Committee Members
Anita Dessaix
Organising Committee, Chairperson
As Director Cancer Prevention and Advocacy, Anita is responsible for leading strategy and program efforts in the two Cancer Council NSW strategic priority areas of Prevention and Advocacy. The Division’s focus is on reducing the burden of cancer and reducing cancer risk across NSW communities, through targeted programs, policy, advocacy and retail stores. Anita holds a Master of Arts in Communication Management from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Master of Public Health from The University of Sydney. She has more than 15 years’ experience within the NSW public health sector, with 12 years in cancer prevention specifically. Anita has held a number of senior management positions in public health having previously worked in organisations such as the Cancer Institute NSW, the NSW Ministry of Health as well as private consulting.
Dr Becky Freeman
Program Committee, Chairperson
Dr. Becky is a Senior Lecturer and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) research fellow with the Prevention Research Collaboration at the School of Public Health, University of Sydney. Her primary research interests include tobacco control, obesity prevention, and how online and social media influence public health. She is an established authority on the potential of the Internet to circumvent tobacco advertising bans and has pioneered research methods in tracking and analysing online social media content. She has prepared technical reports for the World Health Organisation outlining how to monitor and regulate tobacco industry advertising and interference in tobacco control policy. Prior to pursuing her research interests in Australia, Becky worked for both government and not for profit organisations in Canada and New Zealand. She now lives by the ocean in Auckland, New Zealand.
Organising Committee
Alecia Brooks
Manager, Tobacco Control
Cancer Council NSW
Amy Kashmer
Event Coordinator, Tobacco Control
Cancer Council NSW
Annabel Lyman
Regional Coordinator, Pacific Island Countries
Framework Convention Alliance
Ann-Louise Crotty
A/Manager, Tobacco Control, Centre for Population Health
Ministry of Health
Deshanie Rawlings
Manager, Public Health Policy
Cancer Council Australia
Emily Jenkinson (Secretariat)
Project Officer, Tobacco Control
Cancer Council NSW
Kate Armstrong
Public Health Medical Officer, Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW
Kate Reakes
Manager, Prevention
Cancer Institute NSW
Kylie Lindorff
Manager, Tobacco Control Policy
Cancer Council Victoria
Mihi Blair
General Manager, National Tobacco Control Advocacy Service
Hapai Te Hauora
Paul Grogan
Director, Public Policy and Knowledge Management
Cancer Council Australia
Penny Eagan
Chief Executive Officer
Cancer Council Tasmania
Wendy Oakes
Manager, Advocacy Strategy NSW
Heart Foundation
Program Committee
Ada Moadsiri
Technical Officer, Non-Communicable Diseases
World Health Organisation
Alecia Brooks
Manager, Tobacco Control
Cancer Council NSW
Amy Kashmer
Event Coordinator, Tobacco Control
Cancer Council NSW
Professor Billie Bonevski
Professor and Brawn Fellow, Faculty of Health & Medicine
University of Newcastle
Christina Watts
Senior Projector Officer, Tobacco Control
Cancer Council NSW
Professor David Thomas
Head, Tobacco Control Research
Menzies School of Health Research
Emily Jenkinson (Secretariat)
Project Officer, Tobacco Control
Cancer Council NSW
Kristy Pursch
Senior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner, Ready Mob
Galambila Aboriginal Health Service
Professor Mike Daube AO
Professor of Health Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences
Curtin University
Rachel Nicholls
National Health Promotion Advisor
Cancer Society of New Zealand
Dr Sarah White
Director
Quit Victoria
Scott Walsberger
NSW Heart Health Manager
Heart Foundation
Professor Suzan Burton
Professor of Marketing, School of Business
Western Sydney University