became a Director in 2005 and has skills in Marketing and is a Registered Nurse. "Being part of a team focused and committed to improving the lives of people living with and associated with Arthritis and Osteoporosis is rewarding. The greatest benefit is learning of ways Arthritis NSW has encouraged people to live their lives in an active and productive way."

Director - A/Prof N Manolios MBBS (Hons), PhD, MD, FRACP, FRCPA

Nick Manolios became a Director in 2007. He is Director of the Rheumatology, Westmead Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney. His research interests are: the immunological mechanisms of inflammatory arthritis;
Drug development and drug delivery.

Director - Mr Patrick Smith

Patrick Smith is a consultant to Davies Collison Cave, a leading Australian Firm of patent and trade mark attorneys. He is an associate of the Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia and a member of the International Association for the Protection of Industrial Property (AIPPI) in which Association he has held the position of a Council Member. Pat has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Australia in physics and mathematics.

Director - Mr Greg Monaghan

Greg Monaghan became a Director of Arthritis NSW during 2007. Greg is an experienced Executive and Company Director, currently Deputy Chairman of ASX listed company Customers Limited and a Director of NZ ATM Pty Limited and Cystic Fibrosis NSW, as well as President of Parramatta Cricket Club. He aims to apply commercial skills to assist in the running of Arthritis NSW.

Director - Mr Russell Moor

Retiring to Orange NSW 11 years ago after a lifetime covering many areas of occupation mostly dedicated to the rural industry and being aware of the work of the Arthritis Foundation through my wife Kerrel’s involvement as a sufferer of arthritis since childhood, I accepted the position of voluntary field officer, a position I still hold. Not long after I joined the Board for a number of years as a branches representative but was forced due to branch commitments to later relinquish that position as I took over the position of Orange Branch President as well as Voluntary Field Officer.
Recently I was re-appointed to the Board and join most meetings by tele-conference. I come to the Board with broad branch and rural knowledge and am currently working to bring the west of NSW into the 21st Century by the introduction of a telemedicine clinic in Orange to serve the west of NSW, thereby giving Arthritis NSW the opportunity to support arthritis sufferers in the greater western area (65% of the state) where little support has existed to date.

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EDUCATION COMMITTEE meets bimonthly to discuss and advise on the education program of Arthritis NSW and make recommendations to the Board of Directors
Chair: Dr Ben Marosszeky – Director (Rehabilitation)
Vacancy (Rheumatologist)
Dr Bob Elliot (GP)
Bill Brennen (Physiotherapist)
Cosi Pupo (Consumer)
Verona Du Toit (Podiatrist)
Carol Barnes (Arthritis Educator)
Diana Aspinall (Population Health Consultant)

HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE meets four times per year to discuss management of the human resources of the organisation and make recommendations to the Board of Directors
Chair:
Andrew O’Keefe (Human Resource expert)
Diana Aspinall – Director & Population Health Consultant
Karen Filocamo - CEO

AUDIT COMMITTEE – Meets four times per year to discuss and ensure that due governance is adhered to within the operational and financial matters of the organisation
Membership is
Director & Chair -
Dennis Messner - Accountant
Jude Tasker - Director
Karen Filocamo - CEO