Board

Jane Williams

Appointed: 29 June 2012
Board Chair: 18 May 2016 
Current term: 01 April 2022 to 31 March 2026

Jane is an experienced Board Chair and Director across several sectors including Health, Water and NFP Organisations.

Jane holds Qualifications in Management and Community Engagement and has 30 years experience in health and an extensive background in rural and remote emergency nursing.

Jane has developed a wealth of transferable skills, networks and experiences. These include building
strong partnerships and relationships, leadership, governance, operational and financial management, stakeholder engagement and negotiation, strategic planning and connecting people.

Jane is a team player and looks for the good and opportunity in every situation. She is driven to
improve the health and wellbeing of people in regional and remote Australia.

Having lived and worked in various communities in the Central West for thirty years, Jane has a strong understanding of how important it is for the people to have access to safe, quality and consistent health care services.

David Arnold

Appointed: 29 June 2012
Deputy Chair: 21 October 2021
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026

David is the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Western Queensland Remote Area Planning and Development Board, a regional organisation of councils and regional development agency. Through this role he successfully oversees the administration of a range of government programs, advocates to the Federal and State Government, and partners with the Central West’s seven Local Governments, to understand and respond to the economic, social, and environmental needs of these communities. He is also a committee member of  Regional Development Australia Central and Western Queensland, as well as being Chair of RESQ Plus – a 50% Indigenous owned and controlled organisation which delivers the Federal Government’s community development program across the Central West and South West regions of Queensland.

The importance of working together to improve the sustainability of rural and remote communities is the belief that David brings to the table as Deputy Chair of the Central West Hospital and Health Service Board. He realises the importance that availability of health services plays in community sustainability and he has a strong commitment to the ongoing development of the Central West communities.

David has completed many corporate governance training programs, including through the Australian Institute of Company Directors and he holds a Graduate Certificate of Science in Strategic Foresight, a Bachelor of Business and an Associate Diploma of Applied Science.

William (Bill) Ringrose

Appointed:  29 June 2012
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026

William (Bill) Ringrose was a partner in accounting firm Ringrose and Button which has offices in Longreach, Rockhampton, Blackall and Hughenden, and worked as an accountant in general practice for 25 years. He has experience in the areas of audit, taxation, corporate governance, probity and proprietary and as a director on the Board of the Central West Hospital and Health Service, Bill brings his knowledge to the fore as a member of the Finance and Audit and Risk Committees.

Through his interaction with business clientele and community groups, Bill has forged many relationships with local people across the Central West area and beyond. Bill draws on these relationships to better understand the individual and community issues faced by people in regional Australia including the access to, and availability of, quality healthcare services.

Bill has a Bachelor of Commerce and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia.

Elizabeth (Liz) Fraser

Appointed: 18 May 2016
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Previous work in local, state-wide and contracted delivery of human and educational services has provided Liz with a wealth of experience in shaping and assessing the benefits of government programs and leading organisational change in pursuit of better outcomes.

A key focus for Liz in this context is ensuring people in rural and remote areas can access and be participants in shaping the health services they need.

Her time as Queensland Commissioner for Children and Young People and Child Guardian and in social work advocating actively for the rights, safety, and wellbeing of people as well as her senior executive leadership roles in government effecting service delivery, public service innovation, collaboration and performance improvements have all enhanced her capabilities to provide strategic oversight and development of the Central West Hospital and Health Service through her role as Board Member.

Liz actively champions the importance of stakeholder engagement and effective strategic management practices to secure agreed outcomes and foster inclusive practices.

Clare Walker

Appointed: 18 May 2016
Current term: 1 April 2022 to 31 March  2026

Clare is a dedicated medical practitioner based in Longreach, offering a blend of General Practice and Senior Medical Officer services at the local hospital. Her work spans across the Central West Hospital and Health Service, providing the Board with crucial insights into frontline healthcare delivery that inform strategic planning.

With over 20 years of experience in regional and rural Queensland, and having lived and raised her family in Longreach for the past 15 years, Clare possesses a deep understanding of the healthcare needs of rural and remote communities. She is committed to enhancing health outcomes in this region, leveraging her dual roles as a practicing clinician and Board Director to achieve this goal.

Clare holds dual fellowships in General Practice from the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM, 2009) and the Royal Australian College of General Practice (FRACGP, 2009). She also has an Advanced Diploma of Obstetrics (2009), Diploma of Rural Generalist Anaesthesia (2010), and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (2018). Clare is a member of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, the Royal Australian College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the Rural Doctors Association of Queensland.

Leisa Fraser

Appointed: 18 May 2016
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Leisa Fraser has more than 25 years professional experience in finance, human resource management, workplace health and safety and quality improvement across the Health and Community Services Sector.

Leisa has undertaken extensive work in the Aged Care and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service Environment and works tirelessly to ensure that the needs of rural and remote people in relation to accessing health services in-line with their needs are achieved. Leisa currently works for the Western Queensland Primary Health Network as the Head of Primary Heath and Commissioned Services.

Leisa lives in Winton and works across the vast Western Queensland Primary Health Network region spanning an area encompassing approximately 55% of Queensland. Leisa is passionate about providing comprehensive primary health care and support services to the people of Western Queensland and when she is not working, she spends time with her family and serving the Winton Community through various community groups. Lesia has a Certificate IV in Mental Health (Non-Clinical) and a Certificate IV in Business and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Kieran Chilcott

Appointed: 18 May 2021
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Kieran Chilcott is an Aboriginal man from the Yugarabul people in South East Queensland. He is an experienced Chief Executive Officer and board director primarily in the health and human services sector.

Kieran has been employed by Kalwun Development Corporation Ltd, an Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation on the Gold Coast, for over 15 years. He is a founding director and the current Chairperson of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, and a board director of Check Up Australia and Ohana for Youth.

Kieran attained a Bachelor of Education majoring in behaviour management from Griffith University in 2006. In addition to his education degree, Kieran has completed a range of other tertiary qualifications including: Diploma of Management, the Australian Institute of Company Directors Company Directors Course, Certificate IV in Mental Health, Certificate IV in Project Management, Certificate IV in Business (Governance) and Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training.

Brett Walsh

Appointed: 1 July 2024
Current term: 1 July 2024 to 31 March 2028

Mr Brett Walsh has served as the Longreach Regional Council CEO since October 2022 and has spent many years in the Central West, previously holding various senior executive positions with the Barcaldine Regional Council.

Brett has a managerial finance and strategic leadership background, holds a Bachelor of Commerce, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

In 2008 Brett received a Department of Local Government Community Hero Award, as well as the Butch Lenton Memorial Bush Heritage Innovation Award in 2018.