Board of Directors

Lenny Jacoby 
President

Bachelor of Nursing, Edith Cowan University, WA; Masters of Nurse Practitioner, Flinders University, SA 

Lenny first entered the world of renal nursing as a graduate RN in 2006 where she discovered the joy and challenges of CKD, from peritoneal dialysis to transplantation through to end-of-life care. At 26 years, she became one of the youngest Clinical Nurse Specialists on the renal ward.

Lenny discovered renal nursing on her first nursing rotation as a graduate RN in 2006. While she has worked in all areas of renal including dialysis, transplant and end of life care, her main passion is working together with patients and health professional to slow the progression of CKD. In her role as NP, she works closely with her nephrologists to optimise CKD care; prepares patients for dialysis and transplant; and supports patients and their families with end-of-life decisions.

Edward Zimbudzi       
Vice President

BSc (Hons) Nursing, Master in International Health, PhD, Nurse Unit Manager

Edward has varied renal experience, which spans two continents, multiple health networks and esteemed international and local institutions. He has held roles in administration, clinical research and academia.

Edward received several prestigious national and international awards in recognition of the clinical and scientific impact of his research, which focuses on patient activation, self-management and health-related quality of life among patients with comorbid diabetes and chronic kidney disease. His work has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals.

Edward has been a member of the RSA since 2008.

Sarah Russo                   2026 RSA Conference Chair & Finance , Audit and Risk Chair

Bachelor of Nursing, University of Newcastle, NSW; Master of Advanced Nursing, University of Newcastle, NSW; Master of Nurse Practitioner (Nephrology), University of Newcastle, NSW; Post Grad Palliative Care, Flinders University, SA

During 20 years of Nephrology, Sarah has gained extensive renal care experience from clinical trials, Haemodialysis, Peritoneal dialysis, Acute Ward, and Supportive care in Regional NSW HNE Local Health District. As a Nephrology Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Consultant, she has high-quality current clinical skills and knowledge of contemporary issues facing nephrology nurses and strives to improve the future and quality of life for people living with Kidney disease.

She is the Chair and Secretary to the Nurse Practitioner and Kidney Supportive Care Special interest Groups and an RSA Advisory Board member. She has a Masters of Advanced Nursing, Masters of Nurse Practitioner (Nephrology) and a Post-graduate in Palliative care.

Rachael Walker Governance, Nominations & Renumeration Chair

PhD, Nurse Practitioner, MN, RN

Rachael is an academic Nurse Practitioner who has worked in kidney disease for twenty years and been active in research in kidney disease for the last 15 years. Rachael has been an active member of the RSA over this time with various roles including member and the Chair of the RSA National Renal Advisory Group in New Zealand, Conference Organiser, Scientific Committee Member, Conference Committee member. Rachael also is on numerous international committee’s and a member of the Kidney Health New Zealand Board. Rachael works clinically in Hawke’s Bay in Renal Outpatients and also leads the Nurse Practitioner Training Programme and is Associate Professor at the University of Auckland.

Melissa Arnold-Ujvari  Education Chair

Melissa began my renal nursing career in 1990, working in haemodialysis and renal wards in Australia and the UK. With 20 years in academia,  and has been at the University of Adelaide since 2016. Melissa was honoured to be a co-author on the inaugural CARI Guidelines for culturally safe kidney care for First Nations Australians.

Passionate about improving healthcare for and with First Nations people, Melissa is nearing completion of a PhD on cultural safety education in renal nursing. Melissa was Editor in Chief of the Renal Society of Australasia Journal (2016-2020) and Deputy Editor (2020-2023).

 Rajeev Kumar         Director

Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences – Advanced study in health sciences and evidence-based practice. Master of Health Service Management (MHSM) - Specialised skills in healthcare leadership and service management.  

Rajeev Kumar is renal physiologist at Auckland City hospital, New Zealand, where he has worked since June 2009. He holds a Bachelor's degree from St Johns medical College and a Master's in Health Service Management from Massey University.

Rajeev is recognized for his leadership and significant contributions to advancing the renal physiology profession in New Zealand.

He has received multiple awards, including the RSA Education Excellence Award (2022) and the Adult Medical Directorate Value-Based Practice Award (2019 & 2024) from Te Toka Tumai Auckland. Rajeev is known for inspiring colleagues with his passion and commitment to patient care and professional development in renal health.

Elaine Abery
Director

BSc, LLB (Hons), LLM, DESS droit fiscal des affaires, Cert IV Outdoor Leadership, Cert III Outdoor Leadership, Advanced Certificate in Public Administration, DALF, DaF, Dip Luxembourg Tax Law

A woman who turned on its head Australia’s tertiary sector’s approach to internal policy-making, designing best practice policy, and receiving the sector’s prestigious “Outstanding Achiever” award in 2017. She has served on not-for-profit Boards since June 2018.

Elaine believes that government, and its legislation, should empower business and charities to create a better community. She works with charities, individuals, companies and government to fulfil this dream, one law at a time.

Elaine has studied, and won awards for, law, science and foreign languages at Universities around the world.

One of her proudest achievements is that while employed at the tax office, a formal complaint was lodged about her “impersonating a tax officer”. The complaint said that nobody so happy and easy to talk to could possibly work for the ATO.

Phillip Stornelli       External Director

Bachelor of Business, University of Technology Sydney; Diploma of Chartered Accounting, Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

Phillip is a seasoned finance executive with over 15 years of experience working with multinational organisations across industries such as media, entertainment, and consumer goods. A Chartered Accountant with a strong background in financial planning, controllership, risk management, and process automation, Phillip is passionate about driving financial efficiency and strategic growth.

As Treasurer, Phillip applies his strong financial acumen and governance expertise to ensure robust financial oversight and accountability. His experience in budgeting, compliance, and risk mitigation enables him to support the Society’s mission and long-term sustainability. He is dedicated to enhancing financial processes and providing strategic insights that contribute to the organization’s continued success.

Phillip has a proven track record of leading high-performing teams, managing large-scale financial projects, and fostering collaboration across executive leadership. He is passionate about continuous improvement and leveraging technology to streamline operations and enhance financial decision-making.

Debbie Turner   

With over 30 years of experience in renal nursing, Debbie has developed extensive expertise across haemodialysis, renal education, service redesign and quality improvement within metropolitan health services. She has held senior leadership roles and has led major renal service redevelopment projects, including dialysis expansion and the implementation of innovative models of care.

As a senior renal nurse leader, educator and project manager, Debbie maintains strong clinical involvement while also coordinating postgraduate renal nursing education with UTAS. She has highly developed clinical and leadership skills and a strong understanding of contemporary issues impacting renal services, including workforce capability, increasing demand and the growing burden of chronic kidney disease.

Debbie holds a Master of Nursing and is committed to advancing evidence-based practice, strengthening the renal nursing workforce, and improving outcomes for people living with kidney disease.

David Mcintyre 

David has worked as a Nurse Practitioner for the last 13 years, and he is currently part of a small multidisciplinary team which manage the pre-dialysis services at the Townsville University Hospital in Queensland Australia. Throughout, his career he has worked in a variety of areas within renal nursing and across several countries including Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. He now has over 27 years of clinical experience and is passionate about advancing the role of renal nurses. David completed his PhD through Griffiths University in November 2024 and has developed a quality audit tool to assess the care of haemodialysis nursing. He he has also been a long-term member of the Renal Society of Australasia, the European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses association and the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners.