Our Board of Directors

Volunteering their skill and experience from a wide range of sectors.

The Board of Directors is responsible for the governance and performance of Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA).

The Board consists of a President, a Chairman, and other Directors. The size of our Board is ten, and the majority of the Board have a disability.

All members of the Board operate in a voluntary capacity. They meet bimonthly and more frequently if required. In addition, members serve on sub-committees of the Board, which look at specific areas of operation or issues of interest.

President

Shane Clifton

Shane is Assistant Director, Policy, Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation against People with Disability, Co-lead, developer and researcher, Hammondcare, for Engage, Exploring meaning and purpose after spinal cord injury, and Honorary Associate, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, the Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney.

An ethicist and disability scholar, Shane’s interests lie in exploring themes around the flourishing of people with spinal cord injury and other disabilities. Shane lives with quadriplegia.

Chariman

Michael Rabbitt

Michael has an extensive corporate career in the insurance industry at IAG and NRMA, which gives him a strong understanding of the needs of member-based organisations. His wealth of experience includes managing profitable portfolios, leading teams of people and developing and implementing strategy. Michael became a paraplegic as a result of a compensable work accident in 1992.

Board Director

Steve Peterson

Steve works as a doctor with an interest in emergency telehealth and addiction medicine. He is a non-executive director at LiveBetter – a disability service provider focused on regional areas. Additionally, Steve is an Orange City councillor, serves on the clinical governance committee of Wangarang – a local disability employment provider – and conducts education work through RACGP and various universities. He has completed the Foundations of Directorship and Finances for Directors courses through the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Living in Orange gives Steve a particular interest in regional areas and the challenges facing people with a disability living outside our capital cities. He also has a particular interest in individuals returning to work post injury and through the Board he looks forward to assisting SCIA in advocating for people with spinal and neurological conditions.

Steve sustained complete C4 quadriplegia in 2018 after being hit by a car whilst riding his bicycle to work.

Deputy Chairman

Stewart Calderwood

Stewart’s corporate background is in the finance sector and he has more than 25 years’ experience in London and Australia, currently with Ord Minnett. Stewart brings to SCIA client relationship management experience across a wide range of institutional and corporate clients. Stewart became involved with the Back Up Trust, a UK charity, after a diving accident left him temporarily paralysed.

Deputy President

Paul Crake

Paul is the Director of Total Ability Pty Ltd, which supports people in the disability community with all aspects of driving and vehicular access. Through his previous role at KPMG he has in-depth knowledge of industry funding arrangements, working with the NDIS both from a participant and provider viewpoint, and developing viable business models in the Australian disability space.

Paul became a T4 paraplegic after being blown from his racing bike into a fence post during a cycling race in New Zealand in 2006.

Board Director

Leesa Addison

Leesa is Chief Executive Officer of a technology consulting firm delivering independent strategic technology consulting services across Asia-Pacific. Leesa has specialised in enterprise business transformation and digital product development for over 25 years working in technology and innovation as a consultant, Chief Information Officer and senior executive.

Leesa has been CIO of membership and disability organisations and holds broad experience working across all types of business structures and sizes identifying and developing new products and solutions whilst building technology environments focussed on transforming business models, operating environments and managing enterprise risk.

Leesa is also a Non Executive Director for organisations in the mental health and education sectors with a strong interest in advocacy, systemic reform and representing lived experience in person-centred care.

Board Director

George Panos

George is currently the CEO of a Global Design and Environmental practice. His previous role was as CFO of a Australia wide Architectural and Design practice. He has extensive business, commercial experience across several industries. George previously worked for companies such as PwC, CSR, GUD group and Boral. He is a qualified accountant, lawyer and has completed an MBA.

Board Director

Glen Davis OAM

Glen Davis is Professor of Clinical Exercise Sciences at the University of Sydney, where he is also Director of the Clinical Exercise and Rehabilitation Unit within the Sydney School of Health Sciences. His main research and innovation activities are to deploy novel assistive technologies, surveillance technologies and other medical devices to clinical populations to improve ‘dose-potency’ of exercise for health, fitness and functional outcomes in these populations. He has a particular focus on the use of functional electrical stimulation (FES) and robotic technologies, including neuroprostheses, for individuals with spinal cord injury and stroke, to improve their quality of life.

Board Director

Michelina Pelosi

Michelina has worked in a variety of roles and industries from administration to marketing and in recent years also training and public speaking. Michelina has owned her own bridal business and worked for organisations including Qantas, SC Johnson, TAFE NSW, PBF Australia and more recently Total Ability and SDA Liveable Homes. Michelina has also worked for SCIA providing peer support.

Michelina has travelled extensively promoting a lived experience to empower and encourage people with disability to live a life unbroken. She sustained a L2/T12 spinal cord injury following a motor vehicle accident in 1989.

Board Director

David Ham

David is owner operator of “Nundi”, an 850 Ha wool-growing property located at Oberne Creek in NSW. He is a high functioning incomplete quadriplegic following a bicycle accident in 2017 resulting in a spinal cord injury to C3/C4.

He has strong interests in sailing his International Flying Dutchman Class dinghy and continues cycling on a recumbent tricycle. He is also the deputy captain of the local RFS brigade.

David has a particular interest in the challenges facing people living with disability in regional Australia.