Our Board

Professor Geraldine Mackenzie is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southern Queensland. Prior to joining the University in September 2017 she was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Southern Cross University.

Professor Mackenzie returns to USQ having been Foundation Head of the University’s School of Law in 2007 and 2008, before she took up senior executive positions at Bond University: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Business and Community Engagement), Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), and Executive Dean, Faculty of Law. Prior to joining USQ in 2007 she held various senior roles at QUT, and served on QUT Council for nine years. She has had a strong commitment throughout her career to widening participation in higher education, particularly in Australia’s regional areas, flexible learning opportunities and encouraging a strong link between the University and business, government, industry and the community.

In addition to her extensive organisational leadership experience, Professor Mackenzie has a PhD in sentencing law from the University of New South Wales and many years’ experience teaching in higher education. Her research interests are in law and public policy. A Barrister-at-Law and lawyer since 1985, she is a member of the Queensland Bar Association, American Bar Association and the International Bar Association.

Professor Mackenzie has held a number of senior positions at State and Federal level including Deputy Chair, Universities Australia DVC (Research) Committee; Co-Chair, Universities Australia Executive Women; Chair, NSW DVC (Research) Committee; Chair, RUN Research group; Chair, RUN Executive Women; Chair, Humanities and Creative Arts panel, Australian Research Council College of Experts; Chair, Queensland Selection Panel American/Australian Fulbright Commission, and was an executive member of the Council of Australian Law Deans.

Professor Mackenzie is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Australian Institute of Managers and Leaders. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and an experienced company director.

Lana joined the Board in 2018. Lana is a legal practitioner who has recently started her own law firm. Lana has been in the legal profession for approximately 10 years. Having studied at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, she obtained a double degree; a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Political Science. Lana and her small family have lived in the Ipswich region for approximately seven years and have established strong community connections during that time. During her time on the Board, Lana has developed a passion for broadening her knowledge and experience in the area of governance.

Sue Scheinpflug is a board member of West Moreton Health. Sue has more than 20 years of experience as a CEO. Most recently Sue was CEO of Brisbane South Primary Health Network. Sue is currently the Chair of Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners, a community board member of the Parole Board Queensland and a board member of CPL – Choice, Passion, Life.
Sue holds qualifications in education and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She has held numerous advisory and policy development roles at local, state and national government levels, and has won awards as a business and community leader, including the 2009 Queensland Telstra Businesswoman of the Year Award. Sue and her family have a long association with the West Moreton Community having first lived in Ipswich in 1982.

Dr. Geoff Mitchell is Emeritus Professor of General Practice and Palliative Care who retired from full time work at the University of Queensland in 2019 to return to general practice. Since retiring, he has conducted health service evaluations in the West Moreton Region. He has published over 280 peer-reviewed publications and about 40 books, book chapters and other publications. His clinical practice and research experience offer an unprecedented opportunity to influence practice at the interface between primary care and specialist practice, particularly palliative care practice.

He has worked 37 years as a GP in Ipswich, and his family lived in Ipswich for 17 years. Dr. Mitchell believes it is an honor to give back to the community that has given so much to him. In addition to his longstanding general practice role, he was Head of the Ipswich arm of the University of Queensland’s School of Medicine from 2009 until its closure in 2014, and the Secretary of the Ipswich Palliative Care Association which established Ipswich Hospice as part of an integrated palliative care service. He has served on the Boards and committees of peak primary care organisations in the district from their inception to the present day. He was awarded an Australia Day award for outstanding commitment to the Ipswich community by Ipswich City Council in 2015.

Before retirement, he held many national and international professional accreditations and memberships, including the European Association of Palliative Care Primary Care Working group, Co-chair of the International Primary Palliative Care Network, BMJ regional board of Australian Fellows, member of Therapeutic Guidelines Company, the data safety and monitoring committee of Palliative Care Clinical Studies Collaborative, Palliative Care Stream Lead of Primary Care Cancer Clinical Trials Collaborative. Geoff joined the Board in November 2022.

Jacinta is an experienced business lawyer having practised in corporate (including M&A, governance, risk and compliance), commercial, litigation, regulatory and property (real and intellectual) law. She is also a governance professional, bringing over ten years of experience delivering company secretarial support services to the IHF Board.

Jacinta holds many professional accreditations and memberships, including Legal Practitioner of the Queensland Supreme Court (2005) and the High Court of Australia (2006), member of the Queensland Law Society, member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Chartered Secretary / Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and the Chartered Governance Institute, and Approved Advisor (Advisory Board Centre).

Jacinta loves solving challenges and improving processes. She is a lifelong learner, with a Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance and a Master of Laws. Jacinta is the founder of Abledale Law, a local Ipswich firm, and is enjoying the opportunities open to her as a business owner to be more active in her community and to network and connect with those within her network. A fourth generation Ipswich local, Jacinta joined the Board in December 2022.

Jillian, an accomplished senior executive whose strategic leadership and management experience are drawn from multiple areas, joined the IHF Board in 2023. Her focus is on strategic and innovative service development, with a strong commitment to values and governance.

She focuses on building and sustaining workable relationships based on mutual trust and respect. Jillian is committed to ethical, mindful leadership and nurtures an organisational culture of professionalism, learning and career development. She brings vision, integrity and defined values as well as a focus on meaningful stakeholder engagement, including with staff, consumers and the community. In this way, she embeds focus, passion and commitment in an organisation.

Jillian has extensive experience in the community and healthcare sector, including RSL LifeCare, Eden in Oz & NZ, Dementia Australia, TriCare, Queensland Health, RSL Care, and Silverchain Group. She is also a member of the Australian College of Health Service Executives Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) with Mental Health Endorsement. Jillian is currently finishing an Executive Master of Business Administration and is General Manager Community Aged Care at Wesley Mission Queensland.

Laura is an Executive finance and governance leader with a passion for bringing commercial thinking to the not-for-profit sector. A graduate of the University of Technology, Sydney, Laura holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Information Technology. During the completion of her MBA in 2016, Laura was nominated for the Zonta Prize for most outstanding female graduate within the degree
Laura is a CPA member and has had various roles within compliance, financial management and strategy development. Currently working as Commercial Director (CFO) and Company Secretary at Stuartholme School, Laura’s accomplishments have included leading the development of new risk management framework, launching a fundraising strategy based on building community, and improving financial stability of the school through years of funding changes.
Over the past ten years, Laura has team leader, mentor and participant in the Can Too Program fundraising for the Cure Cancer Australia Foundation in both Sydney and Brisbane. An Ipswich local, Laura became a Board Member with the Ipswich Hospital Foundation in October 2020.