Our Board

Karen Tully (Chair)

BA(Ed), MEd, GradDip of Financial Markets, Certificate IV in Business (Governance), CertIVTrngAssmnt, GAICD, JP

Originally appointed: 18 May 2017

Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026

Karen Tully is a self-employed advocacy, facilitation, leadership and governance expert. She is currently working on a number of projects for rural and remote organisations.

Karen is:

• chair of the Board's Executive Committee
• chairperson, South West Rural Financial Counselling Service
• director, Southern Queensland Natural Resource Management
• president, Charleville Arts Gallery.

Karen is a member of Breast Cancer Association of Queensland, Isolated Children’s Parents Association, and the Queensland Rural, Remote and Regional Women’s Network.

Jan Chambers (Deputy Chair)

Originally appointed: 18 May 2019

Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026

Jan Chambers has extensive previous experience in local government. She served as a Councillor at Booringa and Maranoa Regional Councils, and as Deputy Mayor at Maranoa Regional Council from 2016 – 2020.

Jan is the secretary of Maranoa Diggers Race Club and currently operates a grazing partnership.

Claire Alexander

BBus(Acc), MBA, CPA

Originally appointed: 26 June 2015

Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026

Claire Alexander has extensive experience in financial management in private and public sectors. As a certified practising accountant, she is a strategic financial consultant at Maranoa Regional Council and Murweh Shire Council.

Claire has held similar roles in a number of regional councils, such as Cook, Boulia, Bulloo, Georgetown, Paroo and Quilpie Shire Councils.

Claire is also the chair of the Board's Audit and Risk Committee.

Ray Chandler

BBus(Acc), MPSM, CPA, GAICD

Originally appointed: 18 May 2017

Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026

Ray Chandler has 30 years of experience in executive, corporate services, finance, human resource, infrastructure, project and operations management roles. He spent 21 years at Queensland Health, including at West Moreton-Darling Downs Health Service District. Ray is currently the National Mobilisation Manager at Medirest.

Ray is also chair of the Board's Finance Committee and a board member of Ipswich Hospice Care Inc.

The Honourable Paul Lucas

Originally appointed: 1 April 2024

Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Paul Lucas is a practising Solicitor, qualified Urban Planner and professional company director. He was a Minister in the Queensland State Government for 11 years holding numerous portfolios including Deputy Premier and Minister for Heath.

He is a Director of Energy Queensland Limited [which includes Ergon Energy], the Central Highlands Development Corporation and Chairs the Lockyer Valley Water Collaborative. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

He has a passion for First Nations matters and is an Independent Director of the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation [WA, Pilbara] and formerly held board positions with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health [SEQ] and Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation [SA]. He is currently on the Steering Committee of the National Indigenous Science Translation Centre.

He is a Council member of the University of the Sunshine Coast – a major health educator and is an Adjunct Professor at Bond and Australian Catholic Universities.

He designs and conducts many training courses under the Australia Awards program – particularly in Indonesia and Asia. He is the Queensland President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs.

Paul has a Master of Urban and Regional Planning, Master of Business Administration, Bachelor or Laws and Bachelor Economics, Macroeconomics. He also holds a qualification in Mediation and Arbitration (Prof. Cert. Arb.) and a Certificate IV Workplace Training and Assessment and is a Member of the Planning Institute of Australia (MPIA) and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD).

Ethan Capewell

Originally appointed:  1 April 2024

Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Ethan Capewell is Cunnamulla born, South West Queensland raised and is a proud Indigenous man with firsthand life experiences with ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, spending a lot of his adolescent and adult life building strong community connections throughout South West Queensland.

Ethan works as a Social Emotional Wellbeing Liaison Officer for Charleville and Western Areas Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health (CWAATSICH) Limited, based in Charleville, as well as the South West QLD Deadly Choices Regional Manager for Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health (CACH). Ethan continues to grow a strong passion towards a diverse and accessible approach to preventative and manageable health initiatives.

He is a committee Member of the Charleville and District Community Support Association Inc. (Charleville Neighbourhood Centre) and Member of the Charleville Local Decision-Making Body – QLD Government Local Thriving Communities Reform.

Ethan has a Diploma in Business, Certificate in Nutrition and a Certificate III and IV in Fitness.

Bruce Scott OAM

Originally appointed: 10 June 2021

Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026

Bruce Scott spent 27 years in local government, public sector and not-for-profit boards. He was the mayor of Shire of Barcoo for 16 years and has held positions at the Central West Hospital and Health Service, Central West Remote Area Planning and Development Board, and Desert Channels Queensland.

For his services to the local government and community, he was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Order of Australia honours list.

Bruce is also:

• an advisor to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency
• a board member, of Foundation Rural and Regional Renewal
• a board member of Southern Queensland Landscapes
• a board member of Red Ridge Foundation.

Dr Mark Waters

MBBS, DRACOG, FRACGP, FRACMA, MHA, CHIA

Originally appointed: 18 May 2020

Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Dr Mark Waters is a medical practitioner with a wealth of medical and managerial skills and experience. His previous roles include:

• Director of Patient Safety at The Prince Charles Hospital
• Senior medical officer and visiting medical officer, Cherbourg Hospital
• Principal Health Consultant, Deloitte
• Executive Director of Medical Services, Pathology Queensland
• Director of Learning and Workforce, Queensland Children’s Hospital
• Deputy Chair, Queensland Medical Board
• World Health Organisation consultant, Ministry of Health (Malaysia).

Mark is chair of the Board's Safety and Quality Committee and is also the chairperson of Ipswich Hospice Care Inc.

Dr Tonia de Bruin

Originally appointed: 1 April 2024

Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Dr Tonia de Bruin holds a senior management role in data, analytics, performance, reporting, evaluation, ethics and research.

Growing up in a small central Queensland town and later moving to Brisbane for tertiary education Tonia has first-hand experience in the service disparity between regional and metropolitan areas. Her country roots gave her a passion for helping others and working with community. While loving her work in the fields of data, analytics, reporting, performance and evaluation Tonia is also most passionate about helping children and families who are vulnerable including those who live in areas of socio-economic disadvantage, and / or those who live with disability, and domestic and family violence or experience homelessness.

She is an Industry Advisory Board Member for the University of Queensland and has been a Board Member for Asperger Services Australia and the Morningside Panthers AFL.

Tonia holds a Doctor of Philosophy – Information Systems, Master of Evaluation, Master of Health Service Management, Master of Information Technology, Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment, Bachelor of Business – Accounting, Bachelor of Business – Management and is a Certified Practising Accountant.

Alison Zappala

Originally appointed: 1 April 2024

Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Alison Zappala is an experienced Director and Non-Executive Director within the human services sector.

A Registered Nurse for over 25 years, Alison also has a Business Management qualification, an Advanced Diploma in Strategic Management and has served on Government advisory bodies.

Alison’s knowledge and skill includes clinical leadership, governance and driving improved performance outcomes in the Home Care, Residential Aged Care and Retirement Living sectors.