Board & Governance

We're a community organisation
The Gift of Life Incorporated activities are governed by its Board in accordance to the Gift of Life Constitution. The Board welcomes participation from the broad cross-section of the Australian community, particularly those with a personal connection to organ and tissue donation.
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Our Board meets regularly to determine action. We lobby both the Australian, ACT and occasionally interstate governments on policy-related issues at the political level. We work closely with the Australian Government's Organ and Tissue Authority and participate in DonateLife ACT policy advisory groups. Our Board also organises community awareness raising events.
Our Board
Cath Scott
President
Catherine is a corneal transplant recipient. She also sits on the Organ and Tissue Authority led Community Engagement Group and the Eye and Tissue Advisory Committee. See Catherine's story here.
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Catherine is a business and events management contractor for small businesses, not-for-profit organisations and think tanks. Catherine has held positions in senior management, policy and research roles in think tanks, small business, state and federal government departments.
James Bancroft
Treasurer
James' oldest daughter received a kidney transplant in 2014 at the age of 8.
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James is an Associate Director for KPMG. He is is an experienced financial analyst, project manager and logistics specialist with extensive expertise in the development of complex, strategically focussed Defence projects and systems.
Aaron Green
Board Member
Aaron Green became involved in raising awareness for organ donation after he tragically lost his younger brother in 2013. His brother changed the lives of 8 transplant recipients.
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Aaron is the Director Leasing at JLL and has worked within the Canberra commercial property market for over twelve years.
Geoff Mason
Board Member
Geoff is a live donor, having donated one of his kidneys to his daughter, whose own kidneys were attacked by an auto-immune disease when she was 14. Read more on Susannah’s transplant story here.
Geoff is a former senior IT manager with over 30 years experience with the Department of Defence and is currently enjoying life in retirement.
Graham Smith
Board Member
Graham Smith is on the Board and is former Chief Operating Officer of the National Museum of Australia. Prior to joining the Museum in 2010, Graham Smith worked at the Royal Australian Mint for four years, firstly as Deputy Chief Executive Officer and then Acting Chief Executive Officer. He was influential in leading the Mint through major transformational change in both visitor facilities and work processes. Mr Smith’s public service career has spanned more than 30 years, with experience in the provision of both policy and corporate advice in executive and senior management positions in the Department of Treasury, Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Office of the Assistant Treasurer. He is active in a range of Canberra-based community organisations and sits on a number of Australian Capital Territory Government advisory boards
Clement O'Donnell
Board Member
Clem O'Donnell is a kidney transplant recipient. Clem's older brother Liam proved the best match and the transplant went ahead smoothly.
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Clem is in his final year studying law at the Australian National University. He also sits on the Organ and Tissue Authority's Community Engagement Group.
David O'Leary
Immediate Past President
and Board Member
A liver transplant recipient at Austin Hospital Melbourne in 1990. Became a Gift of Life Board Member in 2008 and was President from 2010-20. Currently a Board Member assisting the new leadership team. See David's story here.
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David had a work career with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade becoming a Division head and had a range of overseas postings including as Consul-General in New Caledonia and later Hong Kong.
David Parker AM
Board Member
David Parker is a kidney transplant recipient and has been a strong advocator for raising awareness for organ and tissue donation and kidney health for many years.
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David has extensive experience in economics and public administration with a long professional involvement in policy and regulatory matters across a range of sectors. He was a Deputy Secretary in the Commonwealth Government’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and in the Department of Environment and the Commonwealth Treasury. David is the current Chair of the Australian Clean Energy Regulator and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012. He is also on the Board of Kidney Health Australia in 2010, having previously chaired Kidney Health Australia’s National Consumer Council.
Nicole Quinn
Board Member
Nicole has a personal interest in organ donation through friends and family.
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Nicole Quinn is the principal of Quinntessential GR, a government relations advisory firm based in Canberra. She has with over 20 years’ experience in advocacy and stakeholders engagement including working for federal ministers/parliamentarians.
Mallie Taylor
Board Member
Mallie became involved with raising awareness for Organ and Tissue donation when her husband, Matthew, passed away after being turned down for a lung transplant, because there weren't enough donors.
Mallie is originally from the US, and is a photographer. In her free time, she fosters kittens.
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Past Presidents
Anne Cahill Lambert AM
President 2007-August 2010
Anne became seriously ill with a significant lung disease in 2004 and was listed for a lung transplant. She was shocked to discover the extremely low organ donation rates and used her health management skills to advocate for improvements. She was one of many voices who called for national leadership on organ and tissue donation matters: that call was answered by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who himself had been the beneficiary of tissue donation. By 2008, a national approach was announced and Anne was appointed to the inaugural Council for the Australian Organ & Tissue Authority in 2009, relinquishing that role in 2013. Anne was also a Council Member of the National Health & Medical Research Council and chaired the ACT Remuneration Tribunal. She has worked and volunteered in the health sector for more than forty years.