Optometry Board Members

Mr Stuart Aamodt

Chair and health practitioner from Western Australia

Qualifications:

• BOptom(Hons), PGCOT, BEcons

Stuart Aamodt currently works in an independent optometry practice in metropolitan Perth. Prior to this, Stuart worked for Lions Outback Vision in Yawuru country. This is a not-for-profit optometry clinic. He provided outreach and optometric services for the local communities in and around the Kimberley. His role involved working closely with the local ophthalmology team, providing pre-clinical work ups, post op care and triaging urgent cases when the ophthalmology team were on outreach.

Stuart was also employed by the University of Western Australia Optometry School to co-ordinate and oversee the final year student placements in Broome. His other previous work has involved franchise ownership, independent practice and locum work.

Stuart holds an economics degree and previously worked as a credit analyst for a bank.

Stuart’s Board experience includes a previous role on the Optometry Association Board (Victoria Division).

Dr Carla Abbott

Health practitioner from Victoria

Qualifications:

• BOptom, PhD, PostGradDipOcTher, FACO

Dr Abbott is a therapeutically-endorsed optometrist who has primarily worked in academia and public health for the past 15 years. She is a research fellow with the Centre for Eye Research Australia conducting translational research studies and is a consultant optometrist and teaching clinician at the Australian College of Optometry.

As part of her research training, Dr Abbott has completed post-doctoral fellowships at the Save Sight Institute (University of Sydney) and Devers Eye Institute (Oregon, USA). She has also worked in private optometry practice including in country Victoria. Dr Abbott has served as a director on the Council of the Australian College of Optometry (2010-11), and was an auditor of continuing professional development for the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ; 2015-17). As a teaching clinician for over 10 years at the Australian College of Optometry, Dr Abbott has supervised students from different optometry schools in Australia and New Zealand and has been an examiner for the OCANZ overseas-trained optometrist exams. She is also a member of the Optometry Australia age-related macular degeneration clinical practice guide working group (2018).

Mr Anthony Evans

Community member

Qualifications:

• BBus, DipEd

Anthony Evans has extensive financial and general management experience as a senior executive and board director in the health, aged care, education, resources and not-for-profit sectors.

His roles in the health sector have included being a board member of Perth Primary Care Network and Therapeutic Guidelines.

Mr Benjamin Graham

Community member

Benjamin has worked for several peak bodies and professional associations in healthcare, agriculture and migration since 2007. Much of his experience working in these organisations has focused on communication, marketing, membership, media and business development work.

Benjamin has also served as an Interim CEO, General Manager and Executive Director during his time working in the associations sector. Benjamin has been a Director on several not-for-profit boards including serving as Chair, Company Secretary and Chair of Corporate Governance sub-committees.

Currently Benjamin is extending his skillset working for the Australian Government in communication and administrative roles.

Associate Professor Rosemary Knight

Community member

Associate Professor Rosemary Knight recently retired from the position of Principal Adviser in the Commonwealth Department of Health. Previously, she was Head of the School of Public Health and Community Medicine in the Medicine Faculty at UNSW.

Rosemary has worked for thirty years in the health sector providing expert advice, teaching and mentoring, supporting research, doing policy and program development and guiding implementation and evaluation. Her public health experience is highly varied. It includes workforce, primary care, information management, healthcare financing, quality use of medicines, chronic diseases and populations at risk.

She has a particular interest in health policy, cancer, indigenous health and health services research, as well as translating evidence into practice. She has a passionate commitment to improve health outcomes for all Australians, best achieved by effective collaborative relationships across the whole community with input from health professionals, educators, governments, consumers and citizens. She also has a desire to help, support and contribute to the wider community in this next phase of her life.

Mr Martin Robinson

Health practitioner from Tasmania

Qualification:

• BAppSc(Optom)

Being in the graduate class of 1994 from QUT, Martin originally worked in country Queensland. This included fly in, fly out work in concert with Dr Gary Brian of the Fred Hollows Foundation in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities. He also worked with corneal surgeons, fitting RGP contact lenses to post graft corneas.

In 2006 he made his way south to Hobart for a slower pace of life.

Since 2009 he has been owner and principal optometrist in his own independent optometry practice. He has a keen interest in contact lenses and dry eye, speaking at conferences and writing education pieces for optometrists. Martin has mentored optometry students on externship for several universities for several years.

Since 2017 he has been Tasmanian state president of the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia (CCLSA), and National Vice President of the CCLSA since 2018.

Miss Renee Slunjski

Health practitioner from South Australia

Qualifications:

• BMedSc(VisSc), MOptom, CertOcTher

Renee Slunjski is a therapeutically endorsed optometrist from South Australia. She has six years experience in general, independent practice in Adelaide, as well as having worked with remote Indigenous communities in the APY Lands and Pt Augusta. She has practiced in the Riverland, Perth, Nepal and at the State University of New York as part of her university placements. Currently, Renee is using her clinical knowledge as a product specialist for a retinal imaging company.

Renee has a Graduate Certificate in Management, and is working towards completing her Masters in Business Administration. Combined with her unique background and commitment to quality eye care, Renee is committed to ensuring safe and equitable care for all Australians.

Professor Sharon Bentley

Health practitioner from Queensland

Qualifications:

• BScOptom MOptom PhD GradDipSpecEd MPH CertOcTher FACO FAAO(DipLV)

Professor Sharon Bentley is a therapeutically endorsed optometrist who has worked in academia, public health and private practice. Sharon is currently Deputy Dean for the Faculty of Health and Professor of Optometry at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She was previously Head of the School of Optometry and Vision Science, QUT and prior to that, Director of Clinical Services at the Australian College of Optometry. She was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to undertake research in the UK and USA toward improving services for people with vision impairment. Sharon has provided advice and completed evaluations for government. She has chaired committees and working groups for Optometry Australia and Vision 2020 Australia. Sharon is a Fellow and Diplomate (Low Vision) of the American Academy of Optometry and experienced Board Director.

Mr Terence Wong

Health practitioner from New South Wales

Qualifications:

• BVisSci, MOptom, JD, GDLP

Terence Wong is a therapeutically endorsed optometrist based in New South Wales. After completing his optometric training at Queensland University of Technology in 2016, he commenced his career in private practice in country Queensland. Over the years, he has gained industry experience working in both corporate and independent clinics.

In 2022, Terence completed his legal training at Macquarie University. Following his admission to the Supreme Court of New South Wales, he began practising as a litigation lawyer at a global law firm. Despite his various commitments, he remains active in clinical practice and has stayed abreast with the latest advancements in optometry.

Terence aims to combine his diverse background and technical acumen to offer a holistic perspective within the National Scheme. His overarching goal is to serve the public and to improve social well-being at large.