President

Ed P

Originally from northwest England, Ed emigrated to Australia in 2010 and works as an anaesthetist in public and private practice in Brisbane. Ed completed his medical training in Dundee, Scotland in 2006 and worked in the NHS in Manchester for four years where he obtained his MRCP diploma. After moving to Australia and settling in Queensland, Ed completed his anaesthetic training in 2017 becoming a Fellow of the Australian & New Zealand College of Anaesthetist (ANZCA).

In his professional life Ed is passionate about service improvement and is currently the clinical lead overseeing the redesign of pre-procedural patient journey at the large tertiary referral centre where he works. Ed is a past chair of the ANZCA Queensland Continuing Education Committee and has organised, taught at, and chaired several regional and national events.

Ed has a passion for travel and during a 2022 trip of South America Ed met his husband, Seb, in Medellin, Colombia. They were married in 2023 and live in Brisbane with two cats, speaking a mixture of Spanish and English at home.

Living with HIV since 2014, Ed knows first-hand the stigma an HIV diagnosis can bring, even from supposedly caring health professionals; something he has talked about in a video he commissioned for an anaesthetic conference on physician health. You can watch Ed’s story here. He is passionate about the work QPP does to reduce the harm of HIV stigma, peer-lead free, open sexual health testing services, and helping people living with HIV live long and healthy lives.

Secretary

Vaughan M

Vaughan works as a nurse, starting his journey in healthcare at age 19 as an Assistant in Nursing in aged care, and since then has continued his studies, completing a Diploma of Nursing, and then their Bachelor of Nursing.  Vaughan considers themselves fortunate that they were diagnosed at a time where accessibility to effective treatments was possible, and was able to commence therapy a short time after being diagnosed. 

Vaughan has always been passionate about connecting with their community. The majority of their nursing career has been spent working directly with the positive community, with focus areas including chronic disease management, HIV care, general practice and sexual health. They understand firsthand, the importance and benefits that the lived experience brings to peer roles and has found this experience to be incredibly fulfilling. In addition to their day-to-day clinical work, Vaughan has presented, spoke on panels, and been on advisory committees in multiple areas of education in healthcare, specifically LGBTQI+ health. Vaughan brings this depth of insights and skills to his position on the QPP board. They are committed to improving service delivery, accessibility for people living with HIV, and decreasing stigma.

In their spare time, Vaughan is a passionate member of the local hardcore music scene, together with practicing combat sports (Muay Thai) and spending time in the garden with the chickens, or with their fiancé and their two cats.

Treasurer

Nathan B

Nathan has been a member of the positive community for 30 years, having been born with HIV, he brings a unique perspective and lived experience to the table.

Nathan has spent over a decade working across the health and community sectors, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities within HIV, aged care, and disability services. His professional journey has been shaped by a commitment to quality assurance, governance, and practice improvement, always prioritising equity and client-centred outcomes.

Nathan’s career includes roles in project management, safeguarding, and advisory capacities, where he has developed expertise in compliance, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning. He has also contributed to numerous community initiatives, such as stigma reduction workshops and social visiting services for senior populations living with HIV. These experiences have fuelled his passion for creating inclusive, impactful systems of care.

Nathan holds a Diploma of Quality Auditing, equipping him with the skills to evaluate and improve organisational processes to meet regulatory standards and drive continuous improvement. He also holds a diploma in family and community services. Beyond his professional roles, Nathan volunteers extensively, supporting advisory boards and other initiatives for people living with HIV. 

Nathan’s ambition is to help shape equitable and sustainable futures for the positive community across Queensland and Australia.

Ordinary Board Member

David L

David is a management professional skilled in navigating complex program landscapes, fostering collaborative working environments, and leading the development and implementation of a wide array of health, not-for-profit, community, and humanitarian programs. He worked in the HIV sector in Sydney and overseas for 30 years; initially as Registered Nurse at St Vincent’s Hospital in the late 80s and later establishing the world’s first HIV Dementia Residential Facility in 1998, coordinating HIV projects for Médecins Sans Frontiers in Africa and setting up the HIV Outreach Team (Specialist Case Management Service) in 2008.

David is well-versed in utilising evidence-based analysis to inform service improvements and operational and strategic planning. More recently working in primary health care in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector; David has a passion for addressing health inequities and working to Closing the Gap. David also has a keen interest in writing, politics, and social justice, and has a passion for various humanitarian causes and spiritual pursuits.

Regional Representative

Mark T

Living in regional Queensland, Mark has been a member of QPP since 2019. He was actively involved with QPP as a member of the Community Advisory Group (CAG) since its inception towards the end of 2020. In May, he joined the Board and QPP’s new Innovations Sub-Committee.

Mark has a background in the hospitality and disability sectors. Today he is passionate about the alcohol and other drug (AOD) sector where he has experienced working with people overcoming substance use in a residential rehabilitation setting, after being through recovery himself. With his lived-experience and training as a counsellor, Mark continues to work in the AOD sector and with QPP as a passionate advocate for reducing stigma, increasing awareness, and improving holistic health outcomes.

Special Interest Representative

Sonya W

Sonya started your journey with QPP as a staff member, working for two years within the Life+ team, which showed her that organisations dedicated to supporting those living with HIV not only exist but shine a light on a community to often forgotten.

Sonya has 17 years’ experience in Employment services and is currently working as a Peer in the Alcohol and Other Drug sector. Sonya continues to draw on past vocational roles and personal experiences to empower individuals through harm reduction and person-centred support. While at QPP Sonya had the privilege to advocate fiercely for people living with HIV, ensuring all she supported had access to compassionate, stigma-free services that promote dignity and self-determination.

Her professional background equips her to bridge gaps between individuals and systems, using evidence-based approaches to enhance service delivery that embrace inclusive environments. She is committed to driving transformative change by amplifying the voices of those the Board serves to create spaces where everyone feels valued and empowered. Advocacy is at the heart of her work, she is passionate about dismantling stigma and shame that can surround HIV and addiction, championing social justice and human rights for all. Firmly believing that every person deserves the opportunity to thrive, free from marginalisation or judgment.

Sonya is excited to focus on building supportive communities prioritising lived-experience perspectives, to strengthen services through innovative, trauma-informed approaches providing a safe space for people living with HIV to take control of their health and futures.

Beyond her professional life, she finds joy in enhancing community connections. She enjoys engaging in thought-provoking conversations about building a more equitable, compassionate world. Cooking is her creative outlet sharing a meal with others is a beautiful way to connect. Writing helps Sonya process and share ideas that inspire change, while Huskies bring daily reminders of life’s simple pleasures. Whether at work or in her personal life, she is driven by a commitment to equity, care, and helping every individual find their strength and voice in a world that celebrates their worth.

Special Advisor

Mark C

Mark was diagnosed in 1985, and soon after left a promising career in industry to commit the remainder of his life to the HIV sector. After joining both the Queensland AIDS Council and Queensland Positive People around 1990 he became involved in advocacy for people living with HIV, and was soon elected to the President of the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWHA) as well as to a number of state and national Committees. He decided however that the real power to make change lay inside government and he moved into Queensland Health and remained there for almost the next 20 years acting in Principle Policy Adviser roles in HIV and Sexual Health. After retiring in 2015, Mark returned to his passion of working in the community sector and has rejoined the QPP Board. His passion now lies in reshaping QPP’s future for the longer term.