The organisation employs the equivalent of 9 full time staff members and operates from an office in Wollongong and also from a Shoalhaven Office in Huskisson.

 

Frank Wallner - Secretary/General Manager

Frank has a bachelor degree in Exercise Science (BAppSc) and a masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) and was awarded a research scholarship to study health at the University of Tsukuba in Japan in 1989-91.

Frank has worked in the non-government health sector for the past 19 years in a diverse range of roles including education, fundraising, research, business development and management. He has worked for the National Heart Foundation, Sports Medicine Australia and has been the Secretary/General manager for Healthy Cities Illawarra since 1996.

 

Sam Swales - Coordinator Shoalhaven

(Maternity Leave till December 2008)

Samantha holds a Bachelor of Health Education and an Associate Diploma in Welfare. Sam has worked in the fields of welfare and health promotion in both the government and non-government sector. She has experience working in community development and client services roles in public housing areas and has worked with Healthy Cities Illawarra since 2004.

 

Katherine Van Weerdenburg - Childrens' Health Programs Coordinator

Katherine possesses a Bachelor of Applied Science (Sp. Path.) from Sydney University and worked for a number of years as a paediatric Speech Pathologist. Katherine then ventured into the world of community development, working as a Community Development Officer for the NSW Ethnic Communities Council before joining Healthy Cities Illawarra as Project Leader of the Illawarra Safe Communities Program. Katherine has been part of the Healthy Cities team for over 16 years and has developed particular expertise in the implementation of community safety programs especially child injury prevention programs. She is a passionate advocate for the health and welfare of children and is now working with Healthy Cities to address a broader range of child health concerns in the Illawarra.

 

Caitlin Marshall - Community Programs Coordinator

(Maternity Leave till December 2008)

Caitlin has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Qld, and is currently completing a Masters of International and Community Development (DU). She has experience both as a direct service worker and community development practitioner, having worked for the women’s sector, housing and homelessness services, sexual assault services and youth programs. A sojourn to Scotland for three years provided Caitlin experience in working for local government community services. Arriving back in Australia she once again returned to community development work with at-risk tenants in Brisbane for Queensland Shelter, before moving to Wollongong and joining the Healthy Cities team in March 2006.

 

Tracy Spark - Children's Nutrition Program Coordinator

Tracy holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Australian History and Aboriginal Studies (ANU), and a Master of Public Health Degree (UoW).  She joined the Commonwealth Government as a Graduate and worked in a variety of areas in the Departments of Health and Community Services, including health promotion, disability services, and Indigenous health.

 

Since leaving Canberra to live by the sea, Tracy has worked on the safe use of medicines at the Illawarra Division of General Practice, and established the Disability Support Unit in Wollongong for Family Planning NSW, before joining Healthy Cities in late 2006.

 

Jenny Farinella - Sexual Health Promotion Officer

Jenny has a B.A. with an education major from Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand and a Diploma of Teaching from Waikato Teachers College. After a period of primary teaching, Jenny trained in natural health and became a massage therapist running her own business for six years in Wollongong.

Jenny then traveled overseas and worked in a variety of countries for the tourism industry for 5 years. On her return to Wollongong Jenny worked for Wollongong City Council in Community & Cultural Services with Aged & Disability for two years and joined the Healthy Cities team to promote sexual health for people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.

 

Jenny Norman – Community Programs Coordinator

Jenny has a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics from University of Wollongong and a diploma in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management. She joined the team at Healthy Cities in December 2007, filling Caitlin Marshall’s maternity leave position.

Jenny worked in a variety of hospitality and business environments before commencing her degree in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2003. Her major initiatives at present are Food Fairness Illawarra and the Healthy Cities Illawarra Aged Taskforce.

 

Jill Merrin – Community Environmental Health Officer

Jill has a Bachelor degree (BSc) and a research Masters degree in Science (MSc) majoring in plant sciences, as well as horticultural qualifications from Lincoln University, New Zealand. She is also studying for a Graduate Certificate in Journalism.

Jill has worked in scientific research and botanic gardens before moving into environmental planning, management and reporting. She worked with the non-government environment sector, for the Illawarra Catchment Management Committee, the Total Environment Centre and the Australian Conservation Foundation, as well as the Department of Environment and Climate Change, before moving to Healthy Cities Illawarra in early 2008.

Vivienne Kish - Children's Safety Advocate

Vivienne has a Bachelor of Arts (Mass Communications) and a Bachelor of (Early Childhood) Education from Macquarie University and is currently working on her Masters of Public Health at the University of Wollongong.

Vivienne has worked in a variety of educational environments, including early childhood and adult learning settings, both in Australia and Canada. She is a keen advocate of quality childhood education that is safe and family focussed, and has worked closely with Canadian indigenous communities to provide best practices in culturally sensitive children’s programs. Vivienne is currently working in the Shoalhaven area as a Children’s Safety Advocate, with a focus on disadvantaged communities and children aged birth to fourteen.

 

Debra Langridge - Child Friendly by Design Project Cordinator

 Debra has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and a Masters of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, both from the University of Wollongong. She has worked as a Community Nutritionist, Health Promoting Schools Coordinator and Communications Officer with the Health Promotion team in the Illawarra.

Her most current position is as the project coordinator for the Child Friendly by design (CFbD) project at Healthy Cities, and she is once again working with Jill Vickery, who is the CFbD project officer. This project is funded as part of Communities for Children Shellharbour, and aims to make more child and family friendly communities in the Shellharbour area. Working closely with Shellharbour City Council, local developers and businesses will be a large focus of the project, together with giving children and families in Shellharbour a voice about what a child and family friendly looks like.

Debra is also working with the Child Safety Advocacy Project at Healthy Cities, to assist with evaluation.

 

Jill Vickery - Child Friendly by Design Project Officer

Jill Vickery has come from a high school teaching background, majoring in Physical Education, Health and English. She has many years (too many to count!) experience, having taught in Sydney, ACT and in the Illawarra. Over the past decade, she has thoroughly enjoyed being a class teacher at local primary schools.

In a joint venture between IAHS & the Department of Education & Training (DET), Jill was the consultant coordinating the SCIP Program (Student Committees for Injury Prevention) in many schools in the Illawarra & South Coast. Valuable partnerships were established during this project, including that with Healthy Cities Illawarra, & the Child Accident Prevention Taskforce. Jill later joined Deb Langridge in Health Promotion IAHS, as coordinator of the Health Promoting Schools Illawarra program that Deb had so ably initiated.

The ‘team’ is together again for the Child Friendly by Design Project Shellharbour, with Deb as coordinator & Jill as project officer.

 

Tracee Taylor - Office Manager

 

Alison Horne - Administration Officer

 

 

 

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