Board of Directors

David Brice – President*

Spinal Cord Injuries Australia President since 2007.

Spinal Cord Injuries Australia President since 2007. Joined the Spinal Cord Injuries Australia Board in 2005 and past director of AQA 1982 – 1984 David’s early career was with the Australian Public Service in Defence Housing and Dept of Army. After being retired on disability grounds (1977) he took up work for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (AQA) and was there for over 20 years specialising in Advocacy and Administration. He has personal experience of severe physical disability and many years experience working with and for people with a physical disability, particularly in advocacy. He has been a member of many Government Advisory Committees on disability issues over the past 30 years. He was a director of the Physical Disability Council of Australia in 2004 and President (2002 – 2004) of the Physical Disability Council of NSW and a Committee member from 2000. David is a member of Spinal Cord Injuries Australia’s Governance and Finance Sub-Committee; Members Issues Sub Committee and chairs the Presidents Forum which hears and discusses issues from members and staff across NSW.

David would like to see all people with severe physical disabilities achieve maximum independence with adequate support services in place to support this ideal. His will fight to ensure that Spinal Cord Injuries Australia maintains and, as funds allow, increases its quality services to people with spinal cord injuries. On a Board level, he will fight to ensure that the constitutional requirement that people with spinal cord injuries or similar conditions have a majority on the Board is maintained.

Antony Varrall - Vice President*

Joined in 2007.

Joined in 2007. I broke my back in January 1979 resulting in level T5 complete paralysis. Fortunately I had just completed my first year of Industrial Arts high school teaching at Barrellan Central School. I recommenced full time Industrial Arts high school teaching at Beacon Hill High School at the start of 1980. In 2002 Beacon Hill High School closed and I moved to Freshwater Senior Campus where I continued full time teaching until I took medical retirement in 2005. I married in 1983 and now have three boys currently aged 18, 21 and 24. I was a member of Kuringai Council Access Committee from 2000 to 2003. After retiring from full time teaching I became an ambassador for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia and enjoyed spending more time dabbling with our investments. Towards the end of 2007, I joined the Board of Spinal Cord Injuries Australia and subsequently joined the Governance and Finance Sub - Committee, Member Issues Sub - Committee.

Being a Board member over the last two years has given me great satisfaction by being part of a terrific team doing their best to guide our organisation in the right direction. It has been very pleasing to see all of our staff, management team, CEO and Board achieving such great results for all of our members during this time. For my part I would like to continue to do my best helping and representing Spinal Cord Injuries Australia wherever and whenever I have the capacity to do so.

David Brawn - Chairperson

Joined in 2006

I hold a BSc in Physics and Maths from London University, a MSc in Business Studies from the London Business School and a Diploma (with Order of Merit) for the Australian Institute of Company Directors course. I have worked in Xerox Corporation and Telstra and prior to my retirement from Telstra in 2004, I was CEO of a subsidiary called Telstra eBusiness Pty Ltd. I held executive roles in strategy, marketing and business management in these businesses.

I am a member of SCI Australia’s Governance and Finance Sub-Committee, Board Development Sub - Committee and a director and chairman of Sargood Centre Ltd. I am a District Governor Elect for Rotary District 9750 which means I will be District Governor in 2010/11. District 9750 includes 53 Rotary clubs situated in an area from Sydney Harbour in the north to Kiama in the south and out to Camden in the west. There are over 1500 members in the District.

I joined Spinal Cord Injuries Australia to help provide support for people with spinal cord injuries and, as part of this, to add more business expertise to the Board as it met new challenges to expand its activities profitably. I wholeheartedly support the Vision and the Mission of the organisation and expect to continue to support the CEO and his team in realising these.

David Prast – Director*

Joined in 2005

Prior to 1995 David was a Senior Sales Executive with Data General Australia, specialising in the implementation of a Healthcare IT infrastructure to all Perth metropolitan hospitals. Presently David is a Director of Spinal Cure Australia and a former member of the Executive Committee of the Neurological Council of Western Australia. He is the Founding Convenor of The International Campaign for cures of SCI Paralysis (ICCP) and a member of the Founding Steering Committee of Australia and New Zealand Spinal Cord Injury Network (ANZSCIN) Since his injury in 1995 David has been a passionate advocate for research in the field of spinal cord injury. In 1998 he led a team that successfully lobbied to establish the Neurotrauma Research Fund of Western Australia.

In subsequent years colleaugues in other states successfully lobbied for similar funds to be established in NSW and Victoria. More recently David has been closely involved with the team of people at Spinal Cord Injuries Australia who have introduced the Walk On SCI Recovery program to Australia.

As Australia’s only National SCI advocacy group, David believes Spinal Cord Injuries Australia is well placed to take a leadership role in influencing healthcare policies and providing programs and services that ensure best possible functional and recovery outcomes are achieved by people sustaining spinal cord injuries. Ensuring the provision of health and rehabilitation services keep abreast of world’s best practice standards and ensuring Australia plays an integral role in improving health outcomes for people with SCI are key to achieving our Mission.

David O'Brien – Director*

Joined Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (formerly AQA) in 1984 and elected to the Board in 1996.

I have a Bachelor of Business Administration and have worked since 1983. I work for The Audit Office of N.S.W. My work involves using software to assist in documenting the auditing of government entities. It also requires working with the accounting & auditing standards which helps in my role as a member of Spinal Cord Injuries Australia’s Governance and Finance Sub-Committee, (GAF). I became involved with Spinal Cord Injuries Australia after becoming a C5/6 quadriplegic as a result of a rugby union move called “The Flying Wedge” in 1977. Since then, I’ve deteriorated to a complete C4 quadriplegic which meant adjusting again to a new disability level using mouth sticks. I was 19 when I had my accident and I’m now 52.

Over the last 32 years there have been significant improvements, both medically and with technology, that have tremendous benefits for people who sustain a spinal injury. I’m determined to maintain the independence of the disabled and that they continue to be the primary source for anything that will affect them, especially the spinal injured. It’s crucial that well intentioned able bodied people do not make decisions on behalf of the disabled without their input. I look forward to a cure for spinal injuries in the near future and further technology developments and discoveries that will benefit the disabled. I feel the opportunities for the spinal injured will especially focus on education and employment which are so important to one’s quality of life and self esteem.

Margaret Noonan - Director

Joined in 2007

Margaret worked for Spinal Cord Injuries as the Community Relations Manager and is experienced in advocacy and community service provision in the disability sector. During her time at Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, she was also involved in strategic and business planning, negotiations with government for funding contracts and in building relationships with other service providers and PEAK bodies. Prior to that, Margaret worked in the corporate sector and was involved in service development, mergers, policy development and commercial contracts.

Margaret originally came onto the Board as an Invited Director in 2007, and became a member-elected director at the end of 2009. She is involved in the Board Development Sub - Committee. Her goals are to use her community service and corporate experience to enable Spinal Cord Injuries Australia to continue its’ strong history of advocating for people with a spinal cord injury and for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia to develop new services that will enable people to increase their enjoyment and participation in everyday activities in their local community.

Brad O'Hara - Director

Brad is currently employed with NRMA Motoring & Services and heads up the Community Engagement and Member Motoring portfolios. Brad has worked across a number of disciplines in his 16 years with NRMA including Sales & Marketing, Automotive Technical, Corporate Affairs and Business 2 Business channels.

He is currently responsible for Sponsorships, Events, Community Relations and NRMA’s motoring advocacy programs, including the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) – Australia’s Best Cars Program, New Vehicle Evaluation Program and motoring related content on NRMA's corporate website. Prior to NRMA Motoring & Services, Brad held a variety of technical roles with Ansett Airlines, in particular, Brad’s understanding of issues relating to transport and transport infrastructure for people with spinal cord injury will help place SCIA in a strong position when lobbying relevant statutory and government bodies on behalf of members. His current position exposes him to diverse community groups, and this has helped him understand the unique challenges that these groups face and how corporates and the not for profit sector can work together successfully to deliver on common goals.

Brad is passionate about helping in the community, having developed strategies and implemented volunteering programs at NRMA and acted as a volunteer himself for a number of charities and not for profits. He is also keen to explore new uses of technology to educate, engage and drive positive change in community attitudes towards people with spinal cord injury. He currently sites on the RTA’s Driver Reviver Committee and is a recipient of the Government of New South Wales medal for community service, is a Member of the Institute of Automotive Mechanical Engineers and an Associate of Automotive Engineers.

Brad will use his corporate knowledge and experience to strongly advocate for people with spinal cord injury so that they too can gain the independence and quality of life that others enjoy.

Michele Adair - Director

Michele has a passion for equity and social justice. An early career in marketing led to the establishment of a consulting business that specialised in business development and performance management. Although Michele’s clients included government departments, corporates and professional service firms, the community sector has always been her first priority.

After 19 years of consulting Michele made the transition to senior management positions at Mission Australia, The Smith Family, and Alzheimer’s Australia. She has been with NPS since 2009.

Joining the team at SCI means Michele’s extensive program and community development experience will be focused on the needs – and rights – of people with spinal cord injuries. From service delivery to advocacy and policy development, evaluation and partnerships, Michele has professional and deep personal commitment to the SCI vision and mission.

Richard Klinger - Director*

Joined the Board from 1997 – 2005 then from 2007

Richard was the Chairman of Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (AQA) from 1998 – 2001; and was Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (AQA) President from 1999 – 2000; and a member of the Community housing Advisory Committee from 2000 – 2001. He is a member of Spinal Cord Injuries Australia’s Governance and Finance Sub-Committee and a past director and Chairman of Collaroy Rehabilitation Monitoring Service (CRMS).

Richard’s background is in the civil construction engineering field and his present occupation is Managing Director of equibuilt, a Building Services Company.