Board of Directors

Jackie Arbuckle is a naturopath practising in Melbourne. She is degree-qualified, graduating from Southern School of Natural Therapies in 2007. Jackie also holds an Applied Science degree in Human Biology and a Graduate Diploma in Psychology from RMIT University.

Jackie’s practice focuses on supporting people with digestive problems, stress and fatigue. She has a special interest in iridology and has also lectured in nutrition and iridology at a Melbourne-based college for many years.

Previously, Jackie worked in scientific research at the University of Melbourne and Cancer Council Victoria, primarily in the area of cancer prevention.

Jenny Carè is an early career allied health researcher at the Australian Research Consortium in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney. Her research area is health practitioner regulation in Australia, with a particular focus on the non-registered health workforce.

Jenny has expertise in health practitioner policy analysis and health services research. She has contributed research expertise to several World Health Organization initiatives, including a global review of health practitioner regulation, the development of a credentialing and competency framework for allied health professions in Malaysia and a global review of the classification of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine practitioner education, qualifications and regulation.

Biography coming soon.

Anne-Louise Carlton is a consultant in health workforce regulation and has worked across direct service, policy and regulatory reform roles within Australian state health departments. Her qualifications include undergraduate degrees in Arts, majoring in law and psychology, Social Work and Clinical Sciences, an MBA and a Doctor of Public Health. She holds visiting fellowships with RMIT University, Western Sydney University and Southern Cross University.

From 1995 to 2018, Anne-Louise managed the health practitioner regulation function for the Victorian Department of Health and led a range of national reform projects. She was instrumental in the design and implementation of reforms establishing the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for the health professions.

She contributed to the development of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and the establishment of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and National Boards. She also managed the national policy process that achieved agreement of all Health Ministers to implement the National Code of Conduct for health care workers and amend the National Law to bring paramedicine into the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.

Since leaving the public service, Anne-Louise has undertaken World Health Organization missions and provided technical assistance on health workforce regulation to Ministries of Health across numerous countries.

Anne-Louise is lead author of Assuring safe and integrated health care: A review of the risks, benefits and regulatory requirements for the professions of naturopathy and Western herbal medicine (2025), commissioned by the Australian Naturopathic Council, and assisted with the preparation of its submission to government on statutory registration for naturopaths and herbalists.

Jill represents New Zealand on the ARONAH board. Jill has an extensive career of more than 40 years in naturopathy, including clinical practice, education, research and commercial product development.

She has held management positions in multiple traditional and complementary medicine educational institutions offering higher education qualifications. She has held Chair roles for naturopathy and herbal medicine on multiple government traditional and complementary medicine educational advisory groups and has represented New Zealand on the World Naturopathic Federation.

Jill has undertaken extensive research on the global regulation and education of naturopathy, examining policy, frameworks and infrastructures in terms of the professionalisation and inclusion of naturopathy in health systems.

Her PhD thesis is titled Mapping the naturopathic landscape: An examination of regulation and education, policy, frameworks and infrastructures in a global emerging profession.

Dione Simmons is a Melbourne-based naturopath with more than 18 years’ experience in the complementary medicines industry.

Dione’s clinical practice focuses on digestive health and chronic, complex illness. She is passionate about evidence-informed integrative healthcare and fostering greater collaboration between naturopaths and the wider healthcare community to improve patient outcomes.

Alongside clinical practice, Dione has held executive leadership positions within the complementary medicines industry, overseeing scientific affairs, product innovation, compliance and marketing for leading Australian and international health brands.

She has led the development and launch of innovative health products for global markets and has been involved with several scientific advisory boards.

Leah is a final-year Naturopathy student, following three years of study in paramedicine. Her training has included more than 1,000 hours of clinical experience across pre-hospital and hospital settings, alongside clinical leadership experience with St John Ambulance NSW. This shaped her approach to patient care and the importance of working collaboratively across the health system.

Leah is particularly interested in the application of phytochemistry and clinical pharmacology within complementary medicine, exploring how bioactive constituents influence physiological and pathological processes and how this informs their clinical application. Her latest work explores the active constituents of ginger and turmeric and their potential influence on CGRP and pain pathways involved in migraine pathophysiology.

Leah is also passionate about supporting student learning and helping students build confidence in their clinical skills and knowledge through the development of supportive resources.

She has a strong interest in the future of naturopathy and Western herbal medicine, particularly how education, practitioner competency and professional standards can support safe, evidence-informed and high-quality care. Her contribution is shaped by her clinical training and a genuine commitment to supporting the profession, its students and the public.