WAAMH farewells long-serving board Chair
Monday 19 May 2025
After more than eight years as Chairperson of the Board of Directors, WAAMH says farewell to Kerry Hawkins and welcomes Claire Timmel to the position.
Ms Hawkins, who joined the board in 2012 and was elected Chairperson in 2016, has been a strong and persistent advocate for re-orienting the current mental health system, by strengthening the roles of the community mental health sector as well as preventative mental health measures.
Ms Hawkins brought her lived experience to the position, as a family member of someone with mental health challenges, along with professional expertise from her work as a director for the National Disability Insurance Scheme; senior program manager for the WA Mental Health Commission; and Carer Consultant with the North Metropolitan Health Service.
Ms Hawkins leaves the board to take on a new position as CEO of Community Mental Health Australia, the national peak body for the community mental health sector.
The Board of Directors has elected Claire Timmel as the association’s new Chairperson, who brings living experience of mental health challenges from the perspective of an individual, in light of her own experiences of mental ill-health since adolescence.
Ms Timmel also has extensive professional skills as a development manager, having worked with government, the private sector and local communities, to improve social and economic outcomes for at risk population groups across Australia.
Ms Hawkins said she was looking forward to the challenges of working at a national level, after many enjoyable years working alongside the association.
“I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to WAAMH’s past and present board members, the broader membership base as well as its CEO, Taryn Harvey, who have supported me over my tenure,” Ms Hawkins said.
“They have all been a part of the journey towards a mental health system where lived experience and connection to community are front and centre.
“I feel confident that WAAMH is poised to play a significant role in the upcoming transformation of WA’s mental health system, and I am delighted that Ms Timmel will now carry this work forward.”
Ms Timmel said she was looking forward to continuing to highlight the critical importance of the sector in addressing current and ongoing challenges across the mental health system.
“I would like to thank Ms Hawkins for her hard work and dedication as a Director and Chairperson at WAAMH,” Ms Timmel said.
“It has been a privilege to learn from her in recent years, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside her in her new role.”
Ms Timmel has been a member of the board since 2022 and Deputy Chairperson since January 2023; and will be supported in her new position by the association’s two deputy chairs, Tanya Steinbeck and Monique Williamson.
WAAMH’s Board of Directors encompasses the expertise of professional governance skills and lived experience governance skills.
Board members are elected from the association’s joint membership base, which consists of representatives from community mental health organisations and individuals with lived or living experience.
The joint membership base is the foundation for the association’s advocacy on behalf of the sector, and it ensures that the purpose and positioning of the sector is supported by those with lived experience.
Read more about WAAMH’s board members.