Laraine Toms
President
Member of the Finance Committee
Laraine Toms is a carer with a background in education who has extensive experience as a carer advocate and educator in mental health and more recently in aged care. She has been on the Board of Carers NSW for 6 years, is co-chair of the NSW Mental Health Priority Taskforce and member of the NSW Health Care Advisory Council. Laraine represents Carers NSW on various state and federal government working parties.
Felicity Purdy
Vice President
Member of the Finance Committee
Felicity Purdy is a former carer, and has worked with children and adults with disabilities, their families and services for almost 40 years. She is a life member of National Disability Services and holds a number of voluntary and advisory positions concerned with health and severe disability. She has been a member of the Carers NSW Board for eight years.
Jim Warren
Treasurer
Chair of the Finance Committee
Jim Warren was born in Fiji, educated in New Zealand and spent his entire working career, including 25 years as a partner, with Price Waterhouse/PricewaterhouseCoopers. During his more than 42 years with the firm Jim lived and worked in four countries and undertook assignments in more than 20 others. He has considerable experience as an auditor and consultant to not-for-profit organisations including the YMCA, Bible Society of Australia and Care Australia. Jim has served on the Boards of the Australian Institute of Management and Australian Institute of Company Directors and is currently on the Board of the Walsh Bay Precinct Association. Jim joined the Board of Carers NSW as a co-opted member in November 2006 and was appointed Treasurer in 2007.
Christina Aggar
Christina Aggar is a former carer with a nursing background spanning 26 years. She has extensive experience in community work, particularly in aged care. During the past five years Christina has pursued her interest in carers through research, completing a qualitative research project examining the bereavement experience of older women carers, and more recently investigating the experience of caring for frail older community dwelling people. Currently, Christina is a research Assistant, PhD Candidate – Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney.
Stephen Bowles
Stephen Bowles is a chartered accountant and registered company auditor. He had a 35 year career with PricewaterhouseCoopers including 21 years as a partner, working in senior roles as chief financial officer and in assurance and corporate advisory services. He has worked with not-for-profit organisations in audit, consultant and committee roles. Stephen joined the Board of Carers NSW as a co-opted member in August 2009.
Dulcie Flower
Dulcie Flower is a Torres Strait Islander who joined as a co-opted member in November 2005. She is a registered nurse and educator, and has worked in Aboriginal health for many years. She has represented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders on many committees and advisory groups, including the Ministerial Advisory Committee and National Diabetes Strategies Group. In 2004 she was elected to the Board of Directors of the Aboriginal Medical Service Co-op Ltd Redfern.
Eileen McDonald
Eileen McDonald has been a carer for various members of her family for most of her life. Eileen has become a strong advocate for carers, particularly carers of people with mental illness. Eileen has been a Carers NSW carer representative, on the Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) National Register of Consumer and Carer Representatives, Co-Chair of the National Mental Health Consumer & Carer Forum (NMHCCF), and a member of the National Expert Reference Group for the Web Based Professional Development Education Curriculum for the Australian Mental Health Workforce project. (MHPOD). Eileen also has a BA in Communications, a Graduate Diploma in Dance Movement Therapy and a Masters in Counselling (Candidate).
Christine Rowell
Christine Rowell joined the Board as a co-opted member in November 2005. Christine trained as a school teacher and taught in WA and NSW, then worked in the travel industry from the mid 1970s until the mid 1980s. She then moved to AFS Intercultural Programs, where she worked with volunteers in the selection and placement of young Australians. In 1993 she graduated with an MBA from Macquarie Graduate School of Management, before joining CanTeen in 1994 where she held the position of chief executive officer for nine years. Christine is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has a keen interest in corporate governance in community businesses.
