Governance
AMRRIC’s elected Board is made up of a wide range of people, from both veterinary and environmental health, tertiary institution staff and private and corporate sector members.
AMRRIC is proud to have been accepted as a signatory to the APONT (Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the Northern Territory) Partnership Principles. AMRRIC acknowledges and values the relationships we have with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities and defer to their knowledge and ability to lead decision making and program design, and their consent to work within their communities.
DR KATE BLASZAK
CHAIRPERSON
Kate is a global Head of Research and Animal Welfare at World Animal Protection. She has a base in Melbourne and travels frequently in Asia where she previously managed the regional companion and working animal programmes, with a focus on dog welfare, rabies and population management. Kate brings a broad range of animal welfare and one health project, policy, training and management experience. She is committed to serving local communities and their animals.
DR ANN-MARGRET WITHERS
VICE-CHAIRPERSON, TREASURER
Ann-Margret Withers is the Community Programs Veterinarian for RSPCA NSW, where she has worked since 2002. As well as being a general practice vet and supporting Inspectorate work for the RSPCA, she has been significantly involved in the development and delivery of their social support and outreach programs to disadvantaged, rural and Aboriginal communities in NSW since the mid-2000s. These programs provide access to important basic veterinary services and education, and are aimed at supporting the human-animal bond and recognising its importance in the health, welfare and safety of people and their pets. She has been on the AMRRIC board since 2007.
DR ROSALIE SCHULTZ
Rosalie grew up in Perth, and has worked as a medical doctor and researcher in Aboriginal communities in remote regions of NT and WA since 1997. She has also ventured to work in rural Solomon Islands, East Timor and during the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. She has specialised training in public health and general practice. Rosalie believes that health arises from how people live. She would like to see promotion of children’s well-being, quality education, employment, housing and transport. She sees animal and human well-being as interconnected, and believes in the fundamental importance of ecosystems and the environment.
DR STEVE ROGERS
Dr Steve Rogers is the CEO of The Centre for Appropriate Technology Ltd (CfAT Ltd), an Aboriginal controlled not for profit company based in Alice Springs. An experienced company director currently holding Directorships with Ekistica Pty Ltd, CfAT Satellite Enterprises Pty Ltd, CfATMP Pty Ltd and Territory NRM. He has led the transition of CfAT Ltd from a government grant, block funded NGO to a sustainable commercial company, with a remit to deliver technology innovation required to stimulate economic development across remote Indigenous Australia.
SCOTT GORRINGE
Scott Gorringe has worked in Indigenous Education since 1998, first with Education Queensland and then as Director of Murrimatters Consulting. Scott co-developed Engoori with David Spillman in 2007 to change the way in which school communities perceive, talk and think about teaching and learning in the context of Indigenous Education and has delivered this process to numerous organisations and schools across Australia, in particular within the Stronger Smarter Leadership Program.
Scott is a Mithaka man with obligations to take the lead on Native Title processes and secure the permanent protection of traditional waters and country through negotiations with government, pastoralists, mining, and other key stakeholders. Along with having addressed academic and public forums on issues such as Indigenous Education, community development and water protection, Scott is an Australian Rural Leadership Program Fellow and was appointed Visiting Fellow at Queensland University of Technology and Adjunct Senior Lecturer at UQ.
DR ALISON TAYLOR
Dr Alison Taylor has been a practicing veterinarian for 20 years and has been a partner in a small animal practice in Canberra since 2004. Alison has been involved in delivering animal (mainly dog) health programs in the Northern Territory since 2008. Since 2010, she and the organisation that she co-founded have been providing the service consistently to the same 25 communities in the Barkly and Central Desert regions. During this time, there has been much collaboration with AMRRIC.
JOANNE ABRAHAM
Joanne was the Operations Manager at the West Australian Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation. She is passionate about changing the underlying causes of Aboriginal disadvantage and building awareness of intragenerational trauma experienced by Aboriginal people. Prior to her commitment to alleviating Aboriginal disadvantage, she worked as an processing engineer across a broad range of minerals and mineral processing operations. Her experience encompasses large scale mining and smelting operations to bench scale test work programs and feasibility studies. At present, she is pursuing a long-held dream to author her first book. Joanne knows the value of education to deliver life-long benefits and the power of storytelling to share diverse voices.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group
The AMRRIC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group brings the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities into the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of AMRRIC’s discrete animal management services and programs.
It’s members have been sourced from across Australia bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and experience which will assist in ensuring that AMRRIC’s programs and communication are both culturally sensitive and achievable.
Picture above: The AMRRIC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group at Parliament House during their inaugural meeting in Darwin August 2017, where they were introduced to the House during question time, personally greeted by the Northern Territory’s Chief Minister Michael Gunner, and hosted to afternoon tea by the Member for Arnhem, Selena Uibo.
Mr Scott Gorringe
More information about Scott can be found in the Board bio’s above.
Joanne Abraham (Chair)
More information about Joanne can be found in the Board bio above.
Mr Alex Blackman
Alex is a Kalkadoon man from Mount Isa, Queensland, but has spent most of his life in the Wadjuk country of Perth. A life-long animal lover, he has a Biology Degree majoring in Wildlife Conservation. Alex became involved in dog management through a role with the Department of Health where he was part of dog health programs. In his current role as a Dangerous Goods Officer with the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, he visits Aboriginal communities across WA and ensures their fuel and gas supplies are safe. Alex is passionate about both animal management and Aboriginal welfare, and hopes to use his knowledge and experience to positively influence both areas.
Mr Wayne Bynder
Born into one of the largest southwest families, Wayne has lived much of his life in Perth. He has enjoyed working and learning in remote regional areas of the Kimberley and in the Northern Territory for ten years.
Wayne’s education includes two tertiary degrees and a professional working life that evolves around education and radio broadcasting. Early in his working life, he decided in order to be successful you need two areas in which to work in; in his case it is broadcasting and teaching. Wayne most enjoys Indigenous broadcasting for which he has built up 30 plus years of experience in all areas including training, broadcasting and managing.
Wayne follows a philosophy of respect and continuous learning. “Be respectful to other people and always be ready to learn.”
Dr Julie Owen
Julie is an Aboriginal woman with family ties to the Narungga and Ngarrindjeri Nations of South Australia, whose love for the Kimberley and its people have captured her heart and spirit. Her current stay of four years is her third round of working and living north.
Julie’s qualifications in Teaching and Masters in Population Health are from UNISA and Flinders in South Australia. Her Doctorate in Aboriginal Health from UWA, and her counselling diploma were completed in 2006 and 2009 respectively. Julie was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to travel, work and learn and live for nine months with Native American Nations across Midwest, USA in 2007 was a highlight of her academic career.
Over the last 30 years, Julie has lived and worked across several states in regional, remote and rural areas, in Aboriginal health, community development and education.
Presently Julie is working with Catholic Education in the Kimberley region, as the Coordinator for Aboriginal Families as First Educators, in the 3a Program, with positive results and wonderful outcomes.
Her love of the beach and dancing keep her active and she loves being grandmother to 14 grandchildren and a great grandson.
She values and is honoured to be able to connect and re-connect with sista girls from her previous works, lives and challenges.
Ms Bindee Davis
Bindee grew up in Darwin and calls it home, but is enjoying living in Adelaide while she works her way through university study to become a veterinarian.
Bindee is a qualified and experienced Veterinary Nurse that has experience working in General Practices, Emergency Centres and Remote Indigenous communities. Whenever possible Bindee likes to travel to experience different cultures and ways of life. She also has an interest in working with education and dog health programs in the more remote rural communities around Australia.
Bindee shares her life in Adelaide with her Partner Karen and their menagerie of animals at home which are one dog, two cats, one snake and two chickens. She is excited to be a part of the AMRRIC Advisory Group, so she can share her knowledge and experiences with other people and the wider community.