Board Meeting Dates
The Board Members

The dates for the 2009-10 Board meetings are as follows:

The Board members are as follows:

Mr David Halstead (President and non-practitioner member)
is a former senior partner and managing partner with a major labour law firm and has experience in a variety of areas including personal injury law and medico-legal issues, local government and legal practice management.

Professor Charlie Changli Xue (Deputy President and practitioner member) is the Professor and Head, Division of Chinese Medicine at RMIT University and a registered Chinese medicine practitioner. Professor Xue also heads the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine at RMIT University, Australia. In 2001, Prof. Xue established the RMIT Chinese Medicine Research Group, which conducts basic and clinical research in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. He has experience in administration, education and research.

Dr Meeuwis Boelen (Non-practitioner member) is Associate Professor in Neuroscience and Pharmacology at La Trobe University and currently heads the development of degree programs at Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE. His research is on the neuro-pharmacological mechanisms that underpin environmental effects on the control of eye growth and the development of myopia. Dr Boelen has been consultant for the Therapeutic Goods Administration (Drug Safety and Evaluation) and currently serves on the Board of Management of the Rochester and Elmore District Health Service.

Mr Peter Gigante (Practitioner member), trained in shiatsu therapy before pursuing his studies in Chinese medicine in Melbourne and Beijing, with a special interest in children's health. He is a registered Chinese medicine practitioner and has been in private practice for over 19 years, regularly lectures on paediatrics and currently resides in the Macedon Ranges where he is also an officer of the Country Fire Authority.

Mr Brian May (Practitioner member), is a registered Chinese medicine practitioner in acupuncture and herbal medicine. He has held a number of teaching positions in Chinese medicine and has an extensive background in Chinese medicine education, regulation and research, particularly in relation to herbal medicines. He speaks Japanese.

Mr Ian Pollerd (Non-practitioner member), Ian is a Director of his own health and community services consultancy business – Eureka Solutions – specializing in policy work, governance and event management. He is a member of the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Board of Directors, member of the Board of Governance Uniting Care Connections and also a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Ian has completed the AICD company directors’ course and has had extensive experience in the management of key projects relating to health and community services policy development, implementation and review.

Ms Glenys Savage (Practitioner member), was the Principal and senior lecturer at the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Australia for the previous 20 years. She is a registered Chinese medicine practitioner in acupuncture and herbal medicine and has been in practice for almost 30 years. She has an extensive background in the professional development of Chinese medicine in Australia. She teaches Tai Chi and speaks Mandarin.

James Syme (Legal member), James has been a senior partner in a national law firm specialising in business law and was the Victorian Government Solicitor from 2001 to 2006. He was a Council Member of the Law Institute of Victoria from 1994 to 2001 including a year as President in 1996/7. In his role with the Law Institute he had a significant involvement in the regulation of lawyers in Victoria and in the resolution of complaints against lawyers.

Vivienne Williams (Practitioner member), previously lectured in Chinese medicine for over 18 years and has been a practitioner for over 25 years. In 2005 she began teaching Chinese medicine in English to the Chinese students at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) which was a first such appointment. She currently arranges individual clinical internships for practitioners from Australia at BUCM and is an invited lecturer. Vivienne has a private practice, with a special interest in both male and female infertility, including the use of IVFand obstetric acupuncture, working in many of the hospitals in Melbourne assisting at births. She was previously involved with the Governor-in-Council List and the CMR Board Reference Group and offers a practical and balanced approach to being a Chinese medicine practitioner in the 21st century, and her knowledge and skills in research, counselling and organisational management.

Dr Jerry Zhang (Practitioner member), Professor Zhang is a private Chinese medicine practitioner registered in acupuncture and herbal medicine and sessional lecturer at RMIT University. He has considerable knowledge and experience in Chinese herbal pharmacology both in research and in practice.