PLUSLIFE BOARD CHANGES BRING NEW KNOWLEDGE

Three long-serving directors of the PlusLife board have stepped down from office bearing roles after more than 42 years of collective service to the bone and tissue donation cause.

Retired accountant Donal O’Doherty who served on the PlusLife board for 18 years, including as treasurer, has resigned as a board director.

Retired microbiologist and philanthropist Professor John Pearman has stepped down as chairman after 12 years, while Graham Reynolds, a board member since 2000, has relinquished the position of interim deputy chair. Both remain board directors.

Project manager and company director Bart Boelen has taken up the position of chairman, with business change consultant Gordon Webster stepping into the deputy chair and treasurer roles.

Mr Boelen thanked Mr O’Doherty for his long contribution to the board of WA’s bone and tissue bank.

“I would like to thank Donal O’Doherty for an outstanding 18 years of service to the board of PlusLife. His wealth of fiscal knowledge has been of major benefit to PlusLife and its financial management and we wish him all the very best for the future,” he said.

“I would also like to acknowledge Professor John Pearman for his unwavering commitment to PlusLife and a sterling job at the helm of the board over the past 12 years.

“The knowledge and networks of all of our directors help us to provide the very best strategic initiatives to support the important, valued and life-changing work of PlusLife.”

This year, The Brand Agency account director Darcy White, St John Ambulance Deputy Chief Executive Anthony Smith, former DonateLife WA State Manager Hal Boronovskis and financial planner Steven Perica joined the PlusLife board.

Other board directors include orthopaedic sarcoma surgeon Professor Richard Carey Smith, former St John of God hospital Midland Director of Medical Services Dr Allan Pelkowitz and oral maxillofacial surgeon Professor Andrew Smith.

PlusLife has helped improve thousands of lives through generous donations of Australian tissue. Since starting operations in 1992, PlusLife has provided more than 18,000 grafts to in excess of 10,000 recipients.

PlusLife, which manages bone and tissue donations in WA, has two donor programs. Living patients having hip replacement surgery can donate the ball part of their hip, which is used commonly in a ground-up form for children with spinal deformities. And, like organ donation, bone, tendons and ligaments can be donated after death with consent from next-of-kin.

Grafts are used for patients undergoing life-changing operations, such as surgery to treat spinal deformities, complex joint surgery and treatments for patients with dental and facial bone loss.