THS Board, Executive & Leadership Team

The Board
Board Directors
Key Personnel
Executive Team
Leadership Team

The Board

The Board consists of a group of individuals that through their expertise help Tallangatta Health Service to achieve its goals throughout the year. The governance role the Board provides is vital to ensuring the Health Service can move forward and make the necessary changes to ensure we remain relevant to our community, in a flexible and dynamic way, but most of all in a financially responsible way.

The board has a broad range of functions it governs that include:

Set strategic direction and goals.
Delegate responsibilities and accountabilities.
Endorse and approve.
Prioritise resource allocation at a strategic level.
Seek reports, feedback and expert advice.
Monitor performance and address underperformance.
Evaluate reports, review feedback suggestions and complaints.
Policy development and approval.

Board Directors

Angus Beath

Chair
About Angus

Angus Beath

Angus is a new Board Director local to the area, who commenced in July 2022. As an IT Professional and with broad experience across a large number of different industries, he brings both an information security and technology driven approach to business.

Growing up on the Border, he lives in Tallangatta with his wife and children. Angus divides his time between community engagement, sport and pipe band commitments.

As a new Board Director, he is looking forward very much to learning more about Tallangatta Health Service, and delivering value to it and the Board.
Michelle McDade

Board Director
About Michelle

Michelle McDade

Michelle McDade is an experienced health service executive having held operational roles in both the public and private health care sector. Michelle’s career is highlighted by her approach to quality and innovation.

Improving each patient's experience in the health service, engaging staff in this important work, and searching for innovative solutions to the challenges in health care is of utmost importance to Michelle.

Michelle travelled internationally in 2010/11 studying excellence in patient experience. Michelle has previously worked as a Physiotherapist, holds a Masters of Business Administration and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Robyn Fry

Board Director
About Robyn

Robyn Fry

Robyn Fry has worked as a lawyer for more than 30 years with over 20 years’ experience in private and public sector general counsel and company secretary roles in the healthcare and hospitals sector as well as in funds management and a government business enterprise. Over this time Robyn has gained extensive experience in the establishment, direction, and oversight of a broad range of public and private sector governance frameworks, regulatory compliance functions, insurance portfolios, and risk management and business continuity programs. With board and company secretariat experience in health information services, services for children and their families, public health service and health research and epidemiology, Robyn is committed to the ongoing challenges of improving healthcare including in the critical areas of staff safety and welfare and patient outcomes.

Based in Melbourne, Robyn has strong family connections in north east regional Victoria and looks to making a genuine contribution to the Health Service and more broadly to the community it serves.
Susan Petzke

Board Director
About Susan

Susan Petzke

To be supplied
Melissa Buultjens

Board Director
About Melissa

Melissa Buultjens

Dr Melissa Buultjens (PhD) was appointed to the Tallangatta Health Service Board in July 2022.

Melissa has diverse experience, ranging from tertiary educator to clinical midwife, and dynamic healthcare executive. Her previous role as Director of Clinical Services in a public health setting, is demonstration of her commitment towards working collaboratively to create and deliver innovative health services that support equity of access, treatments, and outcomes. She currently holds a position as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology and Public Health at La Trobe University. Her teaching spans across the undergraduate Health Sciences through to Master and Doctoral level, e.g., Master of Health Administration, with subject matter including communication in healthcare, clinical governance, and health services quality and performance.

Melissa has also successfully completed the Foundations of Directorship (AICD).

Melissa looks forward to the opportunity to use her experience to contribute to the Tallangatta community through her participation on the Board of Tallangatta Health service.
Steven Hams

Board Director
About Steven

Steven Hams

Steven has a background in both accounting and financial counselling and has been working predominantly in the adult education field for the past 15 years. He is currently the Chair of Lifeline Albury Wodonga and has a strong interest in teen and male mental health, financial wellbeing and education as well as wholistic health practices.

Steven has lived in the local area for close to 20 years and before that had lived in many locations from Cairns in the North to Phillip Islands in the South. As such, he has a range of experiences with large and small businesses in large and small communities.

Steven has owned a successful business in Wodonga, provided work to over 20 locals and held other community-based roles with schools and small business organisations. At home, he has three boys who are in their final years of high school and is married to Jennifer who is a teacher of children who are on the Autism spectrum.
Bess Nolan-Cook

Board Director
About Bess

Bess Nolan-Cook

Bess is an experienced executive leader with a background in marketing, communications and major events. As the current CEO of Tourism North East, the Regional Tourism Board for Victoria’s High Country and member of The Ovens Murray Regional Partnership, Bess has a deep understanding of both the challenges and opportunities of regional development, and is passionate about driving meaningful outcomes for local communities.

Bess holds a Bachelor of Dramatic Art in Technical Production from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Certificate in Business Administration from University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Daniel Attard

Board Director
About Daniel

Daniel Attard

Daniel is a sociologist and has worked across the health and human services sectors for 20 years. As a principal advisor in the Victorian Public Service, Daniel contributed many core sector and government reforms across a variety of portfolios. Daniel has a strong focus of applying research to develop evidence-based methods and interventions for patients and clients and detailing pragmatic applications of theory to assist students in future practice. Daniel has a keen interest in facilitating workshops and mentoring graduates and junior staff new to the sector.

More recently, Daniel is involved in identifying efficiencies and service gaps in the public sector, engaging with service providers and non-government organisations to partner with government in providing essential services in a contemporary setting.
Amanda Solly

Board Director
About Amanda

Amanda Solly

Amanda has 30 years’ experience as an executive in the areas of human resource management and adult learning and development. She has 20 years’ general Board experience, including 5 years as a Board Director in the aged care and health sector. Amanda holds a Master of Human Resource Management, Graduate Diploma in VET Adult Learning and Development and a Bachelor of Business; she is a current member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Amanda was re-appointed as a member of the Tallangatta Health Services Board in 2024 after having previously served on the Board in 2019-2023. She lives in Albury and is committed to ensuring regional areas are well supported with community services to meet their needs.

Key Personnel

Tallangatta Health Service is led operationally by the Chief Executive Officer supported by an executive team who collaboratively, in a together we care environment, lead the organisation to achieve its vision, with overarching governance by the Board.

The following areas sit under each portfolio:

Chief Executive Officer
Leadership and Management
Safe Practice and Environment
Strategic Direction
Consumer Engagement
Organisational Culture
Compliance
Human Resource Management

Director of Clinical Operations & Nursing (DCON)

Continuity of Care
Access
Effectiveness
Quality and Safety systems
Accreditation
Person-centred care
Consumer Participation
Clinical Workforce
Continuous Improvement

Director of Corporate Services (DCS)

Finance
Environmental Services
Information Management
Risk Management
Asset Management
Procurement
Emergency Management
Occupational Health and Safety

Executive Team

The core responsibilities of the Executive team are to provide leadership to enable the vision of Tallangatta Health Service to be realised alongside performance priorities in its environment of care and to ensure that all our services are person centred, safe and of high quality.

The Executive team is comprised of the following positions:

Vicki Pitcher

Chief Executive Officer
About Vicki

Vicki Pitcher

Vicki has worked in senior management and executive positions over many years in both Community Health and Higher Education. A transformational leader who seeks to inspire staff and encourage growth and initiative, Vicki comes to us from Corryong Health (Director of Community Services).

In her time at Corryong Health, and following 3 years as General Manager for Gateway Health, Vicki has provided strategic direction for Medical Clinics, Mental Health, Allied Health and Home Care teams.

Vicki lived in Rutherglen for 30 years where she raised 3 children. Having moved to the Upper Murray in 2017, Vicki continues to enjoy the beauty of the region.
Juliana Sheridan

Director Clinical Operations/Nursing

About Juliana

Juliana Sheridan

Juliana is an internationally experienced nursing leader and educator who believes that her first priority is the patient’s right to professional, confidential and excellent nursing care, based on the concept of holistic management, consistency in staff and individualised care.

She has a passion for building and educating caring teams, orientated towards coherence of a multi-disciplinary team and providing the capacity to lead strategic thinking, based upon research, analysis and planning. She completed her PhD at the Alfred Hospital through Monash University and believe’s in delivering high standards of health care in regional Victoria.

Juliana comes to us from Northeast Health Wangaratta where she was the manager of the Intensive Care and Dialysis Units. She lives in the Indigo Valley with her husband and 4 children and is dedicated in making Tallangatta Health Service a great place to work and even a better place to be in when you are sick or needed care.
Deb Harvey

Director Corporate Services
About Deb

Deb Harvey

Deb comes to Tallangatta Health Service with a wealth of experience in financial management and executive leadership. She has worked for over 20 years in community health in North East Victoria and more recently in residential aged care. She will lead Tallangatta Health Service’s multiple corporate functions, with a commitment to achieving the best outcome or experience for THS residents and consumers.
Denise Gigliotti

Executive Assistant
About Denise

Denise Gigliotti

Denise held administration and management roles in Home and Community Care prior to her role as Executive Assistant in 2010. She has a Diploma of Management and a Cert IV in Training and Assessment.

Denise has lived in the area all of her life and has a strong connection with the local community through sport, education, and family. She is very proud to contribute to and support the services that Tallangatta Health Service provides.

Leadership Team

Deputy Director Clinical Operations & Nursing
Jennie Keogh
People & Workforce Manager
Louise McCudden
Nurse Unit Manager - Acute & Lakeview
Robyn Reeves
Nurse Unit Manager - Bolga Court
Danielle Armstrong
Environmental Services Manager
Estelle Star
Catering Coordinator
Christine Costello
Quality and Risk Manager
Evelyn Keogh

Corporate Services Manager
Farhad Ramjaun
Allied Health Team Leader
Ellie Flower
District Nursing Coordinator
Lesley McLellan
Community Services Coordinator
Maree Peters
Consumer Experience Coordinator
Sue Mitchell
Practice Manager
Kathy Cregan

Our Team

The Board

The board has a broad range of functions it governs that include:

Board Directors

Angus Beath

Angus Beath

Michelle McDade

Michelle McDade

Robyn Fry

Robyn Fry

Susan Petzke

Susan Petzke

Melissa Buultjens

Melissa Buultjens

Steven Hams

Steven Hams

Bess Nolan-Cook

Bess Nolan-Cook

Daniel Attard

Daniel Attard

Amanda Solly

Amanda Solly

Key Personnel

Executive Team

The Executive team is comprised of the following positions:

Vicki Pitcher

Vicki Pitcher

Juliana Sheridan

Juliana Sheridan

Deb Harvey

Deb Harvey

Denise Gigliotti

Denise Gigliotti

Leadership Team