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Our Board

The Association is an incorporated body under the overall management of a Non-Executive Board, The prime duty of the Board is to act as trustee for the membership of the Association and to be accountable to the membership for the overall operation of the Association.

Board members act in an advisory capacity, and as a source of visible influence and knowledge. They actively promote the services the Association provides, and provide support to the Chief Executive Officer in negotiations with the appropriate authorities, corporate bodies and individuals to ensure sufficient funds and resources are acquired to maintain adequate levels of service.

The Board is responsible to review and ratify operations, plans, policies and budgets which are submitted by the Chief Executive Officer on behalf of the organisation, and to monitor these activities, plans and budgets. It is the role of the Board, through the Chief Executive Officer, to ensure that all constitutional, legal and ethical requirements associated with the delivery of services by SHQ are complied with.

Meet our current Board members

 

Rick Brooks

Chairperson

“Its important we serve without prejudice, to ensure a balanced and positive service to our community.”

At SHQ we’ve always had a holistic approach and broad outcome focus.  We paint outside the traditional lines of simply delivering contractually funded results, to ensure that our outcomes are focused on our community, who are at the heart of every decision we make.

As an organisation we tackle topics and provide services that some consider taboo. As the peak sexual health body of Western Australia we must remain brave and committed to ensure that we can provide a voice to those unwilling or unable. We’re conscious too that due to our holistic services and open approach, other organisations look to us for education and guidance, to enable them to serve our community as well.

As the chairperson of the Board it’s important that our noble approach, of placing the community at the centre of every decision, not only continues, but is balanced with commercial parameters that will ensure a surplus, and position us for growth. We have a sound platform and clear remit that will enable SHQ to grow the breadth and depth of services and offer greater advocacy and awareness, so more people understand our value and have an appreciation of the role we play in the community.

 

 

Maria Quaggan

Vice Chairperson

“Being part of the organisation’s future means I am making a real difference.”

SHQ is a well-established and respected organisation in Western Australia, providing community members access to services relating to sensitive and private health matters in a safe environment, free from prejudice or judgement.  This inclusive approach provides a freedom of choice and empowerment regarding people’s sexual health and wellbeing.

I find volunteering my time and experience as a member of the SHQ Board to be enormously rewarding. Working holistically, we provide strategy and oversight that will guide the organisation and ensure the continual delivery of vital services.  Utilising my strengths in business acumen, strategy, and risk I’m able to support strong governance, which is the cornerstone to success for any organisation.

 

 

Natalia Gemmell

Vice Chairperson

“I am excited to be contributing as a Board member to an organisation that has given so much to the Perth community for over 50 years and has inspired me personally.”

After completing my Law Degree in the 1990s, my first job was as the Policy Officer at SHQ (then Family Planning WA). The focus of my role was securing grant funding, and I was instrumental in establishing Phoenix, now the Magenta Sex Worker Project, and advocating for changes to Western Australia’s abortion laws. During this time, I also served on the Board as the staff representative in 1996.

In 2010, while working at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, I became aware of the number of serious sex offences being prosecuted in Western Australia. This was a catalyst for me to undertake a Post Graduate Diploma in Sexology from Curtin University. I went on to work as a sex and relationship coach before returning to work in State Government.

My work in Government has received awards for innovation and collaboration. With 25 years of experience as a Company Director in Australia and the United Kingdom, I am well-placed to be a passionate supporter of SHQ’s strategic directions and to provide strong governance and oversight of organisational risk.

 

 

Hayden Thomas

Board Member

“I want to support the WA community improve their sexual health in a lower carbon future.”

My role in the energy industry gives me the opportunity to support Western Australia to overcome the practical challenges of the transition to a sustainable, lower carbon future. I also want to support the WA community in choosing SHQ to improve their sexual health and wellbeing.

The team at SHQ are specialists in sexual and reproductive health, and deliver clinical and counselling services in an open, non-judgemental way to a diverse client base, which includes providing services to disadvantaged groups within our community.

As a member of the Board I want to offer fresh perspectives and ensure commercially sound decisions are made that will ensure we build on our evidence-based learning and deliver fundamental clinical and counselling services to a wider community for the benefit of all Western Australians.

 

 

Luke Austin

Board Member

“My passion, for Aboriginal health across our communities, brings tangible meaning to everything I do.”

I’m a proud Noongar man and have been actively involved in the health sector, specifically Aboriginal health for many years. The health and wellbeing of communities, particularly those in rural and remote settings is a passion of mine that gives the role I do even more meaning.

As a Clinical Practice Support Officer with AHCWA I’m part of a team providing sexual health training to Aboriginal peer educators. Together, and in partnership with SHQ I believe that we can educate and support our WA community to achieve better sexual health and wellbeing.

 

 

Stacie Mei Laccohee-Duffield

Board Member

“We cannot allow stigma and discrimination to be barriers to empowering people to have good sexual health and relationship wellbeing.”

I am an advocate for the health and wellbeing of all individuals. I firmly believe that everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, age, religion, body shape, size, or ability, should have access to sexual healthcare and relationship wellbeing. As a woman with a transgender experience who has survived suicidal ideation, family violence and sexual abuse, I am driven by the vision that no young person should have to suffer through a similar journey. I live visibly and share my experiences, not to connect people to my story and the challenges I face but help people through to their journey to become leaders of their own lived or living experiences.

With a leadership background in Electrical Engineering and Communications, I now work in Mental Health, starting in Youth Mental Health and now in a designated Lived Experience role supporting systemic change. Being passionate about all parts of the community, I am regularly involved in various community groups, from working on the ground with the homeless, to being Deputy Chair of an LGBTIQA+SB organisation. In 2023, I completed the Emerging Leaders in Governance Program and co-produced a paper titled LGBTQIA+ Representation in the Boardroom Matters.

SHQ is leading the way in sexual and reproductive health, supporting some of our most vulnerable communities. I hope to add my experience to the Board to help champion the removal of barriers and stigma in the community and Government to ensure the improvement of the sexual health and wellbeing of all people in Western Australia.

 

 

Henrietta Podgorska

Board Member

“Joining the team at SHQ, I bring with me a profound admiration for the organisation’s mission and vision that have deeply resonated with me.”

My aspiration is to contribute my extensive experience, and equally, to learn and grow through the collaborative ethos that SHQ embodies. I am here to support, to expand my knowledge, and to ensure that diverse voices are not only shared but heard.

Driven by SHQ’s dedication to putting clients and underrepresented groups at the forefront, I am inspired to lend my expertise from over 11 years in the community sector. My track record of serving Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) communities, participating in national and state advisory groups, and leading local community initiatives, aligns with SHQ’s commitment to meaningful and impactful service.

At the helm of Multilingual Australia, I have advocated for the significance of multilingualism within our societal fabric, believing firmly that our collective cultural identity is strengthened by our linguistic diversity. This belief in the power of community and communication enriches my approach to the work at SHQ.