Dan Smith | Governance Specialist | Community Advocate | Change Facilitator
Dan possesses comprehensive experience as a non-executive director having held several board positions including leading the formation of the Central Queensland Hospital Foundation (CQShines) as inaugural Chairman since late 2020.
Gladstone born, Bundaberg raised, tertiary studies completed in Rockhampton, Dan is a product of Central Queensland. During the fluid career progression to regional management achieved prior to embarking on an ambitious path of self-employment, he declined good opportunities in ‘the big smoke’ of Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne earlier in his career to stay in Central Queensland to raise his family in Rockhampton.
Being self-employed in a small business forced Dan to become knowledgeable about many different areas of management: finance, human resources, fundraising, legal issues, ethics. His is a lived and learned challenge, to balance the strategic issues, whilst not losing sight of the important day to day necessities of doing and being in business in regional Queensland.
Dan transitioned out of self-employment in financial planning toward the end of 2014 and has since gained acceptance as an experienced senior manager within the community services sector. Currently employed by The Smith Family serving as Project Manager – Communities for Children FP Rockhampton (Capricorn), Dan has proven himself to be a strong communicator and adaptive leader who builds respectful relationships and influences outcomes at a whole of community level.
He is passionate about serving the community where he and his wife chose to put down some roots, get involved and raise their family. In 2014, a young family member journeyed through the Central Queensland health system while experiencing some major health challenges. As someone actively involved in the governance of many organisations in our community, he refocused to become an active consumer champion and was invited to Chair the CQHHS Consumer & Community Advisory Committee.
His service as CQHHS CCAC Chair directly contributed to the ‘Met with Merit’ results the CQHHS achieved in the 2017 Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) periodic review. His efforts keeping the committee on track with a tight agenda led to change; relating to the planning, delivery and evaluation of local and regional health service across Central Queensland enabling “Great Care, Great Experience” in line with CQ Health’s Destination 2030 Strategy.
Prior to the health challenge faced by his eldest son Dan was actively involved as a Leader and key advocate for Queensland’s peak education sector parent body – P&Cs Qld.
His previous board (community, NFP and member focused) experience and formal company director studies (GAICD Company Directors Course 2017, AICD–Perpetual Scholarship Program–NFP Board 2012) provide a very strong corporate governance foundation. His professional experience across the Employment, Financial, Community, Education and Health sectors provides a unique blend of valuable perspectives, insights and skills. With strong commercial experience in financial and human resource management, complemented by appropriate levels of study, he has professional skills transferable to the health management sector.
Session title: Integrating Patient-Centered Feedback into Health Governance: Lessons from a Community Advocate, Change Facilitator, and Governance Specialist