Ian Rankin - President

Ian has been involved in the community response to HIV since 1994. He has held various positions including as a former President of AFAO, NAPWA, AIDS Action Council of the ACT and Convenor of PLWHA ACT. Ian complied “AIDS Action! - A history of the AIDS Action Council” and has held various representative positions at the National and Territory level on Committees focused on HIV.

Ian has worked in the Commonwealth Public Service and studied policy development and social research at the ANU. Ian has a passion for effective governance, meaningful engagement of people affected by HIV and building a more sustainable Federal Government commitment to a vital HIV response in this country and in the Region.

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Willie Rowe - Vice President

Willie has served as a member of the WA AIDS Council (WAAC) Board of Management from 1998 to 2011.  This included three years as Treasurer and three years as Chairperson.  In addition to maintaining a range of ongoing programs crossing the spectrum of responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Western Australia, during his time at WAAC the organisation engaged with and developed programs for a range of emerging HIV issues including CALD and mobility challenges.  Willie has an extensive background in government both at political and bureaucratic levels. Willie also has a significant personal interest in the ongoing HIV/AIDS response.

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Nic Parkhill - Secretary

Nic has over 15 years experience in the public and community health sectors. For the last three years, he has headed up both the health promotion and operational divisions of ACON. Prior to that, Nic worked in a variety of senior management and policy development roles for NSW Health and the NSW Cabinet Office, many with a specific focus on alcohol and other drugs. He also has a background in campaign management and public relations.

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Andrew Burry - Treasurer

Andrew has held the role of General Manager at the AIDS Action Council of the ACT (AACACT) since 2007, prior to this he spent two years with the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men's Health Clinic (VAC/GMHC) as a fundraiser. Andrew's prior professional background has been in commerce, including the bio-technology, finance and advertising sectors. He has tertiary qualifications in marketing and finance. After 'retiring' from business in 2000, Andrew lectured third year marketing students for two years at Monash University in Melbourne, whilst working as a volunteer announcer and current affairs presenter with JOY 94.9. Andrew has also been involved with the ALSO Foundation and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival in volunteer capacities. Andrew has been a member of the Board of the National LGBTI Health Alliance since it was formed.

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Chris Lemoh 

Chris Lemoh is a physician practising in the areas of general internal medicine and infectious diseases. He is currently undertaking research on HIV in Victoria’s African communities. He has a strong interest in the relationship between social equity and health. Specific interests include refugee health, HIV in mobile and marginalised populations, cross-cultural health research and the role of community engagement in public health and health service delivery.

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Robert Mitchell

National Association of People living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA)

Robert hails from Tasmania and has had a long association with the HIV sector, both at state and national levels. He has been involved with the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS since 2000, and for the past three years has held the position of President of the Association. Robert is also a member of the Commonwealth's Ministerial Advisory Committee on Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections. He has a commitment to the meaningful involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS at all levels in the response to HIV, and demonstrates his commitment through consultative and collaborative participation and leadership.

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Colin Ross

Anwerneknhe National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIV/AIDS Alliance (ANA)

Colin has worked on issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses in the government and community sectors for 18 years. He has worked and volunteered in policy and planning, and program development and coordination in Aboriginal Medical and Sexual Health Services, advocacy for Indigenous People living with HIV/AIDS, health promotion and service delivery. Colin has had a close association with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBT groups across Australia over many years. Colin is the current Chairperson of the ANA.

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Kane Matthews

Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Worker Association

Kane joined Scarlet Alliance in 2007 and was employed in 2007 and 2008 to conduct and author The National Needs Assessment of sex workers who live with HIV. He has also volunteered over many years for a number of community organisations including the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and Positive Life NSW. Kane's involvement with Scarlet Alliance has included a range of activities promoting the rights of sex workers living with HIV as well as industrial relations for the sex industry. In his professional life, Kane has worked for over seven years in industrial relations and continues to work casually in the sex industry, having started working when he was 16. Kane has been living with HIV since 2003.

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Jenny Kelsall

The Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL)

Jenny worked at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne for many years in the Epidemiology & Social Research Unit and the Centre for Harm Reduction with a focus on injecting drug use & blood borne viruses. Jenny was part of the multi-discipline research team with Professor Nick Crofts, which documented the hepatitis C epidemic among injecting drug users for the first time in Australia. Jenny has worked on a range of peer-based research and education projects across Australia and Asia and she is currently employed as a senior staff member at Harm Reduction Victoria (formerly VIVAIDS): the Drug User Organisation for Victoria.

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