Our Board

Sophy Athan Chair

With a strong interest in mental health, disability, the aged and women’s health, Sophy has been an advocate in the health sector for over 13 years. She has presented at conferences and workshops on consumer and carer perspectives. She is also a member of several health service committees and Chairs a number of consumer and carer committees.

She is the Director of her own company, Euroforce Music. Prior to this she was a senior public servant in both state and local governments. 

• Phone: (03) 8676 9050
• Email: Sophy Athan

Marie Gill Deputy Chair

Marie has worked as a nurse for over 30 years, mainly in chronic disease care. She has extensive knowledge and experience of the health care system and works as a consultant with government, community health, hospitals, Medicare Locals and non-government organisations.

Marie has a Masters of Education and works with health organisations to improve the way they deliver care for people with chronic health issues. Her focus is to promote the concepts of client-centred care, self-management, consumer consultation and peer learning. 

• Phone: (03) 8676 9050
• Email: Marie Gill

Peter Ruzyla Board member

Peter is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eastern Access Community Health, Social and Community Health. The organisation provides primary health care, mental health, counselling, disability, housing, employment and aged care services across Melbourne, regional New South Wales and into Queensland.

He has worked as a Director and CEO in the community sector for over twenty years. Peter’s work has had a particular focus on the development of comprehensive, integrated community based services that are easy for consumers to access and navigate.

• Phone: (03) 8676 9050
• Email: Peter Ruzyla

Rose Williams Board member

Rose is a passionate consumer representative, having seen both the best and worst of consumer relations in the health care field. She is an active member of the Melbourne-based young women’s breast cancer support group Boob Club. She is a keen advocate of continuous improvement in both policy design and implementation of patient-centred health care.

Phone: (03) 8676 9050
Email: Rosie Williams

Lauren Cordwell Board member

Lauren Cordwell joined the Health Issues Centre Board in October 2015 and is also a member of the Finance and Audit Committee.

Lauren has extensive health policy, strategy, community engagement and business development experience in the health and community sectors. Through working with diverse stakeholders to address community needs, Lauren is committed to finding solutions to some of the big challenges facing healthcare in Australia.

• Phone: (03) 8676 9050
• Email: Lauren Cordwell

Maria Napolitano Board Member

Maria Napolitano is a Certified Practicing Accountant with broad financial services industry experience. She has a strong interest in governance and risk management, and how this can add value to an organisation’s operations. Maria joined the Health Issues Centre in 2018 and has past experience as a treasurer and director for a not for profit organisation.

• Phone: 03 8676 9050
• Email: Maria Napolitano

Katy Adams Board Member

After over 20 years working as a decision maker in financial services dispute resolution, Katy successfully completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course. Her assignment for that course involved an aged care case study, which led her to volunteer at a local aged care residence.

Katy was a consumer representative for the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal. She has extensive experience in vocational training and public speaking. She was a parent representative on the Board of a not-for-profit childcare centre and has been an active member of other community groups.

Katy qualified as a solicitor in England in 1989. When she migrated to Australia, she requalified as an Australian lawyer in 1996. Katy has 2 children, who are university students.

While living in the UK, Katy benefited from the excellent universal healthcare of the National Health Service. She is passionate about ensuring that high quality healthcare is provided to all. Within Health Issues Centre, Katy will ensure that her governance and life experience makes a positive contribution to the Board.

Phone: (03) 8676 9050
Email: Katy Adams 

Emma Blake Board Member

Emma Blake joined the Health Issues Centre in 2018 as an enthusiastic consumer representative, with the objective of making a difference for consumers of health care.  Emma’s passion is driven by her own consumer experience from patient-centred health care.

Emma is a Chartered Accountant with more than 20 years experience in Accounting, Risk Management & Financial Markets (Banking & Treasury).  Emma’s experience has evolved through roles in the Financial Markets Industry, Not-For-Profit Organisations and more recently the Health Industry.  Emma has a strength for supporting organisations to focus on continuous improvement and development/implementation of strategic initiatives to ensure the achievement of short & long term objectives

Phone: (03) 8676 9050
Email: Emma Blake