Board

Sharon Boyce, Chairperson

Sharon is a part-time education academic and consultant in disability awareness across the state. She is passionate and committed to social justice – empowering people with a disability and supporting real living independence.

Sharon is the Chair for the Queensland Disability Advisory Council and Regional Chair of the South-West Regional Disability Advisory Council.

Among the awards she has received are the Queensland Regional Achiever Award in 2012 for her work in awareness raising and creating inclusive communities across Australia, a Human Rights Award in 2008 for her contribution to creating inclusion across the community, and a Disability Action Week Award in 2003 for her work writing an accessible children’s story book.

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Peter Tully, Director 

Peter Tully brings a diverse range of skills, expertise and local, state and national networks to his role as Director on QDN’s Board. He has a strong commitment to community engagement, advocacy and the importance of empowering individuals and communities to be the leaders in their own lives. He consistently takes on a valued role mentoring emerging leaders to develop their own leadership capabilities and take action to drive community level change and inclusion.

Peter has been a member of QDN since 2006, and was awarded life membership in 2017. He has taken on a significant number of leadership roles in QDN’s work including Regional Facilitator, Ready to go peer facilitator, Housing Champion, Getting on the NDIS Grid, Peer to peer advocacy, Bright Sparks, Changing Lives Changing Communities and most recently in Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction. He regularly undertakes engagement for QDeNgage providing valuable feedback and insights on key disability issues from his lived experience. Peter has also played a key leadership role nationally with Every Australian Counts Campaign and is a member of the Intellectual Disability Reference Group – Home and Living to the Independent Advisory Council NDIA.

Peter is a small business owner, and provides IT services and support to a range of organisations. Peter is embedded in his local community of Ipswich, and was a Baton bearer for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay. He is  a key community leader who works collaboratively with Local, State and Federal Governments, members of parliament and community and disability services to ensure Ipswich is an inclusive and welcoming city for all of it’s citizens including people with disability.

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Nerine Williams, Director 

Nerine lives in Brisbane with her husband, their two children and their dog. Nerine is a proudly Autistic, multiply disabled advocate who experiences physical, cognitive, and sensory challenges.  Nerine describes herself as an assistive technology enthusiast, searching out AT that gives her a feeling of joy and collaborating with WA-Based AT Chat on several projects.  Nerine also enjoys crafting, cooking, learning new things and meeting new people.  

Nerine is a QDN member who actively participates in Peer Support and focus groups as well as advocating through QDeNgage.  

Nerine’s professional qualifications include a Masters of Management (Human Resources), Graduate Diploma of Management and Graduate Certificate in Information Systems.  Her non-linear career has been centred on education and stakeholder consultation and has spanned the fields of human resources, information systems, governance, and leadership.  Nerine has lived experience of disability in metropolitan, rural and remote Australia including navigating education, employment, NDIS, and the health sector.  Eighteen months ago, Nerine started the Brisbane support group for people with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and is now working with other members to build a QLD-wide community.  

Nerine is described by others as being generous in sharing knowledge and she has a particular talent for connecting people with resources and each other to get better outcomes.  She is keen to learn about other people’s experiences to better understand the challenges faced by people with disability and to help make informed decisions that best represent the priorities and needs of QDN members and their families.  Nerine applies her quirky thinking and problem-solving skills in combination with her lived experience to contribute to her community.  She is passionate about accessibility for all Queenslanders, particularly in the areas of education, employment, and healthcare. 

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Dr Talitha Kingsmill, Chair of Nominations and Performance Committee

Talitha has 25 years’ experience across the private and public sectors in education, educational leadership, consultancy, research, law, regulatory compliance and policy development. 

With 17 years of experience working and raising a family while living with Retinitis Pigmentosa, Talitha is a passionate advocate for equitable, accessible opportunities for all.  She has nominated for the QDN Board to make an authentic and informed contribution to the Board and its members. 

With an extensive background in Board and organisational governance, Talitha is proficient with ethical, inclusive and accountable decision-making processes. She has a thorough knowledge applying regulatory frameworks, relevant legislation and incorporating statutory requirements concerning human rights, corporations, working with children, conflict of interest and not-for-profit organisations.  

Talitha’s experience in education extends across primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. It includes significant work with students with a wide range of disabilities, and their families.  

Talitha’s lived and professional experience provides rich insights to the confronting and very real challenges and obstacles for people living with impairment and disability. Her work as a Solicitor in courts and tribunals, public speaking, facilitating professional development sessions, presenting to Executive Boards and committees and keynote speaking at international and national conferences equips Talitha to be a powerful and articulate advocate for all QDN members.  

Talitha believes that access in all its forms is fundamental to equitable opportunity so that individuals may live their best lives. Talitha understands that a collective voice achieved through collaboration and consultation is powerful and passionately advocates for this. 

Talitha has received many awards acknowledging her excellence in research and academic achievement, including an Australian Council for Educational Leaders Research in Educational Leadership and Management Award (2017), an Australian Catholic University Higher Degree Research Award (2012) and ACU Top Graduate Award – Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) & Graduate Certificate (RE). 

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Des Ryan, Chair of Audit and Compliance Committee

Des has a twenty-year history with not-for-profit boards in Central Queensland providing care services to people with disabilities or training. Des has been a board member of Spinal Life Australia’s since 1996, resigning in January 2018, and leading the transition from a community-based board to a mixed board with a diverse skill set from the business and corporate sector.

Des has worked across a vast range of organisations supporting people with disability, including work to increase the employment of people with disability. Des has a strong interest also in Information Technology and has his own established database business Able Disabled. Des was awarded the Rotary Paul Harris Fellow Award in 2000, and Companion of Central Queensland University in 2008 and is a recipient of the Order of Australia Medal in 2013 for his service to people with disability.

With 50 years personal experience with a disability, Des is working to influence change, driven by the members of this network so that we can influence the direction of the NDIS into the future. Des says the highlight of his life as a person with a disability has been employment and volunteering. These are the two areas, in my mind, that put the cream on the cake. I would like to be able to maximise that opportunity for many others now and into the future.

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Stacy Miller, Appointed Director

Stacy is an appointed skill-based director of the Board. As a lawyer, with 16 years’ experience and a partner of her own firm, Stacy will bring her knowledge and expertise to the board discussions and deliberations.

She has vast experience working across a broad range of areas of law, including litigation, intellectual property, insolvency and Royal Commissions. Stacy is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland, a solicitor of the High Court of Queensland and a member of the Queensland Law Society.

She is looking forward to contributing to QDN’s work, engaging with QDN members about the needs of people with disability in Queensland, and how she can further human rights law in our community and advance the position of people with disability.

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