Graeme Bland
State President

Mr G Bland

Graeme joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1957 as an Aircraft Apprentice and 23 years later resigned as a Warrant Officer Engineer after having served in Malaya, Thailand and Australia. He also went to Italy in 1967 with the Macchi Training Team.

Graeme joined the RAAF Association (WA Division) Inc. in 1991 and was a foundation member of both the Permanent Air Force Branch and the Aviation Museum Branch, taking on the roles of Secretary and Treasurer for 9 and 10 years respectively.

Graeme's contribution as a Museum Volunteer can be seen in many displays, events and activities of the Museum and in the many fundraising and advertising concepts that Graeme, and his wife Judy, established whilst Graeme was still working full time. In 2007 Graeme assumed the role of Museum Librarian.

On his retirement from the workforce Graeme filled a vacancy on the Division Council in 2002. The following year he was elected State Vice President and then State President in 2004, contributing more time to the RAAFA in these appointments. Graeme was elected again to Division Council in October 2008 and State President in 2010. For his work within the Division, Graeme was accorded RAAFA Life Membership in 2004.

He and Judy reside on the Air Force Memorial Estate at Bull Creek, and they are both involved in a broad range of ex-service activities.

Ian Petkoff
State Vice President

G I (Ian) Petkoff, AM, MPA, Grad Dip BA, Grad Dip Mngt

Ian served as a Division Councillor from 2006 to 2008 and chaired the Aviation Museum Committee during that time. He accepted appointment to Division Council in December 2009 to fill a casual vacancy and was elected State Vice President in 2010.

He joined the RAAF in 1975, graduating on No 49 Navigators’ Course at East Sale in 1976. He was posted to 11 Squadron flying in P-3B Orion Aircraft and then to 10 Squadron for the initial P-3C Orion delivery.

Over the next 30 years Ian served in Britain, USA, Defence Headquarters Canberra, Townsville as OC of 323 Air Base Wing and then as OC Combat Support Wing and Base Commander. He then undertook Korean language training at RAAF Williams, was promoted to Group Captain and from 2001 to 2004 served as Defence Attaché to the Republic of Korea. He was then posted to WA as Commanding Officer Combat Support Unit Pearce. Ian transferred to the RAAF Reserve in December 2006.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Graduate Diplomas in Business Administration and Management, and is employed in the WA Department of Transport. He is married to Fiona and they have one son.

Jim Carruthers
State Secretary

Mr J Carruthers

Jim served in the Royal Air Force for 24 years, with postings in England, Scotland, Egypt, Germany, Maldive Islands, Singapore and Cyprus.

Jim joined the RAAF Association in 1975 as a member of the Victoria Park Branch and served as President of that branch 1976-1980. He transferred to the Australia Pacific Branch in 1982 and was Branch Secretary until 2001.

Jim served on the Division Committee 1976-1983 and 1989-1994, and on the State Executive 1978-1983. He was elected to Division Council in 2000 and has been State Secretary since 2005. He has been a member of several Standing Committees of Division Council and was awarded Life Membership of the RAAF Association in 1998.

Jim and his wife Lynne reside on the Air Force Memorial Estate at Bull Creek.

Antonia Stampalija
Division Councillor

Ms A Stampalija

Antonia, well known as Toni, was born and educated in Perth. She comes from a diverse management background having worked across private, public and not-for-profit sectors. She operates her own management practice in Claremont specializing in strategic planning and business improvement, as well as being actively involved in other business interests.

Toni was the recipient of the Catherine McAuley Women in Leadership Award in 2001. She has a Graduate Diploma of Business Administration (UWA) and has undertaken an array of professional development programs in business and aged care.

Over the past 13 years Toni has contributed significantly to the aged care industry by way of various Board, Council and Committee appointments including Director of Aged and Community Services WA; Council Member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Health and Community Services Council; and Committee Member of Aged and Community Care Australia Industrial Relations Committee and Training and Education Committee. In addition, she has held ex-officio appointments with Amana Living, McCusker Learning and Development and Anglican Homes Foundation Boards.

Toni’s other industry appointments include The Hunger Project Development Board (WA) and the John Wollaston Theological College Council.

Colin Mounsey
Division Councillor

Mr C Mounsey BA, BEd, Dip Ed Admin

Colin was elected to Division Council in October 2010, having been a member of the RAAF Association since 1945.

He has contributed in a range of roles in the Association including President of the City of Perth Branch 1990-2000, and Secretary of that branch 2000-2010. He was Editor of Air Mail, the official publication of RAAFA (WA Division) Inc. from 1990-2010.

Colin served in the RAAF during World War II as a trainee wireless operator/navigator. His subsequent career was in education, with appointments as a classroom teacher, college lecturer, headmaster, Superintendent of Education and Acting Regional Director of Education.

Frank McCarthy
Division Councillor

Mr F McCarthy

Frank was elected to Division Council in October 2010. He has been a member of the RAAF Association for some 30 years, and since 1998 he and his wife Judy have resided on RAAFA Estate Meadow Springs.

He worked in a variety of roles in administration, sales and transport, served in the RAAF for 21 years, and for 13 years served on the Judges' Staff of the Supreme Court of Western Australia.

Frank's broad community interests have included Scouts, Justices Association, Civil Marriage Celebrant Association, PROBUS, Defence Force Welfare Association, and the WA Retirement Complexes Residents' Association.

Within RAAFA Frank served on the Board of Management under previous governance arrangements, and at Meadow Springs has been both Chairman of the Estate Residents' Committee and President of the Estate Residents Branch.

Tim Humphry
Division Councillor

Mr T Humphry, BE (Civil) (Hons), FAICD

Tim was appointed to Division Council in December 2010, and is also on the Planning and Development Committee.

Since 2003 Tim has been a Principal of Evans & Peck, an infrastructure - based advisory company that supports governments and private organisations in the initiation, development and delivery of projects throughout Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Prior to 2003 he had 31 years experience in design, construction, marketing and general management with a construction company.

Tim's broad and extensive directorship experience includes, Executive Director Clough Engineering Limited 1988-2003, Director PT Petroses Indonesia 1993-2003, Independent Director Harvey Water 2005-2008, Trustee Clough Superannuation Limited 1988-2003, Councillor and Building Committee Chair Presbyterian Ladies' College, and Deputy Chair Australian Indonesian Business Council.

Tim completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1998, and a Professional Certificates in Arbitration (2004) and Mediation (2006). He is a Regiestered Builder, Fellow of Engineers Australia, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and an Associate of the Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia.

Karen O'Neill
Division Councillor

Mrs K O'Neill, MBA, GAICD, ACIS, BCompt

Karen accepted an appointment as a Division Councillor in December 2010 and brings with her a strong compliance background balanced with commercial acumen as a finance and governance professional. Karen has over 20 years experience in a variety of industries including resources, investment banking and professional services and has held senior positions with international companies.

Karen holds a senior management role as Commercial Manager for a USD400 million project with a resources company listed in Canada and Australia with mining tenements in Africa. In this role she is responsible for contractual and commercial systems and processes, contract negotiation and administration as well as cost control.

Karen’s career began with Ernst & Young where she completed her accounting articles and then moving on to gain invaluable experience in the investment banking sectors in the United Kingdom and Luxembourg. In Australia she was introduced to the Not for Profit sector and held an executive management role with a co-operative based organisation, trading internationally, with purchases through their members of over AUD800 million a year. Since emigrating to Australia Karen has gone on to complete the Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance with the Chartered Secretaries of Australia; the Company Directors Course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Masters of Business Administration with the Australian Graduate School of Management.

Charles Geddes
Division Councillor

Mr C P M Geddes

Charles was elected to Division Council in October 2009. He was born in Edinburgh Scotland, and migrated to Perth with his parents as a 12 year old.

At age 19, he enlisted in the RAAF, Supply Branch. After training at Rathmines NSW and Wagga Wagga NSW, he was posted to No 1 Stores Depot Melbourne for 8 years. He was posted to RAAF Williamtown in NSW for 18 months, before undertaking a 2 1/2 year posting with the Purchasing and Spares Assessing Team for the F111C Aircraft. Postings at Headquarters Support Command, Melbourne and as Base Squadron Supply Warrant Officer at RAAF Williamtown followed, and he retired from the RAAF in 1979.

Charles worked with the NSW Department of Corrective Services for 6 years at a Prison Farm in Cessnock before returning to Perth where he worked as a Factory Manager for 1 year with the Royal Western Australian Institute for the Blind and with People Who Care (Inc) as a Project Officer for 1 year. He was employed then by the R&I Bank / Bankwest as a Bank Officer until he retired from the workforce in 1996.

He has been a volunteer over the past 25 years with several organisations assisting the frail, aged and physically and intellectually disabled. He is currently a volunteer bus driver with RAAFA on the Air Force Memorial Estate. Charles also served as a Supply Officer / Instructor in the WA Squadron Air Training Corps for 6 years, and was a NSW Justice of the Peace 1977 - 2007.

Gerry Warner
CEO

A G (Gerry) Warner, AM, LVO, BSc (Hons), Dip Mil Stud, FAICD

Gerry assumed the appointment of Chief Executive Officer of RAAFA (WA Div) Inc. in August 2005. He graduated from the Royal Military College in 1971 and was allotted to the Royal Australian Artillery. His military career included extensive command experience, tours on the personal staff of Governors-General, pivotal operations and personnel staff appointments, and UN peacekeeping on the Golan Heights and in Southern Lebanon. He was the senior Defence representative in WA in 1996-97 and in his final posting was Chief of Staff Land Headquarters in Sydney during a period of intense operational tempo including support to the Olympic Games.

After separation from the Army and settling in his home state, Brigadier Warner was appointed to the independent committee convened by the Board of Western Power to report on the power supply crisis of February 2004. Since then he has served as a Sessional Senior Member of the State Administrative Tribunal, a Member of the Mental Health Review Board and a Member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. In 2006 he was appointed a Trustee of the Government of Western Australia Anzac Day Trust. During October 2007 to March 2008 Gerry served on an independent panel of three, appointed by the Prime Minister to review the awards stemming from the Battle of Long Tan in 1966 and the merits of further service medal recognition for former RAAF Ubon personnel.

In addition to the Diploma of Military Studies (Applied Science) gained from Duntroon, Gerry holds a BSc (Hons) from UNSW, is a graduate of Australian Army Command and Staff College, completed US Army War College in Pennsylvania in 1993-94 as an International Fellow, and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Contacting the State Executive and Division Councillors