President: Georgina Frank (NSW)

Georgina is a podiatrist specialising in diabetes-related foot disease (DFD). She is deputy director of podiatry for the Sydney Local Health District where she works with a wonderful team of podiatrists providing preventative foot care and acute management for DFD. More recently she also had the great fortune to have been project officer for the national Foot Forward Project which aims to develop an Integrated Diabetes Footcare Pathway to support early referral for people with diabetes-related foot diseases.

Georgina currently practices in outreach with the Outback Vascular Health Service, Endocrinology team from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Diabetes Centre, working with the fantastic Maari Ma Aboriginal Health Service in Broken Hill and Wilcannia. Georgina has completed her Master of Public Health which was a labour of love while working full-time and has made her more determined to improve health equity within the Australian health system.

Georgina has been on the APP-HRF Committee since 2019 and was Vice President from 2020-2023.

Vice President: Emma Farmakis (VIC)

Emma holds a Bachelor of Exercise Science, a Bachelor of Health Sciences, a Master of Podiatric Practice, a Master of Health Leadership and Management, and Endorsement for Scheduled Medicines. Emma is an enthusiastic podiatrist who works for Northern Health in metropolitan Melbourne as a senior podiatrist manager and clinical educator for the podiatry department.

Emma also works at La Trobe University teaching endorsement for scheduled medicine course content to third year and fourth year undergraduate podiatry students. Emma is passionate about service development and digital health innovation to provide patients with high value health care and deliver outcomes that matter to patients. Emma joined the APP-HRF Group Committee as Secretary in 2020 and became the Group's Vice President in 2023.

Treasurer: Stephen Tucker (VIC)

Stephen has been a podiatrist for a long time, having spent many years working with the High Risk Foot services at a number of Melborne health services. He currently manages a team of 20 in the Podiatry and Orthotic service at Northern Health.

He was one of the first podiatrists in Australia to gain Endorsement for Scheduled Medicines. and currently Chairs the APodA Medicines in Podiatry SIG. Stephen has mentored 10 podiatrists through their endorsement and is currently mentoring a further 10.

Stephen was an inaugural committee member of the APP-HRFG, granted Life Membership in 2018 and continues to be an active committee member acting as Treasurer. Stephen has special interests in health policy and funding.

Secretary: Dr Pam Chen (WA)

Pam is a Podiatrist working at the Western Australia and has experience working in both acute and rural and remote community podiatry settings. She is also a PhD graduate from the University of Tasmania (thesis topic: the associations of health literacy with foot ulceration in people with diabetes). 

Pam has been on the APP-HRF Group's Committee since 2014 and President from 2016-2023. Her interests include research, audits and credentialing.

Julie Nguyen (NSW)

Julie is a lecturer in Podiatry at Charles Sturt University. Julie has a Bachelor of Podiatry (LTU), Master of Public Health (UOM) and Graduate Certificate in Tertiary & Adult Education (CQU). She has extensive clinical experience in the area of high risk foot and has worked in both the public and private health sectors prior to academia.

Julie has worked in various roles including Podiatrist (community-based health services and acute hospitals); Internal Care Coordinator in acute care; Project Officer in public affairs, health promotion and healthcare projects including Department of Health funded projects.

Julie received the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Exemplary Practice in Learning & Teaching (Tier 1) in 2021. She received the 2017 Opal Award for Excellence in Engagement-Engaged Service “Balance 4 Life”. She led her team to win the 2018 Opal Award for Excellence in Engagement-Engaged Service “Multi-disciplinary Homeless Initiative”. Julie’s research interest is in podiatry, chronic disease, models of care, health workforce, health policy, digital health, medical technology and 3D printing.

Julie currently leads the APP-HRFG National Mentor Program.  

Morica Tran (VIC)

Morica received her Bachelor of Health Sciences and Masters of Podiatric Practice from La Trobe University. She is a Podiatrist working at Eastern Health's High Risk Foot service (Melbourne), and is passionate about providing excellent care to her patients. Her interests include quality improvement and research.

Morica has recently published a systematic review and is an associate research investigator, exploring plantar pressures pre and post partial foot amputations. Morica is in the process of completing a single unit of study "Principles of Health Care Quality Improvement" at Monash University, and is looking forward to translating theory into practice.

Chloe Katsanos (VIC)

After obtaining her Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne University, Chloe went on to complete her Bachelor of Health Science, and Masters of Podiatric Practice at La Trobe University and has since gone on to work within community, acute and post-acute sectors within the public health field in Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney.

Chloe’s passion within public health has been working within the High Risk Foot field, inpatient services, providing early education and intervention to complete holistic and patient centred evidence-based care. Chloe also enjoys being a mentor in the APP-HRF Group’s Mentor Program.

Jo Scheepers (WA)

Jo Scheepers is the Manager of Podiatry and coordinator of the interdisciplinary complex foot service at SJOG Midland Hospital in Perth. Jo has worked in a variety of clinical and non clinical roles across the WA public sector, all relating to the management of the high risk foot. Jo was a WA committee member for Wounds Australia for 10 years, member of the NADC foot network and assisted in the development of the Interdisciplinary Diabetes HRFS accreditation program. She was a member of the DFA wound classification working party for the 2021 guidelines and on the Scientific Committee for LEAP Conference 2022. Her area of clinical interest is PAD assessment and management of Charcot foot. 

Naomi Rowlings (VIC)

Naomi is a Melbourne based podiatrist, who has extensive experience in high risk foot care. She obtained her undergraduate education at La Trobe university, and is the High Risk Foot Service Coordinator for Alfred Health. Naomi’s podiatry experience is varied, having worked both locally and internationally in public health, acute and community-based care settings and in parallel is a co-owner and director of an established private podiatry practice.  

Naomi has a passion for education and advocacy for the podiatry profession and has contributed to undergraduate education as a clinical placement educator, and an academic clinician delivering high risk foot curriculum.  Naomi is a published author, and is currently completing her Endorsed Scheduled Medicine qualification; post graduate clinical leadership and further research are future endeavours.