EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Kristen GAWN

Working as an occupational health nurse since 1995. Initially within Cadbury for 10 years and then 18 years self-employed. My educational background is: comprehensive Registered Nurse; Batchelor of Physical Education – Ex physiology, Biomechanics and exercise prescription; post grad Certificate endorsed in Occupational health & Safety. My passion in Occupational health is in prevention and management of muscular discomfort although I have wide experience across the industry.

My current tenure on the Executive started in 2019 – Secretary/Treasurer for 3 years and President since 2022 AGM. 

Jeff Lubbock

Specialist qualifications: Diploma in Environmental Management, BSc Community Health, MSc Occupational Health & Safety Management

23 years experience in Occupational Health.

Joined the Executive team as the National Secretary and Treasurer in September 2022.

Currently the Senior Health Officer (Occupational Health) for the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).

Previously worked in the UK as a uniformed officer providing OH advice to military managers and service personnel at Exec level. Currently working at the OH coalface providing health monitoring; also responsible for the development of OH policy and guidelines for the RNZAF.

Specific roles or projects in support of the Exec:

Day to day financial management and administration in support of the NZOHNA administrative role. Making sure our invested money works for the association and providing oversight and governance for expenditure.

Areas of specialist interest:

- Respiratory protection and Fit Testing, Commit2Fit qualified.

- Occupational Hygiene and Tier one delivery of workplace assessment.

- Education and sharing of best practice.

Liz Kiss

Based in Taranaki, I’ve been engaged in occupational health as part of the Working for Health team since 2018. My educational background to date is as a comprehensive Registered Nurse with PGCert HSc (Advanced Nursing).

As a HASANZ registered Expert and Senior OHN, I work across a broad range of industries including oil & gas, manufacturing, corporate and public sectors, where I focus on creating progressive change at an individual and systems level.

I joined the NZOHNA executive team as the Taranaki Representative in May 2022 and have been in tenure as Vice-President since October of the same year.

Areas of specialist interest include:

- Action and intervention-focused health surveillance, providing organisation support for the WorkSafe National Work-related Health Surveillance Project

- Developing growth and promotion of the Occupational Health Nursing profession through business and stakeholder understanding

- Health hazard risk analysis

- Audiometry education and training

Anna Reeve

I am based in Dunedin.

I started working as the National Administrator in December 2019. This is a part time role and I also have another Administration job that I spend twenty hours a week doing on site.

I have decades of experience, too many to mention ;-) in accounts/banking/administration.

Working for NZOHNA has been a very interesting role and I have enjoyed engaging with Exec and members alike.

It has been great working with the Exec team who are full of passion and drive to do their very best for NZOHNA members and OH in general.

Judith Currie

I am supporting NZOHNA in the Professional Support Role. This role is 5 hours a week in combination with independent business as an OHN.

I have worked in Occupational Health and Safety since 1991 with both large and small businesses along with 8 years as an educator in the health and safety space. As Occupational Health Nurse I have combined health promotion and health and safety to help businesses move forward. My interest is in  Mentally Healthy Workplaces and worked for the last three years as Occupational Health and Wellbeing Coordinator at the University of Otago.

Past roles have included representing NZOHNA as Executive Member, National President and HASANZ for its first 4 years. I enjoy meeting and supporting nurses on their professionals’ journeys.

Catherine (Cate) Hampton

I have 21 years occupational health experience.

My specialist qualifications are - PG Diploma in Rehabilitation, PG Diploma in Health Sciences (endorsed in Occupational Health)

I joined as the Executive member for Waikato/Bay of Plenty in August 2023.

Currently employed by Stevenson Aggregates Ltd / Stevenson Concrete Ltd. (Fulton Hogan - parent company).

Graduating in 1993, initially working in Community Mental Health, then 7 years in Case Management with ACC before finally landing in Occupational Health for the last 21 years.

Specific roles or projects in support of the Exec:

Still gaining an understanding of the various projects/roles the Executive team are involved with and understanding how it all works.

Looking forward to supporting the Waikato & BOP regions and becoming a contributing member of the committee.

Areas of specialist interest:

Accredited Employer Programme (AEP), Rehabilitation & Pro-active intervention Specialist.

Recent employment has led to a steep learning curve with regard to Respiratory protection & currently working toward Commit2Fit competency.

Wendy Spence

RGON. Dipl. Occupational Health Otago University.1993.

Masters in Health Science (first class Hons) Auckland University 2003.

Diploma of Sports and Exercise AUT – current.

Business Health Services; Co director with Lynda van Dam.

Occupational Health and Safety Consultants and Practitioners.

32 Years

Biosketch

The beginnings for Wendy in Occupational Health and Safety were as a Registered General, Comprehensive Nurse at Auckland Hospital and after some post graduate time in public health & a bit of OE Wendy went on to specialize in Occupational Health. Now after some 35 years in Health and Safety (gosh has it been that long !!!!!) the thrill has been working with people and learning from them, using evidence based practice to enable people’s  lives, jobs to be healthier and workplaces safer.  

My passion is achievable, optimum health for all and providing innovative interventions for people to sustain this, along with a good dollop of laughter.

It is about skills and knowledge to make a difference to health.

Jane OKane

I have been in Occupational Health for 23 years. My specialist qualifications are NZRGON, BN, MMgt (OHS).

I am currently working in three different roles.

- Relief as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Occupational Health, delivering Occupation Health services for Hawkes Bay Soldiers Memorial Hospital staff, having previously worked four days per week in that role.

- Working with Dr Moazzam Zaidi (Specialist Occupational Physician) providing Occupational Health services in Hawkes Bay.

- As the Safety Manager, Occurence Investigator and CEO of Bay Heliwork Ltd, ensuring the company meets all of the health and safety requirements set out by CAA and Worksafe.

Specific roles or projects in support of the Exec include:

- Assisting with the organisation of the 2023 National Conference

- Supporting the President and team as able.

Areas of specialist interest include:

- Rehabilitation

- Fit Testing

- Spirometry

- Pre-employment screening

- Health Promotion

- Education

Michelle Ryder-Lewis

I have been the Executive Representative for the Lower North Island Regional Group since 2023.

I have been in Occupational Health for 16 years. My specialist qualifications are - MA (Applied) Nursing from Victoria University of Wellington.

I am self employed in the Wellington area. I work with my husband and run our business, plus work as an OHN. I work across all sectors including government, the private sector and in high-risk industries including transportation, manufacturing, and construction.

I also do a little consultancy work for professional nursing bodies around professional practice.

Specific roles or projects in support of the Executive:

- Part of the team who developed the NZOHNA Nursing Standards of Practice and the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF).

- Part of the team who developed the Post-graduate OHN paper for Massey University.

- Supporting the finalising of the assessor guidelines and training for the assessors who will be reviewing our KSF portfolios.

Areas of specialist interest:

- Professional development

- Advancing nursing knowledge

Phillipa Dobson-Brown

Registered Nurse, Occupational Health Nurse, Dermoscopist

Phillipa is the current NZOHNA Executive member for the Southern Group. She is the Director/OHN for Southern Wellness Services Ltd, based in Riverton Southland.

Phillipa holds a Post Grad Certificate in Occupational Health Nursing from University of South Australia, Certificate in Advanced Dermatoscopy and has worked towards a Diploma in Career Guidance through NMIT.

Over the past decade Phillipa has focused on improving the health and wellbeing of employees in a variety of organisations in Australia and New Zealand. This includes health monitoring, pre-employment health assessments, biological monitoring, rehabilitation, and workplace health education. She also works with Skin Aware Ltd, to provide workplace skin cancer screening assessments and education. 

Christine Brosnahan

Specialist qualifications:

Diploma in Health Studies (Nursing)

Bachelor of HSc in nursing

Post Grad Dip in HSc (Occ Health)

Joined the executive team and role as a Canterbury exec member Aug 21

10 Years occupational health experience

I own and manage Timaru Occupational Health Services and Ashburton Workplace Health. We have a team of 4 nurses in Timaru and 1 in Ashburton. I work clinically with all aspects of the services we offer and manage the nurses and business.

Any specific roles or projects:

in support of the Exec I have recently joined the HASANZ competency committee as part of my exec role.

Areas of specialist interest:

Education and sharing knowledge and experience and recently become an assessor and hoping to become a mentor for NZOHNA.