Management Committee
Jennifer Smith (Life Member)
Committee Member
Jenny has worked for several decades with marginalised and vulnerable people in aged care, disability services, mental health, youth work, and emergency services. This provided the opportunity to work with many people with disabilities and their families, as well as forge many strong, personal relationships outside of her work roles.
Jenny has been involved with Capricorn Citizen Advocacy since its inception in the early 1990s, having been a member of the original Steering Committee. She became the founding President at the time of incorporation in the year 2000, and has held other executive roles including Secretary and Treasurer. Jenny was made CCA’s first Life Member in 2024 in recognition of her wonderful contribution to our organisation over many years.
In early 2013, Jenny became a Citizen Advocate and remained in that relationship with her Protégé until his death in August 2025. She counts this as one of the most important relationships of her life.
Jenny is also an Advocate Associate for CCA and is actively involved key governance sub-committees.
She has been a team member of multiple Citizen Advocacy Program Evaluations (CAPEs) and participated in 4 CAPEs at Capricorn Citizen Advocacy. Having attended numerous Citizen Advocacy (CA) and Social Role Valorisation (SRV) training events and conferences in Australia and internationally, Jenny has a deep commitment to good CA practice and the sustainability of the CA movement in Australia, including as a Core Member of the Australian Citizen Advocacy Study Group since 2016.
In her spare time, Jenny loves tropical gardening; travelling with her partner Peter; restoration of their patch of sub-tropical forest at the Capricorn Coast; and lavishing affection upon their much-loved pussy cat, Bo-Bo.
Sharon Lowe
Secretary
Sharon has always felt concerned about the vulnerability of people with disabilities, in particular those persons with few interpersonal relationships of a freely-given nature.
She joined like-minded people in CQ to explore disability advocacy options – and Capricorn Citizen Advocacy is the outcome.
She has always been involved as an Associate Advocate to provide support to the Program and Advocates in the areas of Social Role Valorisation and Occupational Therapy as they pertain to protégés.
Sharon joined the CCA Management Committee in 2015 and currently has the role of Secretary.
She also became a Citizen Advocate for a young boy in 2018 and is appreciative of the opportunity to get to know and support him.
Peter Edman
President
Peter Edman is a teacher with over 25 years’ experience (including as a support teacher – inclusive education). This includes various roles in state, Catholic and alternative settings. He has discovered an interest and passion for supporting neurodivergent students and their families. He now runs his own educational consulting and tutoring business.
Born and raised in Papua New Guinea, Peter has lived in numerous places along eastern Australia from the tropics to Sydney. History is a favourite topic; he’s handy on a trivia team. He’s also had several history publications, one of which has also been translated in Indonesia.
Peter’s other interests include cooking (he had his own cafe), tennis and mechanics (European cars). Peter has a formidable library, including dozens of cookbooks. He loves travelling and plans to go overseas to revisit his own past and explore his heritage.
He has a long history of supporting people, from friends to complete strangers. Becoming a Citizen Advocate has been a logical extension of Peter’s journey and is one achievement of which he is particularly proud.
Peter is the Treasurer of the Management Committee. He has a passion for Tim Tams but as a remote committee member he suffers from deprivation.
Michelle Pownall
Treasurer
Currently Michelle is a member of CCA’s Management Committee, bringing her practical insights as a Citizen Advocate to the governance of the program. She is also a Member of the Key Office Activities Sub-committee which oversees the Citizen Advocacy work of the program’s Coordinator.
Michelle was born and bred in a small town on the Central Highlands. She first trained as an Adult Literacy Tutor and tutored an adult student for four years.
Michelle has also been a TAB agent and ran an agency for eight years and another agency for six months as a caretaker agent. She later completed a Certificate III in Tourism Operations and became a Visitor Information Centre Supervisor for eight years.
This also lead to her completing a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) and then working as a Personal Care Attendant in Aged Care for three and a half years.
Michelle has a can-do attitude, a love for people and a quirky sense of humour.
Jim Byrne
Committee Member
Jim served for five years as a Management Committee Member from 2009 to 2014, including two years as Vice President. After a break he re-joined the committee on 17 October 2017.
Jim was born in Ireland. He worked in England as a Mechanical Engineering Draughtsman before emigrating in his mid 20’s to Australia in 1974. In 1975 he developed spasmodic quadruple vision. He underwent surgery in 1981 to remove a brain tumour near the pituitary gland. In 1986 he had more surgery and unfortunately came out of the operating theatre completely blind.
Jim received a guide dog in 1986, enrolled in TAFE and learned to type. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1991 and was the first blind graduate of Central Queensland University. In 1992 he was appointed as Disabilities Officer at CQU; being its first blind employee. He joined nine local boards after graduating. This included Capricorn Citizen Advocacy. In 1996 he was awarded a “Special Award” on Australia Day for services to the community.
Jim had cardiac bypass surgery after suffering a heart attack in 1993. In 1999 tumours were found on his brainstem around his spinal cord. This again resulted in surgery and he became very weak in his arms, legs and tongue. It took six months before he could walk outside without support.
Jim had two stents installed in his cardiac arteries in 2004. In 2017 a new ‘gamma knife’ was used in more surgery on Jim to destroy three brain tumours with great success. Jim still has five tumours in his brain which are managed with this technology.
Jim has never let his health challenges deter him from making the most of every day and from doing things that amaze others. He cleans his own house and makes his own furniture, but has help with the ironing and gardening. He enjoys a laugh; this includes regularly poking fun at himself. His wealth of wisdom and knowledge make him an important member of our team.
Angela Richardson
Committee Member
Angela has worked in a variety of government and non-government roles within human service organisations in Rockhampton over the last 30 years.
As a “friend” and keen supporter of Capricorn Citizen Advocacy for many years, Angela joined the Management Committee in 2023.
In a world of systems, services and structures, Angela enjoys being part of a Capricorn Citizen Advocacy where compassion is not organized and bound but shows up as people working well together, to create more goodness and possibilities.
Karen Reid
Committee Member
Karen has worked in disability and child protection services and government departments for the last 25 years and continues to work supporting vulnerable families in the Rockhampton community.
Through her work Karen has had the privilege of meeting many of the people who are active protégés and citizen advocates and has called on the support of Capricorn Citizen Advocacy a number of times.
Over the years Karen has long admired the responsiveness, care and uniqueness of CAA in creating opportunities for personal growth, life long relationships and increased resilience in response to life challenges.
Karen considers joining the Management Committee in 2024 an exciting opportunity to have a much closer connection to an organisation she has long admired and respected.
In Karen’s spare time she is completing post graduate studies, and enjoys down time with her family and dog Guinness.
Ann Davie
Committee Member
Ann’s career never followed a set path. After majoring in French and working briefly as an account assistant at a Taiwanese bank in Chicago, she moved to Australia where she became a videogame tester and later producer. From there she developed websites and managed online communications for the Department of Education in Tasmania. As the information manager for the Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies, Ann forged an interest in public policy, and in particular government accountability.
A desire for social justice awakened and Ann became involved in many areas of advocacy, initially primarily for children and young people. Now in Central Queensland, Ann has worked with Rockhampton Regional Council on a wide number of projects that seek to build and strengthen community.
Ann has a firm belief that the achievements of society must be measured alongside the quality of life of its most vulnerable. Ann is married to Andrew and has two grown children who remind her daily of what life is all about.