Our Board

the Hon Christopher PyneThe Hon Christopher Pyne (Chair)

The Hon Christopher Pyne is Chairman of Pyne and Partners and a Professor in the UniSA Business School amongst other appointments.
 
Christopher served as a member of Federal Parliament from 1993-2019, leading reforms across the Ageing, Education, Industry Innovation and Science, Defence Industry and Defence portfolios.
 
Christopher’s father, Remington, was a past President of RANZCO, contributing to the creation of the first National Trachoma and Eye Health Programme.
 
Christopher has witnessed firsthand, particularly in indigenous communities, the work of the eye sector and is keen to ensure it receives the support it deserves.

Jane SchullerJane Schuller (Deputy Chair)

Jane Schuller has 25 years’ experience in eye health care.
 
She is a qualified orthoptist in both Australia and the USA and has had 10 years’ experience in large teaching eye hospitals and private ophthalmology practices in Singapore, Bangkok and the USA.
 
She is President of Orthoptics Australia, past Victorian Chair and has held a number of other state and federal roles.
 
In 2019, she completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Directors Course. She continues to work at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and in several private ophthalmology practices.

Dr Jessica GallagherDr Jessica Gallagher

Elected to the board in 2014 and global ambassador since 2010, Dr Jessica Gallagher is aware of the issues and importance of eye health through her own unique experiences personally and professionally as a person with low vision.
 
Jess seeks to provide a relevant firsthand perspective and continued advocacy to the ongoing vision and success of Vision 2020 Australia.
 
As someone with low vision she is focused on helping the board connect with a different audience and would bring lived experiences of the people Vision 2020 are advocating on behalf of so that people can participate and live an independent life in the way they choose to.

Shaun TatipataShaun Tatipata

Shaun Tatipata is Narrindjeri/Wuthathi with family connections in the Torres Strait, Cape York and South Australia. Shaun’s professional career has been devoted to advancing the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Having trained as an Aboriginal Health Worker (AHW), Shaun gained extensive experience in delivering Primary Health Care and designing and implementing outreach programs in communities.

It was through these roles that Shaun developed a passion for preserving and restoring sight, and set out to specialise in delivering culturally safe eye care services combining the unique skill set and cultural brokerage role of an AHW with the clinical expertise of Optometrists and Ophthalmologists.

Jaki AdamsJaki Adams

Jaki was born and raised in Darwin (Larrakia Nation) and is of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, with ancestral links to the Yadhaigana and Wuthathi people of Cape York Peninsula, traditional family ties with the Gurindji people, and extended family relationships with the people of the Torres Straits and Warlpiri.  

Jaki has 25 years experience in government and non-government/international development sectors.

As Director Program Implementation – Oceania, Jaki oversees eye health programming, social justice and advocacy for The Fred Hollows Foundation’s Indigenous Australia Program, as well as programming and stakeholder management across the Pacific, Timor Leste, Philippines and Indonesia.

Heather MackA/Prof Heather Mack AM

Clinical Associate Professor Heather Mack (B Med Sc, MBBS, MBA, PhD, FRANZCO, GAICD) is an Australian ophthalmologist.

She has held senior leadership positions with the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists over the past 17 years, including President (2018-2020).

She works in her private ophthalmology practice, and has experience in clinical research in academia, with industry and with government.

She has been involved in 19 clinical trials (Phases 1-3), and is on the Advisory Board for voretigene neparvovec gene therapy in Australia. Heather has been an invited speaker at over 20 times and has over 47 peer reviewed publications.

Nitin VermaClin A/Prof Nitin Verma

Nitin is Past President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) and longtime Board Director. He is also a Director of the Macular Disease Foundation of Australia.

He has been active both locally and internationally through my involvement in establishing the eye health program in Timor L’este. 

During his tenure as RANZCO President he oversaw the implementation of the Vision 2030 and beyond plan, which aims to enhance equitable service provision across Australia and develop and maintain a sustainable ophthalmology workforce, with the goal of working towards eliminating avoidable blindness in Australia.

Dr Kate ReidDr Kate Reid

Dr Reid has provided 15 years of service to public Ophthalmology at Canberra Hospital, where she was instrumental in funding Eye Clinic infrastructure projects in excess of $4 million, and initiating patient co-management with both public and private Optometry.

She is an experienced educator, inaugurating then leading the ANU Medical Student Ophthalmology Program for a decade. She is a regular presenter of her research at scientific conferences.

Now in private practice, Dr Reid continues her research interests in neuro-ophthalmology, and her advocacy for utilising limited public Ophthalmology resources as efficiently as possible.

Fiona WoodsFiona Woods

Fiona is the President of Blind Citizens Australia and has been a Director since 2017.
 

Fiona has also held positions with the National Women’s Branch, has chaired the National Policy Council and led the development of BCA’s Expectations of Service Providers, which sets out what we believe people who are blind and vision impaired should expect when they access services designed for them. In addition, Fiona was a graduate of the first Executive Leadership Program.

Fiona is a passionate advocate for growing awareness of vision impairment, blindness and inclusion, and that access to and knowledge of eye health should not depend on socio-economic or geographical factors.

Dale CleaverDale Cleaver (co-opted Director)

Dale Cleaver is the CEO of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT. He was first appointed to the Vision 2020 Australia Board in 2019 and co-opted in March, 2023. 

Dale’s history of working in the health, not for profit and charity sectors includes positions as CEO of Campbell Page (National Provider of Employment Services), CEO of the Royal District Nursing Service South Australia (SA) and prior to this, 17 years with The Australian Red Cross including roles as Acting CEO and National Chief Operating Officer. 

He has a professional passion for making a difference and empowering people with disabilities, and has experience in strategic, operational and transformational change to further increasing the quality of service-based organisations.

Murray SmithMurray Smith (co-opted Director)

Murray Smith is passionate about optometry as a profession and its role in health care of the community.

A past director and president of both Optometry Australia and Optometry Victoria, and past director of Optometry Victoria/South Australia, Murray has special interests in detection and management of eye diseases, paediatric optometry and specialty contact lenses.

Based in Victoria, he has worked in most states and territories in Australia and spent five years as a lecturer and clinical supervisor/assessor in Papua New Guinea. Murray has also volunteered as an optometrist in East Timor several times.

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