MACA members

Find out about the NSW Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing (MACA) members.

Kathryn Greiner AO (Chair)

Kathryn Greiner has contributed in a wide range of leadership positions in public and private companies, government bodies and non-profit organisations. Her professional career has focused on Health, Education and Community Development.

Kathryn currently chairs the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing (MACA) for the NSW Government; is Chairman of Loreto Kirribilli School Council and Chairman of Mary Ward International Australia, an Overseas Aid agency; and is a Director of the Bell Shakespeare Company. She was an elected Councillor to the City of Sydney Council (1995-2004).

Kathryn has held Directorships for Pacific Power, John Singleton Advertising, and the Financial Planning Association. She has been a member of the Bond University Council, as well as a member of the Advisory Council of L.E.K. Consulting Ltd. Her non-profit activities have included Chair of the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal; Chair of Save the Children NSW and Australia; and Chair of the Sydney Peace Prize Foundation.

Kathryn has contributed to a number of NSW and Australian Government inquiries and committees, including the Review of Funding for Schooling (The Gonski Inquiry) and the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board.

Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Social Work (UNSW), was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia (2001) and, in 2014, was awarded a Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) from the University of New South Wales.

Mrs Margret Meagher

Margret Meagher is Executive Director, Arts and Health Australia and a board member of the national peak body The Australian Centre for Arts and Health Limited. These organisations are dedicated to promoting the positive impact of the arts and creative engagement on health and wellbeing for individuals and communities. The field of arts and health encompasses primary and acute care, creative ageing, community health, health promotion and prevention, education and research.

Margret is a specialist in creative ageing, which utilises the arts (including visual arts, music, singing, dance, theatre, creative writing) to foster enhanced quality of life for older people – supporting those wishing to maintain their health and wellbeing and those living with a chronic condition, such as dementia or depression. Margret has particular expertise in designing and implementing creative ageing programs and research studies in retirement villages, hospitals, palliative and aged care facilities and community services. Margret is also experienced in creating public art projects and event management, including annual conferences for arts and health and creative ageing.

Professor Tracey McDonald AM

Dr Tracey McDonald AM PhD is a clinical gerontologist who focuses on policies and practices concerning older adults. Her particular interests are on prevention of abuse of older adults; safety and wellbeing; practice-driven research; and life quality of those receiving care services. For the past 14 years until her retirement mid2018, she held the Research Chair of Ageing with ACU in North Sydney and participated in State, National and international policy forums. She was admitted as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for work with UN Expert Groups and development of public health and social welfare policy. Her multidisciplinary qualifications and experience have enabled her to advise the National Lead Clinicians Group and later, to continue to contribute to the Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing NSW on high level policy, ageing trends and future planning for an inclusive and cohesive society.

Ms Joanna Maxwell

Joanna is: Director, Age Discrimination at the Australian Human Rights Commission. In this role she considers a wide range of issues that affect older Australians, such as workplace discrimination, elder abuse, homelessness, isolation and intergenerational connection.

Joanna has also authored Rethink Your Career in your 40s, 50s and 60s (ABC Books/HarperCollins 2017) which won the Royal Society (Australian and New Zealand) inaugural Career Book of the Year award for 2018, and is being published in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom in 2020.

Joanna’s memberships have included: National Seniors, COTA, GAP Standing Committee on Productive Ageing, Inner West Council Seniors Working Group and work subgroup for the EveryAGECounts steering committee.

Joanna describes herself as: an experienced speaker and facilitator; a collaborative worker who enjoys the chance to contribute to team projects as well as initiating her own work. She relishes opportunities to work with others of diverse backgrounds and opinions, and has excellent connections throughout the community, from local council level to state and federal peak bodies, community organisations and stakeholder groups.

Ms Margaret Kay

Margaret has over 15 years’ experience in strategic policy and advocacy in community care, residential aged care and ageing. Most recently, working with Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Margaret’s role included researching, developing and implementing policies to support local government to enable people to remain living in their local community as they age, and enhancing the participation of older people.

Also, as a Town Planner and social policy expert, with strong connections to local government, Margaret’s particular interest is in developing local environments which enable older people to live the life they choose.

Margaret is  a Director of Your Side Australia, a not-for-profit community care provider and an active member of the Centre for Universal Design Australia.  She previously represented local government on the Inter Departmental Committee on the NSW Ageing Strategy.

Margaret considers herself a team player and project manager who can build and maintain effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders in a political environment, including senior management, staff, elected representatives, and external parties.

Professor Joanne Earl

Joanne is an Professor of Psychology at Macquarie University; she has spent the last 12 years researching ageing, retirement planning and retirement adjustment. She is a Registered Psychologist and endorsed as an Organisational Psychologist.

Joanne has developed resources for National Seniors Australia (Retirement Readiness Program), is a co-recipient of a Liveable Communities research grant to focus on building resilience in older adults and holds ARC Discovery and Linkage grants focusing on the design of interventions to improve retirement planning.

Joanne has interests in financial literacy at older age and sits on the ASIC Financial Capability Research Steering Committee.

Joanne considers her strengths to include converting research findings and implications into everyday language, and presenting research findings to community groups in a way that is engaging. She regularly presents her research to government, community and practitioner groups on factors affecting retirement adjustment, retirement planning with a focus on other areas besides wealth, as well cognitive decline and financial literacy.

She is future-focused and able to see the bigger picture, but appreciates that often the “devil is in the detail”. Joanne is able to conceptualise multiple path ways to meet objectives and successfully evaluate pros and cons.

Roy Starkey

Roy Starkey recently retired following over 50 years of community engagement and support work.

Roy’s experiences range from general nursing, to funeral industry, counselling, prison support, care coordination and industry training in ageing, mental health, sexuality and ageing, LGBTI Ageing, aboriginal mental health and support as well as working with injecting drug users. Advocating for client rights and acceptance for the diverse communities in which he has worked, he unintentionally he became an activist for the rights of those living with HIV and the broader LGBT communities in both urban and rural/regional areas. He has presented at national and international conferences on ageing, HIV and care co-ordination.

Living in the Northern Rivers for over a decade and being engaged personally and professionally across the varied communities gives an insight into the differences between rural/regional ageing issues and those experienced by our urban seniors.

Despite retirement he remains engaged in Communities of Practice in Ageing and Family and Domestic Violence as well as looking at what defines “masculinity” across the life spectrum. A firm believer in Healthy Ageing he attends his local gym several times a week to remain physically active.

Margie O’Tarpey

Margie O'Tarpey is a retired CEO with over 25 years experience managing Not for Profit professional associations. She has proven success in engagement, partnerships, representation and policy advice with a wide range of stakeholders at senior levels of organisations (Government and Industry), as well as the private sector at local, state and national levels.

Margie is an expert facilitator and has extensive experience and skills facilitating Boards, Stakeholder Forums; Strategic planning and Business planning sessions, team meetings and community consultations. Margie is Chairperson of The Circle Foundation Cooperative, an integrated and innovative health and wellbeing  social enterprise charity,  for people living with chronic health conditions, on  the South coast region of NSW

Margie has a strong human resources management and emotional intelligence focus and is committed to and competency in sound governance and financial sustainability standards.

Dr Anthony (Tony) Virtue

Tony is currently the long serving Chief Executive of Amalgamated Financial Services Pty Ltd and has been actively involved in the provision of personal financial advice for the past 32 years. Tony is passionate about providing all Australians with the confidence to live their best lives possible, knowing that their financial assets are being expertly managed on their behalf.

He remains active in advocating positive regulatory outcomes for the community, navigating the requirements of Centrelink and Aged Care entry and manages the financial affairs of retirees. Leading a strong multi-disciplined team his firm remains one of the longest standing independent financial advice firms in the Sydney region.

Tony has an active interest and is published in the field of Microfinance (available at Amazon). He speaks regularly on financial advice matters and continues to teach finance at Flinders University for over a decade including mentoring senior students into full time employment opportunities.

His relevant qualifications include a B Bus (Financial Planning), Masters In Applied Finance and a Doctor of Business Administration in addition to FASEA qualifications. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Institute of Public Accountants and has been involved with many Boards and Associations over a long career in both profit and not for profit organisations.

In his spare time Tony enjoys playing competitive hockey, swimming, and family life. He retains a lifelong interest in learning and travelling to new places.

Acknowledged as a team player Tony is committed to making a positive contribution to the Ministerial Council on Ageing NSW.

Sally Betts

Sally Betts is a migrant, who came to Australia from South Africa in 1974.  She is 76 years old.

Cr. Betts was elected to Waverley Council in 1995 and is their longest serving Councillor and was Mayor for eight years.

During her time on Council, but particularly during her eight years as Mayor Cr. Betts has worked closely with Council Officers to facilitate numerous seniors programs such as virtual fitness and social programs through the Council Senior’s Centre. She was instrumental in ensuring that Council delivered services to the frail aged sector being the over 85 year olds who have more specific needs and services.

Sally has ensured that Council’s social housing portfolio concentrates on providing housing for elderly residents wherever possible .  She is a member of Council’s Housing Committee, which looks at both social and affordable housing, specifically for the ageing.

Sally has worked for both the NSW Parliament and the Federal Government giving her a good understanding of legislation and more importantly the different community needs based on their age and ethnicity.

Sally has excellent and close relationships with many organisations who deal with our older residents, being COA in Bondi Junction, Montifiore Residential Care, and the Mark Moran Group and Aged Care.

She brings strong skills to the Advisory Board with a good understanding of what our ageing population needs to allow everyone to contribute and lead fulfilling lives.  Being involved with the community every single day she brings a broad community perspective to the role.

Ms Beverly Coe

I was born in Cowra NSW and grew up on an Aboriginal Mission called Erambie at Cowra, I have 10 siblings, three children and three grandchildren.

I am a proud Wiradjuri woman growing up with and around very strong family and community people.

I have worked in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations for the majority of my life and have an understanding of Aboriginal Issues & Aboriginal Community Development. I am a firm believer in social justice for Aboriginal people.

My current position is Client Support Partner with The Benevolent Society. My role involves supporting clients with NDIS plans to achieve their goals. This position is with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal clients and is very satisfying.

I played a lot of sport growing up and have developed a passion and interest in basketball and currently am managing and coaching youth teams for the All Blacks Basketball Club. I enjoy watching our kids playing and having a good time.

I enjoy watching and attending tennis tournaments.

Barbara Ward

Barbara Ward is a highly respected, influential and accomplished business leader. She has extensive experience at senior executive and board level in diverse industries with a career that spans across finance, audit, marketing, capital & fundraising, health and education, food security with significant exposure to both domestic and international markets in public, private and charity sector.

She was recently elected to Ku ring Gai council for the first time and was also appointed Deputy Mayor. Barbara has in-depth knowledge of the daily challenges of older people and is committed to working with people for the greater good. Through her collaborative and inclusive approach she brings fresh ideas and positive results-focussed solutions that serves the community.

Barbara has proven achievements in stakeholder engagement, partnerships and policy development which has led to building opportunities for older workers, from teaching business skills to advocating lifelong learning. She brings expertise in the understanding of older adults’ experiences, including their emotional needs, adjustments to living in new environments and end-of-life planning. This is particularly evident in her role at Anglican Retirement Villages where she fundraised for High Care Dementia Unit, Palliative Care, Falls Prevention, and Dementia programs and towards improvements in facilities and programs.

She is the Chair of a number of charity boards and also serves on a number of boards including United Nations Aust NSW, Lifeline, SHARE SMR, Studio Artes & Royal Rehab Foundation. Barbara is a pragmatic director with a strong focus on integrity, transparency and credibility.

Her work with SHARE SMR and Nutrition Australia is focused on people over 55, being instrumental in conducting research with the cohort of participants and developing robust and affordable programs with health outcomes on benefits of exercise, nutrition, mental health and early onset of cognitive decline. SHARE SMR works across industries including universities, NSW Government and advocates to NSW Govt for older people. She believes mental health is an integral part of health and well-being and includes not only individual characteristics but also social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental factors.

Her passion for good public policy like many; stems from her experience that a strong economy is the basis of a just society and she works tirelessly to make life better for those less fortunate.