Board Members

Dr Rob Storer - Chairman

Dr Storer is a Consultant Anaesthetist and long time member of the Autism Association.  He has been actively involved in leading the Board at a time of major strategic development, maintaining a keen interest in the field of disability as well as Autism.  Dr Storer is also currently the Chairman of the West Australian Branch of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists; and a member of the Disability Chairs Forum.

Dr Parry is a developmental paediatrician and Associate Clinical Professor, School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia.  Until recently he was Department Head of Community and Developmental Paediatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, and Director of the State Child Development Centre.  Dr Parry’s past roles include Vice-President of the former Australian College of Paediatricians, Consultant Physician at Princess Margaret Hospital and a Member of the National Executive (and former Chair), of the State Branch of the National Investment for the Early Years.  He is also the Chair of the Australasian Board of Family Partnership Training.

Dr Macdonald is a medical graduate of the University of Melbourne and has extensive knowledge and experience in the field of developmental disability.  Her past professional career includes positions at Princess Margaret Hospital, Irrabeena, (a forerunner of the Disability Services Commission) and as Principal Child Health Consultant to the Health Department of Western Australia.
She has previously served as President and as Vice President of the Autism Association of Western Australia.  Dr Macdonald was awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2006 for service to medicine as a paediatrician and as an advocate in the field of child health, education, welfare and disability support services.

Mr Altus has held a number of positions within the West Australian Department of Treasury and Finance, where he currently holds the position of Director of Revenue and Intergovernmental Relations. In 2003 and 2004 he completed a secondment to the University of WA as its Executive Director of Finance and Resources.  Mr Altus joined the Board of the Autism Association in January 2010.  He is also a member of the Curtin Business School Advisory Board (School of Economics & Finance) and UWA Senate Strategic Resources Committee.

Mrs Brownhill has been actively involved in the field of disability over many years.  Prior to returning to Western Australia from Melbourne where she and her family lived, Mrs Brownhill represented Mansfield Autistic Services on the Victorian State Council for Autism.  On returning to Perth in late 1999, Mrs Brownhill resumed her involvement with the worldwide Special Olympics movement and was a Director of Special Olympics Western Australia up until 2004.  Mrs Brownhill is a Family Member of the Autism Association of Western Australia.

Professor Landau is the principal medical advisor to the WA Department of Health, and also the Chair of the Postgraduate Medical Council of Western Australia.  Professor Landau was Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Western Australia for 9 years and was Professor of Paediatrics at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in Perth.  He is the founding Chairman of the Institute for Child Health Research, and has served on committees of the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Drug Evaluation Committee, the Australian Medical Council, and the National Asthma Campaign.  Professor Landau was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1996 for his contribution to paediatrics and research in respiratory medicine.

Mrs Rank is a Senior International Training Specialist in industrial software.  She has been a Family Member of the Autism Association for over 21 years and is married with two children.  Mrs Rank has been an active member of the Autism Association for more than a decade and has supported the Association in public education, fundraising and other projects throughout the years.

Mr Presser graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Banking and Commercial Law) from Curtin University in 1995 following which he joined the Department of Treasury and Finance.  He currently holds the position of Senior Investigations Officer with the Office of State Revenue within the Department of Treasury and Finance.  Mr Presser is active within his local community and is a Family Member of the Autism Association of Western Australia.

Mr Bywaters is a finance manager with a large international resources company and has a background in accounting, finance management, consulting and business development.  Mr Bywaters was elected to the honorary position of Treasurer and is a Family Member of the Autism Association.  He is also Treasurer of The Australian Dance Council of Western Australia.