2025 is already shaping up to be a year of big changes at ANMF (Vic Branch).
In late February, we waved several long-serving Branch staff off into their well-deserved retirements.
Allan Townsend, a registered nurse and clinical supervisor, was a dedicated and beloved industrial relations organiser for the Ballarat region for 15 years. He is no doubt already in his favourite place: his fishing boat.
Cassia Drever-Smith has taken over Allan’s patch, ensuring members continue to receive seamless support and advice.
Also retiring in February was Richard Joske. An industrial relieving organiser for over 12 years and a quiet achiever, Richard made a deep impression on the Branch and members, always willing to step in and assist anywhere as needed.
And, of course, we also saw former ANMF (Vic Branch) Assistant Secretary Paul Gilbert head off into retirement. I talked at length about Paul and his contribution to ANMF and Victoria’s nurses, midwives and carers last month. I am sure he will at some stage soon be happily exploring Australia and not thinking about EBAs or industrial relations.
New Branch leadership: welcome Sam Casey
Taking the sting out of the hole Paul has left at the Branch is your new Assistant Secretary, Sam Casey.
Sam joined ANMF as a student member in 2012. She did her graduate program at St Vincent’s public hospital in 2013, followed by an advanced practice year in ICU, haematology/oncology, palliative and emergency nursing. She has completed postgraduate studies in clinical nursing (intensive care) and continued to work in ICU where she has held positions including clinical nurse specialist, a quality role, and in education.
Sam became an ANMF Job Rep in 2016, and joined the Branch as an organiser in 2018. In this role, she has looked after members at private acute hospitals including Healthscope, Healthe Care, Ramsay and Cabrini, at aged care providers TLC, Villa Maria, Japara/ACSAG, Bupa, Opal, Blue Cross, Regis and Allity, and in the public sector at Monash Health.
In 2021 Sam became a professional officer, with a key portfolio covering AHPRA. In this role, she helped members with AHPRA notifications, compliance matters, education and registration issues, and was responsible for submissions to AHPRA on National Law and other matters. She also looked after digital health, and currently sits on the health information sharing management committee for CareSync Exchange, the Department of Health’s secure patient health-information sharing system.
Sam auditioned – so to speak – for her current role over the past year while backfilling Assistant Secretary Madeleine Harradence’s parental leave and Paul’s long service leave, during which she proved herself a tenacious and effective achiever as part of the 2024 public sector negotiations.
Sam officially commenced as Assistant Secretary on 21 February.
ANMF (Vic Branch) Assistant Secretary Sam Casey in 2024
Welcome Julie Reeves
I am also pleased to welcome Julie Reeves to the Branch, backfilling Sam’s Professional Officer role.
Julie joins us from the ANMF Federal Office where she has been working as the Strategic Lead – Aged Care, providing advice and direction on professional and workforce matters related to aged care and digital health.
Further staff changes will be announced to members as I retire from the role of Branch Secretary in mid 2025
