Our Board

Mr Smith has extensive experience in the management of healthcare facilities and the provision of health services, predominately in general practice. He has been involved in general practice management since 1985 and has taken a keen interest in the operation of general practices and the major organisations which influence and shape them. Mr Smith is the Chair of the Australian General Practice Accreditation Ltd (AGPAL) Group of Companies and Director of Quality Innovation Performance (QIP), Quality in Practice Consulting and QIP-International, Deputy Chair, General Practice Workforce Tasmania, Chair, Client Focused Evaluation Program (CFEP) Australia and Member, Consortium of Accredited Health Care Organisations (CAHO) International Advisory Committee India. Mr Smith has extensive representation on Commonwealth and State Government Advisory Boards, Working Parties and task groups and relevant healthcare industry committees both here and internationally, which allows him to contribute to the shape and delivery of healthcare in Australia. In 2021, Mr Smith was awarded an Honorary Doctors of Letters honoris causa by the University of New England for the professionalisation of practice management in Australia and Internationally. In 2023 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Ms Bojanic is an accomplished registered psychologist, manager and Board Approved Supervisor with over 10 years of clinical and leadership experience. She has extensive experience working across various sectors including the corporate, private and hospital settings and is driven by a passion for excellence and a commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing for those in the community. Throughout her career, Ms Bojanic has worked with complex clinical presentations, facilitating both inpatient and outpatient programs. She has a passion for working with military and first responder communities, as well as those affected by occupational trauma. Ms Bojanic has provided expert training and supervision, facilitated master classes, podcasts and consultations, and is also actively involved in research and academic tutoring. She is a regular guest presenter at a wide variety of conferences to further the advancement of the field.

Mrs Hannen is a clinical care expert with over 34 years of experience working as a leader and registered nurse (RN) in the aged/home care and disability sectors. Mrs Hannen operates an aged care consultancy across Australia which partners with care providers to create solutions for clinical and governance requirements, including conducting audits on Standards, developing and delivering policies and training programs to ensure compliance, resilience and sustainability for organisations and their governing bodies. Mrs Hannen holds a range of health care Board advisory positions and regularly presents to Boards and conferences to share her knowledge of the care industry and the regulatory requirements. Some of the key projects she has delivered include: Nurse Advisor, organisational reviews in aged/home/disability care, and development and implementation of clinical and governance processes. Mrs Hannen has clinical (RN) and business (MBA) qualifications as well as a Diploma of Company Directors. Mrs Hannen lives in the Blue Mountains, and she has raised her family and lived in the Blue Mountains for 30+ years.

Dr Langsford is a GP with over 20 years of clinical experience and substantial general practice experience in the Blue Mountains community. She is passionate about primary healthcare that supports patients across allied health and community services and committed to creating this environment for her patients.  She has a keen interest in preventative medicine and developing healthy communities.

Dr Langsford holds a Fellowship from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), former Chair of the GPGC Board, and a former Board Director of GPTQ.  She has substantial experience as a key member of Financial Audit and Risk Management committees across her board roles, and as an advocate for effective governance.

Dr Andy Marks is the Executive Director of the Australian Technology Network, a grouping of the nation’s five leading technology-focused universities. He is also a director on the boards of Evolve Housing, Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, and the Royal Botanical Gardens and Domain Trust.

He has a PhD and first-class honours in political science and literature and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Andy writes regular columns for the Sydney Morning Herald, and other national media outlets. He is also a panellist on ABC radio’s ‘The Critics’ and ‘Politics’ forums, and is a member of the ARIA nominated band, Crow.

Ms Nesbitt is an urban and regional planner who has worked for government, private sector, non-government organisations and local communities for over 30 years. She has strong connections with the Nepean Blue Mountains region being born and attending school in the Hawkesbury. She was the inaugural Social Commissioner, Greater Sydney Commission, where she drove an agenda to deliver inclusive, connected and healthy communities through innovative urban planning and community/stakeholder engagement processes, collaborations and partnerships across Greater Sydney. Ms Nesbitt has strong networks with local community services and organisations; local, State and Federal government; business organisations, and universities. She is a Fellow Planning Institute of Australia, Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors, NSW Councillor Parks and Leisure Australia and volunteer Australian Red Cross Emergency Services.

Dr Tamilarasan has been a rural general practitioner in Lithgow since 2005. She is passionate about access to quality healthcare for all residents within the Nepean Blue Mountains PHN region and supporting our healthcare workforce. She is committed to improving support for rural and regional GPs so that others are tempted to work in smaller centres and find the same joy she experiences from living and working in a small community. Dr Tamilarasan has extensive experience in general practice training having previously managed the GP training programme for Western NSW for many years. She knows the importance of nurturing our future medical workforce by supervising medical students and GP registrars within her practice and remains involved in GP training external to her practice.

Darren Schaeffer is an accomplished executive and governance leader with over 30 years of experience in financial stewardship, strategic leadership, and corporate governance. Darren is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Fellow CPA and Professional Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors. Darren brings a wealth of expertise in public sector finance, risk management, and compliance. He currently serves as Chair of the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate (CMTEDD) Audit Committee in the ACT as well as Chair of the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Audit Committee. He is a member of six other audit committees and two boards. Darren’s leadership has driven transformative financial reforms and governance improvements across multiple government departments and Indigenous organisations.

Mr Yealland has had a diverse career across many different sectors with expertise in business process improvement, leadership and management. Mr Yealland currently is a business advisor who provides services to organisations supporting people with intellectual disability in the Western Sydney, Blue Mountains and Nepean region. Mr Yealland is of Wiradjuri heritage and understands the issues that confront Aboriginal people and has a keen interest in the enhancement of health outcomes and economic participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. He has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by people with disability and by Indigenous people in accessing services for their needs. Mr Yealland is passionate about equity and quality service delivery.