Our Board

Matthew Cooke

Chairperson

Matthew Cooke is a proud Aboriginal and South Sea Islander from the Bailai (Byellee) people in Gladstone, Central Queensland. Matthew has a background in serving the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Sector as both a Director and CEO over the past 15 years. Mr Cooke is currently the Chief Executive Officer for the Gladstone Region Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Service Limited t/a Nhulundu Health Service and Executive Chairperson of the First Nations Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng, Taribelang Bunda People Aboriginal Corporation.

Matthew is actively involved in all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs at national, state, regional and local levels. In 2007 he was named Young Leader in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, in 2008 received the Deadly Vibe Young Leader Award and in 2011 received the Australian Institute of Management 2011 Young Manager of the Year Award - Gladstone.

Mr Cooke is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Director of the Institute for First Nations Governance Professionals.

Rachel Atkinson

Deputy Chairperson

Rachel is a proud Yorta Yorta woman who has dedicated her working life to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Rachel has extensive lived experience in working in rural, remote and regional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This includes over 25 years’ experience as CEO of large community-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations delivering health and social services. She has been CEO of PICC since its incorporation in 2007, and has overseen its growth to become the larger service provider and employer on Palm Island.

Rachel is currently Chair of the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak, a board member and community representative of the Queensland First Children and Families Board, Co-Chair of Family Matters Queensland and a Director of the SNAICC National Executive. She has previously served as the President of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC), and is currently serving as the Deputy Chair of QAIHC.

Noeleen Selke

Far North Queensland Director

Noeleen Selke is a proud Kaurareg woman, with family connections from the village of Kubin on Mua Island, with extended family connections across Cairns, the Torres Strait Islands and Cape York.  She is dedicated to the holistic wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. 

She has extensive experience in the public and ACCHO sectors.  She worked at Centrelink for 15 years, where she managed the FNQ Foster and Kinship Care service, which she later transitioned back to the community sector (now known as Culturally Appropriate Foster and Kinship Care Service (CAFAKCS) in Wuchopperen. She also delivered the National Partnership Agreement for Remote Indigenous Housing (NPARIH) and was involved in the development of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Action Plan in Queensland. Noeleen also had roles at Manager and Director level across Child Safety, DATSIP, Housing and Public Works.  Noeleen has also been CEO of Apunipima Cape York Health Council and the Mamu Health Service. She was one of the first Aboriginal Health Workers at Wuchopperen Health Service in Cairns. 

Noeleen is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Alliance (NATSIHA). 

Dorothy Smith

North and Northwest Queensland Director

Dorothy Smith has been a director of QAIHC since April of 2023. She comes to QAIHC via her position as Director of the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service where she was elected to the board in July of 2020. Dorothy holds a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences from James Cook University. Dorothy is currently the Coordinator of the Women’s Healing Service for Palm Island Community Company. She is the Vice President of Kindergarten Headstart; member of the Townsville University Hospital Indigenous Advisory Council; and founding member and Vice Chair of the First Nations Reference Group for Qld Police Service and worked in the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Health and Child Safety sector for the last 15 years. Dorothy represented Australia and Indigenous Australia in Oztag.

Stevan Ober

Central Queensland Region Director

Stevan is the Chief Executive Officer of Galangoor Duwalami Primary Health Care Service in Fraser Coast. He has over 25 years’ experience in the Queensland Government, health and the community control sector.

Stevan is a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Advisory Council (Wide Bay Hospital Health Service), a member of the St Stephen’s Private Hospital Advisory Committee and a former member of the Statewide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Alcohol and Drug Committee. He is also a current serving member of Marine Rescue Queensland (Hervey Bay squadron) and has been awarded the National Medal for Service from the Governor-General of Australia.