Board of Directors

President

Jade Wong

Jade graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Physiotherapy in 2004. Her hand therapy career started at Westmead Hospital in 2007. Since she has had the opportunity to work at South Western Sydney Hand Centre – Fairfield Hospital and currently is the Unit Head of Hand Therapy at Sydney Hospital – a quaternary referral centre.

Jade attained her CHT in 2009. She is currently completing a Master of Philosophy at Western Sydney University, investigating the role of a hand therapists working as advanced scope practitioners.

Jade has been an active member of the AHTA and has served on the membership sub-committee and been on the organising committee of the AHTA National Conferences in 2011, 2016 and 2022.

Jade is excited about taking up the role of president-elect and is looking forward to the opportunity to be part of and promote the research and scholarship portfolio.

Immediate Past-President

Rebecca Crowley, Chair: National Advocacy Committee

Rebecca graduated in Physiotherapy in 1988. She worked at hospitals in Sydney and London before moving into Hand Therapy at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1993. Since 2006, she has worked for the Hand Therapy Group at practices in Hornsby, Macquarie University, Dee Why and the Northern Beaches Hospital. She has been a member of the AHTA since 2005 and served as Divisional Rep, in marketing and promotions as well as Chair of the annual AHTA Conference organizing committee in 2011 and 2016. Rebecca has also taught undergraduate students at the University of Sydney and the Australian Catholic University. Rebecca is a trainee presenter for both Closed and Open Trauma courses.

Rebecca can be contacted emailing the AHTA office.

President–Elect

Dave Parsons, Chair: Research Committee

Dave has been an academic in occupational therapy for over 12 years. Before his academic role, Dave worked as a clinician in hand therapy in both the private and public sectors. He is an Accredited Hand Therapist (AHT) and has served on the AHTA Board for several years in various roles, including treasurer, membership secretary, and the credentialing council. 

Dave graduated from Curtin University with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in 2006, completed his Master of Business Administration in 2013 and finished his PhD in 2020.

Dave can be contacted by emailing the AHTA office.

Director

Vicky Allbrook, Chair of Special Interest Groups

Vicky graduated from Curtin University in Perth, WA in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science – Occupational Therapy degree. Vicky spent the next three years working in Hand and Upper Limb rehabilitation in the Southwest and Perth before moving to the United Kingdom in 2008. Vicky then began work in the National Health Service, continuing in orthopedics and Hand Therapy in various hospitals in London and Brighton.

Vicky returned to Perth at the end of 2012 to work with the Hand and Upper Limb Centre (HULC). Vicky has managed the clinic since 2017.

Vicky has presented at AHTA conferences in 2013 and 2015. Vicky presented at the Asia Pacific Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand in the Philippines in 2017. Vicky is passionate about Hand and Upper Limb Therapy and the future of our wonderful profession.

Vicky can be contacted by emailing the AHTA office.

Director

Brigette Evans, Chair Membership Committee

Brigette completed her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at the University of Sydney in 2009 and has worked in the private sector.  She began working in hand therapy in 2010 and has a private practice in Bathurst, NSW

Brigette is an Accredited hand Therapist and is the Chair of the Membership Committee.

Director

Angela Chew, Chair: Education Committee

Angela has a wealth of experience as a hand therapist in both private and public settings. She has completed a  Masters of Clinical Science in Hand and Upper Limb Rehabilitation and is a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT-USA) and a Member of the AHTA. She has also lectured and tutored in Occupational Therapy at Edith Cowan University, including teaching Hand and Upper Limb Rehabilitation. 

Angela is currently a Clinical Director at Specialised Hand Therapy in Western Australia. She enjoys mentoring OTs in their development as hand therapists and is invested in growing clinical excellence in the next generation of hand therapists.

Angela can be contacted by emailing the AHTA office.

Director

Clare Maple-Brown

Clare, an Accredited Hand Therapist, graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) in 2000 and worked at The Prince of Wales Hospital as a graduate. She then found her love of Hand Therapy and worked in various private practices in Sydney and the NHS in the UK before founding Bondi Junction Hand Therapy. Clare founded Bondi Junction Hand Therapy in 2010 and acquired North Shore Hand Therapy in 2023, and is the sole Owner and Director of both practices. 

Clare can be contacted by emailing the AHTA office.

Director

Julia Wild, Chair: Finance, Audit, Risk and Governance Committee

Julia graduated from Cumberland College Health Sciences in 1987 as a Physiotherapist. She worked at RPAH, Royal Perth and Prince of Wales Hospitals. She discovered hand therapy at Prince of Wales Hospital in 1990. It has been her passion ever since. She was Senior Hand Therapist at POWH for 4 years before opening her own private practice in1995, Southern Hand Therapy.

Julia commenced a locum Hand Therapy practice in 2019. She enjoys working in different practices from metropolitan to country.
Julia became a full member of the AHTA in 1993, certified CHT in 2003 when it was first offered in Australia. She is an AHTA Accredited Hand Therapist. Julia has been involved in AHTA divisional rep in the earlier years and video the interest meetings for the rural therapists. In 2018 Julia was the Communications Officer on the AHTA Management Committee, and has also been a volunteer with Interplast in the Pacific.

Julia can be contacted by emailing the AHTA office.