The College is proud to present our College Ambassadors for 2024.

May 2024 saw the launch of the College’s Ambassador | Kaimāngai program. An ambassador program within the paramedic community serves as a conduit for self-representation and professional development.

Our Ambassadors embody the values, skills, and dedication of their profession and facilitate peer-to-peer mentorship, knowledge-sharing, and a culture of continuous learning. Through this program, we hope that paramedics may see themselves represented inside the College community, empowering paramedics to elevate their practice, cultivating a growing community, and reinforcing our collective identity. In representing paramedics to themselves, this Ambassador | Kaimāngai program contributes to the development of a strong, cohesive professional community dedicated to excellence, resilience, and mutual support.

The program is dually titled to acknowledge and respect the significant contribution of the Māori people of Aotearoa New Zealand to the profession of paramedicine and the broader health community.

"Kaimāngai" embodies the rich cultural heritage and indigenous identity of the Māori people, reflecting our commitment to honouring and embracing the indigenous language and traditions of Aotearoa New Zealand. "Kaimāngai" comprises two elements: "Kai," meaning food or provider, and "Māngai," signifying spokesperson or mouthpiece. Together, these elements encapsulate the essence of the ambassadorial role in the context of Aoteroa New Zealand.

As an Ambassador, the individual serves as a provider of knowledge, connection, and support, fostering relationships and facilitating the exchange of ideas that is akin to nourishing sustenance for collaboration and understanding.

“Kaimāngai” has deep significance within Māori culture, traditionally referring to a guide or leader who navigates and fosters connections between different communities or realms. This aligns with the role of college Ambassador, who serves as a bridge between cultures, facilitating understanding, collaboration, and mutual respect.

By adopting the dual title and term “Kaimāngai”, we aim to promote cultural diversity and inclusivity, acknowledging the importance of Indigenous perspectives and contributions to our profession and College community as a whole.

"Kaimāngai" serves as a powerful representation of the ambassadorial role not only in Aotearoa New Zealand but in Australasia - a role characterised by nurturing relationships, effective communication, and cultural respect, rooted in the rich traditions and values of Māori culture.

The college formerly introduces its first Ambassadors and looks forward to welcoming more people into the program in the coming 12 months.

Tash Adams

A paramedic for 17 years, Tash Adams experience and interest lies in the high acuity response, trauma and haemostatic resusciation areas of paramedicine. Tash is a Senior Critical Care Paramedic with the Queensland Ambulance Service, currently working between the Logan POD and High Acuity Response Units on the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Tash has a Master of Health Care Leadership and a Master of Traumatology and is currently working towards a Doctor of Medicine at Griffith University on the Gold Coast. Tash is interested in all things clinical education, professional development, human factors and leadership development as well as a keen interest in progressive trauma care. 

Stuart Harris

Julie Hughes

Julie Hughes is currently employed by the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) as a Critical Care Paramedic (HARU/Flight). With 22 years of experience in paramedicine, Julie's objective is to learn something from every patient and job that she attends. Commencing her career as a radiogapher, Julie realised early on that it was emergency care that interested her the most, and in 2002, she commenced her paramedic journey with QAS, her goals driving her to continue studies into becoming a Critical Care Paramedic, a Flight paramedic and ultimately a High Acuity Response Unit paramedic. Throughout her career, Julie has had numerous mentors and has met and worked with inspiring clinicians across multiple disciplines who have taught her that sharing knowledge and experience and being a part of other’s paramedic journeys is an important part of her role.

Alecka Miles

James Pearce

James Pearce is Senior Lecturer in Paramedicine at Flinders University and is a Paramedic with the SA Ambulance Service. With 16 years of experience in the field, James objective is to improve paramedic student and qualified paramedic appreciation of, engagement with, and knowledge and skills in research. James' passion for paramedicine began in his high school years, inspired by a Year 10 science assignment that introduced him to the field. After graduating with a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Paramedic) degree at Flinders in 2007 and joining SA Ambulance Service as an intern, James pursued further studies, including a Master of Advanced Practice. When James is not providing clinical care, he dedicates his time to lecturing at Flinders. Balancing his teaching responsibilities with his clinical work, James finds joy in merging his experiences to create a contemporary learning environment for his students. By incorporating real-life scenarios based on his 15 years of clinical practice, he enriches their education with authentic and relatable examples.

Fabian Perez

Dan Spearing

Keep an eye out over coming months as we introduce new Ambassadors.