Our Team
Colleen Johnstone
Chief Executive Officer
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Colleen Johnstone:
Colleen has extensive experience as an executive and senior manager. She has worked for 15 years for both the Australian and Tasmanian Governments in a number of positions and managed a large range of complex projects. Colleen is passionate about palliative care and the community sector in Tasmania. She has led Palliative Care Tasmania for five years and under her leadership, PCT has changed governance and organisation structures, delivered outcomes on millions of dollars of grants and projects, and positioned itself as a key health peak body.
Sharon King
Manager – Sector Development & Training
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Sharon King:
Sharon King is an Allied Health Professional with an interest in all aspects of health. Sharon’s background is as a Dietitian APD (Accredited Practicing Dietitian), with a Masters in Dietetics and a Cert IV in Training and Assessment, and experience working in clinical, community and private settings. She has worked on palliative care, rehabilitation, and oncology wards.
This piqued her interest in palliative care and improving the overall quality of life of patients and supporting the family/loved ones. Sharon’s passion is in educating and working with the community to improve resources from within. She has worked for Palliative Care Tasmania (PCT) for over 4 years and has enjoyed the ongoing opportunities to work in this sector of care. Working with communities and developing partnerships to strengthen resources, is a vital part of the work PCT do and Sharon looks forward to continuing this work into the future.
Veney Hiller
Manager – Policy, Advocacy & Communications (PAC)
Veney Hiller:
With more than 20 years experience, Venéy is a qualified professional specialising in integrated marketing/communications, media, branding, strategic and stakeholder management. In addition to leading a successful national consultancy she has held senior positions in agencies, commercial, State Government and for purpose environments. Most recently she was the Deputy CEO of another community sector peak body. Venéy is values driven and her key strength lies in the ability to deliver outcomes in a thoughtful, creative and collaborative way, harnessing a sense of common purpose and delivering impact for the people and sector we serve.
Venéy is passionate about ensuring that all people, no matter what their age, have access to the best quality palliative care and end of life services available.
Ian Wallace
PalliHub Community Manager & PCT Senior Communications Officer
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Ian Wallace:
Ian Joined the PCT team in August 2021 and is a highly skilled marketer and communicator with 18 years of experience. His communication and software skills, knowledge of design, and expertise in marketing make him an excellent addition to the team, Ian will be helping to develop the exciting new PCT Community digital HUB.
Ian works part-time with PCT and runs his own successful digital design business.
In his spare time, Ian can usually be found on Mount Wellington, shredding the trails on his overpriced mountain bike.
Hannah Richards
Administration Officer
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Hannah Richards:
Hannah joined the PCT team in October 2021 as our Administration Officer. Hannah works in the office Monday to Thursday and will be able to help you with all your administration and Membership inquires. Hannah brings with her a wealth of knowledge and organisational skills that will assist the PCT team deliver on their strategic and operational objectives.
Outside of her time in the office, Hannah is a fitness instructor at F45 Cambridge and plays hockey with OHA. She is enthusiastic about health and fitness, and it is something she is very passionate about.
Luke De Jesus
Marketing & Membership Officer
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Luke De Jesus:
Luke is a marketing graduate from the University of Tasmania who joined our team in October 2021. With an academic background in economic analysis and marketing, Luke brings a unique perspective and passion to his role as our Marketing and Membership Officer. Although new to the health sector, Luke is eager to learn and is committed to supporting Palliative Care forward in all aspects. In his extra time, Luke enjoys playing sports such as basketball and football, investing, and enjoying the great outdoors.
Hannah Butler
Senior Health Promotion Officer – South
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Hannah Butler:
Hannah Butler is a highly skilled Registered Nurse with over 12 years’ experience in the aged care, community and acute sector. Hannah’s natural desire to lead others has seen her manage and coordinate many teams to achieve quality performance and deliver a high standard of nursing care. Her most recent achievement was managing a busy Palliative Care and Day Oncology Unit, giving her great insight into the needs of the Tasmanian community and the palliative care sector.
Hannah is passionate about building connections and supporting people to live and die well with a strong interest in education. Hannah is excited to join the PCT team and continue supporting the community whilst advocating for sector development to deliver quality palliative care to all. Hannah’s love for Tasmania and its beautiful scenery often means she is making the most of her days off bushwalking and exploring with her young family.
Barb Donaldson
Health Promotion Officer (PHT) – North
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Barb Donaldson:
Barb is an accomplished health professional working for many years in the aged care sector in lead clinical and managerial roles. As a registered nurse her experience in acute, primary and residential aged care settings afforded her insights into how people who have a life limiting illness can live and die well. Barb holds qualifications in gerontology, management and health professional education.
She has a special interest in dementia and palliative care and is passionate about providing learning opportunities for people who wish to improve their knowledge and skills in palliative care support. As a Palliative Care Project Officer (seconded from Primary Health Tasmania) Barb facilitates learning opportunities for staff, volunteers, and families about Palliative Care, Advance Care Planning, and End of Life Conversations for aged care providers in the north and north west of the State.
Amanda Aitken
Health Promotion Officer – North
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Amanda Aitken:
Amanda has a background in health administration, hospitality and education and is an active volunteer in community groups, including with the Specialist Palliative Care Service. She has a Bachelor of Commerce, and is in the process of completing a Masters of Counselling.
Amanda is passionate about helping people to die well by helping to initiate conversations around death and dying; and by educating the community and the health sector about supports and services available to people with a life limiting illness.
On the weekends, Amanda enjoys running and volunteering at Parkrun and finding new mountains to climb.
Bradley McGill
Advisor – Policy and Sector Development
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Bradley
Bradley started his career at one of Australia’s largest professional services firms and has spent the past 5 years in various business development roles. He is an experienced business analyst, with a demonstrated history in solving complex organisational issues, providing long term solutions, and significant returns on investment. His extensive skill set allows him to reduce wastage and develop lasting solutions that are focused on current requirements and future growth.
Bradley has recently joined our team at PCT and is excited for the opportunity to apply his skills to the palliative care sector. He is passionate about improving the quality of life for all Tasmanians and looks forward to making an impact in our communities.
Jess Sanders
Youth Resilience Program Coordinator
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Jess
Jess Sanders is the Coordinator of the Youth Resilience Program, a new pilot program set to roll out to Tasmania high schools in 2023. Jess comes from a social work and education background and is deeply committed to supporting young people. Jess has worked with young people in a variety of contexts including schools, the youth justice system, and family violence refuges. She feels strongly that positive change starts with education and that unnecessary suffering can be prevented through the sharing of stories, knowledge, and skills. When Jess isn’t working with young people or creating educational resources she is hiking, gardening, or diving head first into the freezing Tassie ocean.