The board of Deafness Forum Australia, elected by and representing a national membership of individuals and organisations, sets the direction and policy on key issues.
The board ensures that Deafness Forum is focused on its purpose and strategic objectives and manages its resources efficiently and effectively for the future. The composition of the Board reflects the broad nature of the deafness sector. The directors’ various life experiences and professional expertise, coupled with the Deafness Forum’s activities and consultative processes, ensure the organisation has the authority to respond to key issues common to the entire deafness sector.
THE EXECUTIVE in 2025
Raelene Walker, Ag/ Chair
Perth, WA
Rae joined the Deafness Forum Australia board in 2018, bringing a wealth of experience as an educator, access and inclusion advocate, and community leader.
A career educationalist, Rae has worked in diverse settings, including metropolitan, rural, and remote secondary schools across Western Australia, the Faculty of Education at Notre Dame University in Fremantle, and as a Teacher of the Deaf. In her teaching role, she provided bimodal communication support in both Auslan and English, combining academic excellence with pastoral care to empower students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Rae’s qualifications include a Master of Education in Special Education (Deaf; partially completed) from the University of Newcastle, a Bachelor of Education (majoring in Physical Sciences with a Mathematics minor) from Edith Cowan University, a Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Development from Curtin University, and a Diploma of Auslan from Central TAFE WA. She is furthering her leadership expertise through an MBA in Social Impact at the University of Western Australia.
A committed advocate, Rae has dedicated nearly a decade of service to the board of Deafness Council WA and has volunteered with St Patrick’s Community Support Centre, leveraging her skills to promote equity and access for individuals with hearing loss. Her journey into the Deaf community is deeply personal; after becoming profoundly Deaf as an adult due to illness, she faced additional challenges of severe tinnitus and episodic vertigo. These experiences give her a nuanced understanding of the barriers faced by others with hearing loss and balance disorders.
Rae embraced opportunities to enhance her communication accessibility by becoming bilaterally implanted while simultaneously studying Auslan. Her personal and professional experiences align with them. Deafness Forum’s mission is to advocate for equity and inclusion. She is passionate about improving access to inclusive education, hearing health services in remote and regional areas, and mental health support.
As a Director of Deafness Forum Australia, Rae’s unique perspective and expertise are instrumental in shaping the organisation’s initiatives, ensuring they are inclusive and responsive to the needs of the Deaf and hard of hearing. Her leadership reflects a commitment to creating systemic change and empowering individuals to overcome challenges similar to her own.
Christopher Blackham-Davison, director
Darwin, NT
Christopher was nominated by Australian Lions Hearing Dogs and joined the board of Deafness Forum Australia in 2024. He was born with hearing loss and is a recipient of bilateral cochlear implants. Fluent in Auslan and supported by his hearing dog, Frodo, he has a Bachelor of Teaching in Special Education from Griffith University and has taught in various NT locations, including remote areas. Currently, he teaches Auslan to primary students in Darwin.
From 2020 to 2023, he chaired the NT Disability Advisory Committee and received the NT Disability Service Award for Excellence in 2017. He has been a judge for the NT Disability Service Awards since 2021 and participated in national forums, contributing to the NT Disability Strategy 2022-2032.
Christopher is committed to advocating for disability rights and improving lives within the hearing-impaired community. He has been involved with Lions International for 20 years, holding various leadership roles. He believes significant advances like increased access to Auslan and real-time captioning have positively changed the Deaf community and is eager to drive further progress. In his leisure, he enjoys travel, four-wheel driving, cooking, and volunteering, actively engaging with diverse communities.
Rhonda Locke, director
Coffs Harbour, NSW
Rhonda was first nominated by Better Hearing Australia in 2022.
For more than 20 years, Rhonda worked in senior marketing roles in the public and private sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Business and a Graduate Certificate of Business. Her career spans various industries, including media, transportation, health, not-for-profit, employment and training, technology, and events. She was the Head of Melbourne for a highly successful marketing agency. Today, she owns and manages a successful business located in regional NSW.
Throughout her career, Rhonda has dedicated time to volunteer causes such as Race Against Dementia, The Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and mentoring students through the Griffith University mentoring program. She was also invited to assist with the rebranding of Whirled Foundation, contributing based on her marketing background and personal health circumstances. In 2022-23, she led a project to rebrand Deafness Forum Australia, depicted by a Dragonfly Logo.
Twenty years ago, she was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, which has significantly affected her life since. She suffers from severe and constant tinnitus and has lost hearing in one ear. She also experiences ‘dizziness’ and has learned to recognise the symptoms before an episode, although it can still occur unexpectedly. Despite these challenges, she has successfully grown her career and managed a household and family. Understanding the impact of this condition on
an individual’s career, family, and everyday life, she aspires to assist those with similar situations and ensure their needs are considered when creating policies and opportunities. She is actively contributing to the health and welfare of the many people suffering from vestibular conditions.
Barry MacKinnon AM, director
Perth, WA
Barry was first nominated by Deafness Council WA and joined the Board in 2022.
He was raised in Bridgetown, a small town in the southwest of the state. He attended Bridgetown High School before going to Perth as a border at Wesley College. He went on to the University of WA, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Economics and a Diploma in Accounting. He then practised as an accountant.
Barry spent six years as leader of the WA Liberal Party and leader of the Opposition between 1986 and 1992.
Barry is the parent of a son who has hearing loss. He has extensive experience in community service, politics, and the corporate and disability sectors. Barry was involved with many organisations in the disability sector, including the Disability Services Commission, Commonwealth Hearing Services Consultative Committee, Telethon Speech and Hearing, Amanda Young Foundation, Mental Health Advisory Council, Hearing Research and Support Foundation, and Deafness Council WA. He was a board member of Telethon Speech and Hearing from 1983 to 1986, during which time he was also chair until he became leader of the state Liberal Party. He was a key figure in the establishment of an organisation called PUSH, the Parents United to Support Hearing Impaired Children.
In 1997, Barry was made a member of the Order of Australia for services to people with hearing impairments. He also received a centenary medal in 2001.
Barry has also been:
− Disability Services Commission chair
− Commonwealth Hearing Services Advisory Committee member
− Commonwealth Hearing Services Consultative Committee chair
− Hearing Research and Support Foundation member
Hannah McPierzie
Perth, WA
Hannah was nominated by DeafBlind West Australians in 2024.
Hannah is a community leader with a firm belief in equity and fairness. Using her lived experience perspective to speak up for those without a voice, she passionately believes in identifying and removing barriers to enable everyone to participate fully in life and society. She worked as a teacher of students with disabilities within the WA public education system for 15 years, finishing in 2024 to work as an educator in the broader community. During this time, she had the added responsibilities of curriculum coordinator and graduate teacher mentor and achieved Senior Teacher status. She currently works part-time at SensesWA as a deafblind educator with clients, community groups and larger organisations, helping them understand what they can do to support people living with dual sensory loss. She also works for herself as a disability consultant and advocate, working across the country to bring communication barriers to the forefront of business planning and strategies.
Hannah has a rare disease, Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2). Life-saving brain surgeries resulted in her profound deafness in 2021. NF2 also impacts her vision, and her balance system is now obsolete as both her vestibular-cochlea nerves have been severed. She has bilateral auditory brainstem implants, which she uses to access sound. She now identifies as deafblind. She uses a range of strategies to communicate with the world: voice-to-text programs, lipreading, Auslan, and speech. It has been a significant shift from growing up hearing and simply using her ears to understand the world around her.
Hannah is the Chair of Deafblind West Australians, the only peer support organisation for those living with deafblindness in Western Australia and their families. Hannah is also a steering committee member working with Palliative Care WA on making advanced care planning more accessible for people with sensory loss. In her consultancy role, she has recently begun running lectures at the University of Melbourne’s School of Audiology, teaching the students how to communicate effectively with their patients and the barriers they do not see. After such a positive reception, this has also been opened to the broader School of Medicine. She is involved with Deafblind Studies at the University of Birmingham City. She has
run online sessions with their social work students on the mental health aspects of living with deafblindness.
Hannah speaks to the barriers, the prejudices, and the strategies that will be used in the future. She wants to see the silos of disability broken down, believing that treating hearing loss, vision loss, and loss of mobility (and more) as separate areas (assuming people would only fall into one category) is problematic. She notes that a growing number of people fall into two of these areas, and oftentimes more. She advocates for more comprehensive approaches in various settings, such as audiology clinics preparing for people with low vision, ophthalmology clinics aware of hearing loss, and priority train seating with large-print maps and scrolling LED nearby.
Jason Krstanoski, director
Sydney, NSW
Jason brings a deeply personal connection to his role at Deafness Forum Australia. His journey into the world of hearing health began with his daughter’s diagnosis, revealing her inability to hear low tones, including adult male voices like his own. The discovery reshaped their family dynamics and schooling experiences, sparking Jason’s commitment to learning Auslan and engaging with the Deaf community.
Professionally, Jason is an executive in the power industry, currently overseeing safe operations as part of Transgrid’s leadership, managing 350 staff across NSW. His career includes significant roles such as Head of Procurement at Ausgrid. His expertise extends to engaging with various stakeholders in the government and private sectors.
Jason’s active search for a meaningful volunteer role led him to Deafness Forum Australia, where he can align his professional skills with his values and experiences. His family’s involvement with disability and the NDIS, enriches his perspective, enhancing his contributions to the board and the broader disability sector. Jason is passionate about driving positive change and fostering inclusivity through his role at Deafness Forum Australia.
Dwin Tucker AM, director and treasurer
Sydney, NSW
Dwin joined the board of Deafness Forum Australia in 2020, bringing a wealth of experience and a diverse skill set to the organisation. With a history of leadership as CEO in eight different organisations, ranging from large corporations to smaller enterprises, Dwin has demonstrated his expertise in financial management, strategic planning, and technological innovation. His leadership skills extend beyond executive roles, as evidenced by his current position as Vice President of Médecins Sans Frontières Australia, where he contributes to global medical humanitarian efforts.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Dwin is deeply committed to supporting education and research in hearing impairment. He funds two annual prizes: one for the best HSC student in NSW with hearing challenges and another for the best tertiary paper in hearing research.
Dwin holds a Bachelor of Science, a Bachelor of Commerce, and a Master of Business and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. His educational background and professional training have equipped him with the tools to guide and influence the organisations he serves effectively.
His journey into the deafness community began as the Interim CEO of the Australian Communications Exchange, which managed Australia’s National Relay Service. He later owned Clearasound, a leading installer of hearing loops and school hearing systems.
In recognition of his significant contributions to community health and the technology sector, Dwin was awarded in the General Division of the Order of Australia in The King’s Birthday 2023 Honours List. His achievements exemplify his commitment to enhancing the lives of individuals with hearing challenges through technological advancement and community service.
Steve Williamson, chief executive
Three Chief Executive Officers who led the Deafness Forum Australia over three decades: Brian Rope OAM (left), Nicole Lawder (Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly, retired) and current CEO Steve Williamson.
Steve’s job is to represent Deafness Forum in the:
- General Secretary and a director to the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People
- World Hearing Forum, part of the World Health Organization (aka WHO)
- Editorial committee of the WHO publication, “News from the World Hearing Forum”
- World Hearing Day Small Grants Program reviewer for the Coalition for Global Hearing Health Board and Conference Committee
- Australian Government Department of Health & Aged Care Diversity Consultative Committee member
- National Disability Insurance Scheme CEO Forum
- Among the architects of Australia’s Roadmap for Hearing Health.
Before joining the Deafness Forum in 2012, Steve headed corporate relations and marketing for the peak bodies representing the road freight sector and the engineering profession; and was government liaison for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV Marketing. He was a journalist and presenter for the ABC, and co-winner of a United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Award. Steve has also worked as a supermarket shelf-stacker, a brickworks labourer, cross-country ski instructor, and a long-serving volunteer for Vinnies.
Get in touch with Steve using this contact form.