Congratulations to APodA's new directors and acknowledging outgoing President Katrina Richards’ outstanding contributions
2 Jun 2025
We were delighted to announce the re-election of A/Prof Angela Evans and Andrew Cook and welcome newly elected director Jessica O’Neil to the board at our AGM recently.
At a recent board meeting, Andrew Cook as elected by the board to serve as President with A/Prof Angela Evans being elected to continue her role as Vice President.
Meet President, Andrew Cook
Passionate about podiatry and bringing a willingness to work alongside teams to promote the profession, Mr Cook has been a practicing clinical podiatrist for 30 years, business owner employing 25 staff and Director in associated entities.
Andrew has been a member of APodA’s board since September 2024 and served as past Director APodA (Vic) from 2005-2014, as well as one year as an APODC delegate.
Meet Vice President, Associate Professor (A/Prof) Angela Evans AM
An engaged APodA board member, who is instrumental in preparing for meetings, listening and asking questions, Angela has been a driving force behind APodA’s governance review and constitutional renewal. A/Prof Evans was first elected to the APodA Board in May 2019 during a pivotal time for the association as it transitioned to a national body and navigated the global coronavirus pandemic.
During her time on the board term, A/Prof Evans has tabled a strategic outline for sustainability (aka Green Podiatry), plans for professional guidelines, and published for members re ‘big picture health’.
Meet Director, Jessica O’Neil
With over 18 years' experience as a podiatrist and over 15 as Director of Sole Podiatry, Ms O'Neil brings a strong combination of clinical expertise, business acumen and leadership to the APodA board. Jessica is committed to ensuring podiatry's sustainability and relevance now and into the future.
Ms O'Neil is passionate about helping address some of the issues our profession faces today, such as workforce shortages, practitioner burnout the decline in student enrolments and the uncertainty around government funding.
These highly esteemed individuals join our existing directors, Mary-Ellen Redmayne, Shelley Thomson, Joe Bayer, Maria Latemore and Kylie McCulloch. Together, they bring valuable expertise, passion and insights to support our vison and purpose and enhance our impact.
Thank you to outgoing President, Katrina Richards
We would like to extend our sincere thanks and deepest gratitude to Katrina Richards for her long and impactful commitment to the APodA as President. Serving on the APodA board since 2017 and the APodC board prior to this, Ms Richards has twice held the role of President and Chair of the APodA board.
The APodA has benefitted immensely from Ms Richards steady guidance as we brought state associations together into a unified national body. Katrina’s leadership during the global pandemic helped ensure the association's stability and continued growth.
Katrina's high level of communication and her extraordinary ability to relate well across different groups, including the board, government, and other professional associations, has been a true asset to us all.
The APodA acknowledges her dedication to the association, always prioritising members' needs and working voluntarily over the years. Her contributions have been instrumental in guiding our association towards new achievements and growth.
We thank you, Katrina, for your unwavering commitment and excellence, and congratulations again to our newly elected directors.
