Executive Board
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President: Kenneth Meissner [BALaw MBA]
Ken is a small business proprietor in the retail furniture industry and is an advocate for the special interests of people with a mental illness. Ken’s daughter Joanne was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1995. After her death in 2000 Ken became a member of MIFQ and was elected to the executive board. He has been president of MIFQ since September 2006. Ken also served as president of the Queensland Division of the Royal Commonwealth Society of Australia for three years and as president of The Brisbane Eisteddfod for 11 years. |
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Vice President: Bob Steele [BEcon]
Bob has experience in the mental health sector for over 10 years having served on the Stepping Stone Clubhouse Management Committee from 2001 and 2009. He served as General Committee Member, Vice President and Treasurer and was the President between 2005 and 2009. During these years, Bob established new financial processes, introduced new governance policy, prepared successful grant applications and presented at a number of seminars and conferences. Bob is a member of the State Council for the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health and is involved with the Governance and Finance Sub-Committees. Prior to his involvement in the not-for-profit sector, Bob worked in the banking and finance industry for 33 years. |
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Treasurer: Cameron Smith [BCom Grad Dip Adv Acc ACA]
Cameron is an executive director in Ernst & Young’s Assurance and Advisory practice in Brisbane. He has more than13 years audit experience including five years working for Ernst & Young in London. Cameron has worked with many large corporate and fast growing entrepreneurial clients, particularly in the travel, transportation, tourism and technology sectors. |
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Secretary Charles Perry [Bsc]
Charles is a computer programmer with the Australian Taxation Office and has been an employee of the ATO for 20 years. Charles has the neurological condition epilepsy and although he has not had a seizure in 26 years, it is a lifelong condition. He was on the board of the Epilepsy Association of Queensland in the early 1990s. Charles also has some experience as a carer, having supported his elderly mother until she died in 2006. |
Executive Board:
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Phil Abernethy [BE (Chem) (Hons) MBA] is the founder and managing director of an environmental product and training company. His main experience has been in operational management in the sugar industry. Phil has also worked with community organisations; as president of a junior soccer club, secretary of the Tweed River advisory group and secretary of a primary school parents and citizens association. |
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Frances Dark [MBBS FRANZCP] has been a psychiatrist for the past 18 years. She is the current Director of Rehabilitation Services at the Princes Alexandra Hospital and is responsible for the Mobile Intensive Support Team, the Early Psychosis Team and the state wide service for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Frances is also responsible for the development and implementation of the Clinical Care Unit. Frances has previously served as a Board member of Open Minds. |
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Coby Pearce joined the Fellowship in 1996 as a volunteer for the monthly barbeques in
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Anthony Martin [Associate Diploma Management] Tony began his career as an electrical technician for the Department of Civil Aviation and, after undertaking a variety of management roles in Tourism, Community Development and Promotion, became owner-operator of a computer business before he retired in 1995. Tony has been a member of MIFQ’s Gold Coast branch committee for six years and a member of the MIFQ executive board for four years. He has a special interest in ensuring consumer and carer representation in Mental Health decision making. Tony is currently a Board member of Queensland Voice for Mental Health Inc. |
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Trish Nolan [PhD in Psychology, MAppPsych, Grad Dip Psych, BA] has been the Research Manager at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) for the past 13 years. In this role Trish has supported the QCMHR’s work toward discovering the genetic and environmental causes of mental illnesses, as well as researching better policies and services for affected people and their families. Prior to this, Trish has worked in the field of mental health, as a private practitioner and in the public systems, both in Australia and the United States of America. |
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Meta Ransome joined MIFQ in 1996 after her son Michael was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Meta volunteered her time helping to co-ordinate the Schizophrenia Awareness Week art exhibition for seven years from 1997 to 2003. Michael passed away in 2004. In her 12 years as Michael’s carer Meta developed an understanding of mental illness issues that impact on families, including state government policies, the criminal justice system and the plight of people using illicit drugs. This is Meta’s 10th year on the executive board. |
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Poul Sletten [LLB Grad Dip health service management] spent a substantial part of his working life as a self-employed pastoralist before working as a prison officer for the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services. Poul has been a volunteer with MIFQ on the Gold Coast for the past 16 years. He has been a member of the Gold Coast branch committee for the last six years and a member of the MIFQ executive board for the past four years. |
