Executive Officer Report

From the Chair

Autumn 2022

It suffices to acknowledge the last two years have been particularly challenging for everyone in many ways, ANTA is no different. The quality of the people we work with makes the difference. The National Administration Office at ANTA are outstanding in the way they assist Members with their inquiries, the quality of the advice they give out is consistent with our values and professional standing. This has contributed to the steady growth in new Members we have attracted to ANTA and maintained our position in the top order of professional Associations in Australia. The challenges for ANTA Staff have been to stay informed about the latest changes from State to State and disseminate accurate and relevant information to ANTA Members when it matters. All Staff at the National Administration Office have executed their engagement with Members with balance and understanding along with their significant contributions to our Members’ administration. Your ANTA National Council has been active as always behind the scenes, feeding information forward from around Australia to keep us abreast of events nationally. We are indeed fortunate to have a group of dedicated, knowledgeable, committed Directors and Branch Chairs to steer our direction consistent with your needs. I am grateful to be supported by this vibrant group of practitioners willing to give their time and expertise to further your cause and ANTA’s standing within the Australian community. The challenges for all of us as an Association are related to what we do next. It has become clear to operate an Association at the highest level requires quality systems to support the quality Staff. ANTA has entered a cycle of renewal to upgrade its Member Management System to match the Client Relationship Management platform we have developed over the last two years. Coming up to complement these vital systems is our planned “Find a Practitioner” service to Members, directly related to ANTA Members and their modalities of practice. This service is being developed to provide an integral system open to the public that will provide modality and contact details to people looking for the high quality and effective services ANTA practitioners are known for. Whatever you practice, from anywhere in Australia, you will be found by potential clients through the ANTA website at no extra cost to you. Our industry partner Media Heroes are adding the finishing touches to this feature of your membership so stay tuned for the release date. Renewing and updating our website has also been a complementary process and a pleasure to offer our Members an improved and highly functional website, which you will have been using now for some time. This new website with its public facing pages will ease the effort required to locate and browse whatever articles or information you are looking for. The introduction to our new operating platform is next, this will accelerate and select your topic with speeds we once dreamed of. Another of our industry partners, 1ICT has joined in our aim to provide the best services to our Members to benefit and build their businesses as we come out of three or four challenging years. We have been monitoring events that challenge our Members since 2018 and are aware how sections of Members are affected by natural and other events. For example, floods, fires and government reviews to remove Health Fund rebates from Members’ services. Of course, COVID-19 topped all of these as the pandemic developed across the country and the world.

What we do next is the most important part of our recovery, we are monitoring trends to judge the shortest distance to recovery. Everything we have done over the last two years is aimed at rebuilding our engagement and commitment to Members, Students, and the public. We are renewing efforts to restore what has been lost to our Members including relationships so valuable to our Member services. We are looking forward to resuming our delivery of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Seminars in person, beginning with Brisbane in March, Perth in May, Sydney in August and Melbourne in November. I look forward to renewing our friendships once more as we travel Australia to bring you the best presenters available and maintain your skills and knowledge in clinical practice. In closing, I also acknowledge the support from another of our industry partners, Guild Insurance for assisting us with the delivery of our Member services on so many levels. I am particularly grateful for their support of the Student Bursary Awards that assist our future practitioners start-up through their significant material support, thank you.

Regards Jim Olds

ANTA Fellow ANTA Executive Officer & Company Secretary

BHSc MST, BHSc Comp Med, GC Higher Ed, MSC, Dip Nut, Dip RM, Dip TCMRM

Vale Judy Jacka

Vale Judith Mary Jacka, GradDipHRE, BHSc, ND 1 August 1938 - 1 March 2022 It is with much sadness that ANTA has to announce the passing of past ANTA Director, Foundation ANTA Member, Founder of the Jacka Foundation for Natural Therapies, and pioneer of natural medicine in Australia, Judy Jacka. Judy passed away in the early hours of March 1, 2022. ANTA expresses on our heartfelt condolences to Judy’s family and all those that met and worked with Judy. It is impossible to encapsulate the magnitude of almost 60 years of Judy’s commitment to natural therapies in Australia. Her career culminated in a decade of philanthropy with the establishment of the Jacka Foundation in 2010 and included service on the Board as Vice-Chair until her retirement in 2021. After studying at the then Southern School of Naturopathy in 1971, Judy was appointed as a lecturer and later as principal of the school between 1974 to 1985 and Chair of the Southern School Council until 1999. The commitment, dedication and achievements Judy demonstrated throughout her career led to the granting of numerous awards, including: • 1999 - Life Membership of the Australian Natural Therapists Association granted for contributions to the profession, education and industry. • 2012 - Complementary Health Care Council of Australia award in appreciation of ongoing support for the council. • 2016 - Honorary Fellowship, Western Sydney University, in recognition of philanthropic work and contributions to education and practice. • 2017 - Lady Cilento Award, Complementary Medicines Australia for lifelong dedication to complementary medicine.