Candidate Information PSWA Board Election 2025
This news post has been issued by the Returning Officer, Jocelyn Sisson appointed by the Board of the Pharmaceutical Society of Western Australia Inc. (PSWA) to conduct an independent vote. It contains important information regarding the 2025 PSWA Board elections.
Three (3) candidates have been nominated to fill two (2) postitions. PSWA members who are eligible to vote will be sent an email from Survey Monkey with voting information. The vote is being conducted as a confidential ballot and once you have submitted your vote it is unable to be changed.
Candidates:
Gavin McKay
Biography:
Gavin is a community pharmacist and proprietor of Dove’s Pharmacy and TWC Alexander Heights. Gavin is currently the managing director of Sanax Medical and First-Aid, a W.A.-based business that is actively involved in supplying products to the Commercial and Forensic Science sectors. He is also a founder and director of Ballardong Medical Pty Ltd, an Indigenous-owned business specialising in the supply of first aid and medical products.
Gavin is an elected branch committee member for the Pharmacy Guild of Australia W.A. branch, and the presiding member of the Pharmacy Registration Board of W.A.
Gavin is a member of PSWA’s Finance and Risk Management Sub-committee, Governance Sub-committee and the Performance Review and Remuneration Sub-committee.
Candidate Statement:
It has been a privilege to represent the membership of PSWA, and I am proud to say that we have made considerable progress in several key areas.
I firmly believe that, along with my current board members, we have finalised some legacy matters that needed resolution, recrafted our Strategic Plan, and reaffirmed our commitment to our core goals of championing research & innovation, organisational longevity, and significantly enhanced member engagement.
As a member, if you feel that PSWA is leading the way for all pharmacists in Western Australia, please cast a vote in favour of our current board structure.
David McKnight
Biography:
David was the Chief Pharmacist for the Royal Perth Bentley Group with responsibility for Royal Perth and Bentley hospital pharmacy departments for over 9 years until 2023. Previously David spent 17 years at St John of God Subiaco Hospital where he was both Deputy Chief Pharmacist and Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator.
David is a third-generation community pharmacist and worked in community pharmacy in both Ireland and Australia before switching to hospital-based practice.
David is passionate about ensuring pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are front and centre of all health care conversations involving medicines and patients. He has been responsible for exploring and creating new innovative pharmacist roles and IT applications that support pharmacy practice. He has been involved in the mentoring and training of Pharmacy Interns for over 25 years and is a long term Ahpra examiner of pre-registrant pharmacists.
David has a particular interest in Medication Safety and completed a Masters by Research at Curtin University on the topic.
David joined the Board as a director in 2022. He is the current Chair of the PSWA Performance Review and Remuneration Sub-committee and a member of the Governance Sub-committee. He is a current member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Candidate Statement:
Over the past 3 years the Board and its subcommittees have been very active in dealing with some major reviews of PSWA operation and structure. These include revitalising our key Innovation award, the JM O’Hara Research Fund grant, stabilising our financial position by selling Hamilton Street and investing the proceeds for the future viability of the organisation, updating our Strategic Plan to align more directly with our objectives and guide our performance, whilst ensuring our policies and processes reflect current best management practices.
I am keen to continue the ongoing work that has been commenced by the Board and would value your support to do so. Thank you.
Kerry Whitelaw
Biography:
Kerry is a lecturer at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and a Clinical Advisor with Ahpra. She is currently completing her Master of Health Professions Education and is actively involved in curriculum leadership, designing a contemporary, future-focused, and socially accountable Doctor of Pharmacy program at UWA.
Her career spans community and GP pharmacy, national examining, and through her role with Ahpra, assessment of prescribing competencies in podiatry. Kerry is excited by the evolving landscape of professional practice and the opportunities it brings for pharmacists, while also recognising the challenges that come with change.
She leads from a values-based perspective, guided by a strong belief in the ethical obligation of healthcare professionals to serve their communities. Kerry recognises that healthcare cannot be separated from social and environmental justice. Her passion is planetary health and sustainable healthcare, with a focus on embedding these principles within pharmacy education and practice.
Candidate Statement:
As a PSWA Board member, Kerry hopes to bring a collaborative and strategic approach to leadership. She is committed to championing innovation, advancing research opportunities and fostering a sense of belonging among members. By celebrating achievements and sharing our collective and historical wisdom, she believes we can sustain a strong, connected and forward-thinking workforce that honours the profession’s history while preparing for the future.