Who we are
Our board is made up of ten volunteers from our local region, who collectively bring a diverse range of skills to the foundation. The board meets every two months and directors are always keen to hear from others who would like to be involved, including in fundraising activities or as a community ambassador.
Dr Florian Honeyball
Chairperson, Medical Oncologist
Florian is a Medical Oncologist based in Dubbo and has a clinical appointment with the University of Sydney as a Lecturer in Medicine. A strong believer in equity of access to health care, he leads the Remote Video Assisted Chemotherapy program increasing access to cancer treatments in remote communities, and provides outreach clinics to Cobar, Coonabarabran, Mudgee and Walgett. He has presented his research at conferences nationally and internationally, and was recognised as Clinical Research Leader of the Year 2020 by the Western NSW Health Research Network. Florian sits on the executive of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia (MOGA), the peak body for oncologists in this country, and is responsible for chairing the annual scientific meeting of MOGA in 2021. Involved in the push for the development for the Western Cancer Centre Dubbo since 2015, he is delighted to see the community’s vision come to light, and wants the Foundation to carry on the community’s goals of improving the quality of life of people living with cancer across the west of NSW.
Brian Mockler
Public Officer
A legal practitioner of many years’ standing, Brian is the former director of Central West LHPA (Livestock Health and Pest Authority) and has been a director of Gilgandra Financial Services (Bendigo Community Bank) since 2010. Brian is a Gilgandra Shire Councilor and a member and former Chair of Gilgandra Health Council. He is also an active member of the Lions Club in Tooraweenah, where he lives on a farm, and where he is also a former president and life member of the town’s Show Society. Having lost his wife, Margaret, in 2014 after a three-and-a-half-hear battle with the disease, Brian is now an Ovarian Cancer Ambassador. A passionate advocate for the provision of cancer treatment services in the region, he was a member of the steering committee group that established the Western Cancer Centre Foundation, of which he is an inaugural director.
Peter Singh
Treasurer
A chartered accountant for more than 40 years, Peter completed his schooling in Armidale in northern NSW, where he also undertook his Bachelor of Economics (Accounting) at the University of New England. Peter is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (FCAANZ), formerly a company auditor, a registered tax agent and SMSF (Self-Managed Superannuation Fund) auditor. While he is currently semi-retired from the profession, Peter stays abreast of the industry as a consultant to Christies Accountants and Advisers in Dubbo. He is also a long-term member of the Rotary Club of Dubbo South, for which he has served as president and treasurer over the years. In recognition of his service to Rotary, Peter was named as a Paul Harris Fellow – one of the organisation’s highest honours. Dedicated to serving his community, Peter has also been a part of the Dubbo District Cricket Association, the Macquarie Valley Cricket Umpires Association and has served on the Dubbo Lutheran Church board. He remains active and engaged through his many personal interests including cycling, cricket, current affairs and home gardening. Peter is devoted to family, and is a proud grandfather of two.
Tim Williams
Secretary, Oncology Nurse Unit Manager
Tim is the Nursing Unit Manager of the Western Cancer Centre Dubbo with more than 18 years' nursing experience and 13 years in a management role at Dubbo Hospital.
Born and bred in Dubbo, Tim completed his schooling at Delroy High, worked for six years in the Civil Engineering Department at what is now Dubbo Regional Council and also completed his Bachelor of Nursing at Charles Sturt University in Dubbo.
Joining the oncology team from the Emergency Department in February 2016, Tim has seen the growth in the demand for increased services for cancer patients over the years and has played an integral part in the consultation for and planning of the Western Cancer Centre Dubbo.
He is pleased to be able to lead the team to offer increased services in chemotherapy and haematology treatments and introducing radiotherapy and PET scanning service to the cancer centre to increase access to care to patients from Dubbo and the surrounding areas.
An elder at Dubbo Baptist Church, Tim has been involved in the team providing direction and leadership at the church over the past eight years including its own redevelopment plans as a part of the building team. His interests include a wide range of fitness activities including CrossFit and team endurance rogaining across the mountain bike, kayaking and running disciplines (GeoQuest Adventure Race) recently completing approximately 150km in just over 19 hours. While his friends think he is crazy he uses such events to develop grit and determination and translate that into everyday life.
Jennifer Cowley OAM
Director - Communications
Jen has a diverse resume and an eclectic range of interests, experiences and passions, but it’s with storytelling and in community development that she feels most at home. She is a writer, a former editor, an award-winning journalist and is the author of a number of non-fiction works as well as a children’s book about loss and grief written from personal experience as a resource for the National Association for Loss and Grief (NALAG), of which she is vice president.
She has a passion for community development and service, and has served (and serves) on a number of boards in the arts, wildlife conservation, community development, mental health and disability services.
Jen has worked with at-risk youth, been involved with humanitarian projects around the world and has worked extensively with remote Aboriginal settlements in the Northern Territory.
In 2019, Jen was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her services to regional communities through a range of organisations.
Donna Falconer
Director - Communications
A born-and-bred Dubbo local, Donna is widely known as the region’s own “Pink Angel”. In 2011, following her own breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 44, Donna established the now widely-renowned charity Pink Angels, to help care for and support those affected by breast cancer across the region. She has a passion for anything pink, for fundraising, and for the community of Dubbo and beyond. An active advocate for breast cancer awareness, Donna is a Breastscreen NSW ambassador, the community liaison for Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) and a supporter of the McGrath foundation. She was instrumental in bringing the national program Look Good Feel Better to Dubbo and was the volunteer co-ordinator for 10 years culminating in an award for National Volunteer of the Year. Donna was also the founder of the Dubbo Wig Library, a free service for regional cancer patients. She was named 2009 Woman of the Year for the region, and in 2019 was awarded the honour of being named one of the region’s Hidden Treasures. With the help of fellow Foundation board director Jen Cowley, Donna published her story My Time – Through Breast Cancer and Beyond to help raise awareness and funds for both BCNA and the McGrath Foundation. Donna is also the proud owner and “pilot” of the Groovy Booby Bus, a pink-bedecked motorhome with which she traverses the length and breadth of Australia’s regional areas promoting breast cancer awareness.
Dr Joseph Canalese OAM FRACP
Director
A retired physician/gastroenterologist, Joseph (fondly and widely known as “Joe”) was a Visiting Medical Officer at Dubbo Base Hospital for more than 35 years. He provided outreach clinics at various times to Brewarrina, Gilgandra, Wellington, Walgett, Condobolin, Coonabarabran and Bourke Hospitals and so is intimately acquainted with the region and its evolving health needs. Joe is also a former Associate Dean of the University of Sydney’s School of Rural Health and has been the Deputy Chair of the Western NSW Local Health District Board for 10 years. Alongside his dedication and contribution to health services, Joe has been and still is actively involved with various community, sporting and professional bodies. In both professional and personal capacities he has been exposed to and involved with cancer care and management and has been a passionate advocate at community and political level for the advancement of cancer management, infrastructure and research for rural and regional NSW. Joe says that while a great deal has been achieved in the area of cancer care services for Western NSW, “we must not give up the challenge to make things better”.
Lyn Smith
Director
One of the founding members of the community consultative group behind the development of the Western Cancer Centre itself, WCCF board director Lyn Smith has long campaigned for the establishment of better access to services for the region’s cancer patients and their families. A science teacher of many years’ standing and faculty head teacher in NSW country schools from 1975 to 1999, Lyn went on to become a consultant to science teachers in secondary schools across the western region where she saw first-hand the disadvantages that can come with isolation from large centres. Lyn is a member of the Rotary Club of Dubbo West (of which she was president in 2020-21) and was involved with the provision of Rotary’s financial support for the establishment of Macquarie Homestay, a facility offering accommodation for people from across the region who are seeking medical treatment in Dubbo. In 2005, Lyn was integral in helping to drive the push for government funding for a $5million PET-CT (Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography) scanner for western NSW, which evolved into a campaign for the establishment of a cancer centre. The campaign engaged community support through mainstream and social media and through connection with community groups across the region, resulting in 46,000 signatures for a petition presented to federal parliament. The campaign succeeded in securing $35million in State and Federal Government grants to establish the Western Cancer Centre, from which the WCCF – on which Lyn now sits proudly as board director – has emerged.
Jenet Stewart
Director - Communications and Public Relations
Jenet has a wealth of knowledge in all thing’s communications and a keen passion for public relations. Until recently she worked as a public relations specialist for the Western NSW Local Health District.
Prior to this she was a features writer for a local community newspaper and then launched her own freelance communications and commercial photography business, writing and photographing the extraordinary people from the bush for the likes of R.M. Williams Outback Magazine and others.
Jenet was one of the founding members of the Pink Angels charity together with Donna Falconer. Her husband was diagnosed with melanoma along with several of her close friends, Jenet has now chosen to be an advocate for Melanoma Awareness and in 2022 fundraised and staged the first Melanoma March in Dubbo with a group of fellow supporters.
She is also a huge supporter of the Groovy Booby Bus which provides information about raising awareness and early detection of breast cancer in both men and women. You’ll often see her travelling with Donna to spread this ever so important message throughout regional communities of Australia.
Emily Ryan
Director
Emily is from Coonamble and was the Coonamble 2024 Citizen of the Year. She works tirelessly for her community and is the Assistant Principal of Coonamble Public School. Emily's community involvement is amazing, she is Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Coonamble, Secretary of the Coonamble Show Society, Secretary of Coonamble Royal Far West, President of the local branch of the Teachers Federation, a Volunteer for Meals on Wheels, and assists with a number of other community events.
Charlotte Egan
Director
Charlotte is a lawyer based in Dubbo and services a widespread client base in that role, primarily through Western NSW. Charlotte holds committee roles on both the Rural Issues Committee (Law Society) and the NSW Regional Women Lawyers Association and has been the former Secretary of the Trangie Rugby Club. Charlotte holds a Masters in Property Law and enjoys working primarily in the property and commercial space. Charlotte grew up in Dubbo and continues to proudly call Dubbo home today. After losing her father in 2007 to stomach cancer after a very short battle, Charlotte has grown to be a passionate advocate for the provision of cancer treatment services in the region, recognising the importance of access to these services for the regional communities.