Your Committee
John Ross
John brings over 20 years of international board experience in the not-for-profit sector, having served in roles like President, Treasurer, and Communications & Marketing lead. With a professional background in the audio industry, John is a passionate advocate for the hearing loss community, living with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, chronic tinnitus, and recruitment. He uses a MED-EL Synchrony 2 cochlear implant with a Sonnet 2 processor on his right side and a Phonak hearing aid on his left.
An author and speaker, John is set to release his book, Breeding a Deaf Generation, exploring the complexities of hearing loss. He is also a sought-after speaker on hearing technology, often joined by his wife, Donna, who adds insights on partner and family support in their presentations. At CICADA Queensland, John works to broaden the organization's reach to all hearing loss communities, advocating for awareness, advanced technology, and rehabilitation access. He also has a YouTube vlog (My Cochlear Journey), where he shares insights on hearing technology and life with hearing loss.
Penny Phillips
Penny has had a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss for over 50 years and was implanted in 2014 with a Cochlear Nucleus 6. She upgraded to a Cochlear Nucleus 7 in 2019 and became Bilateral in late 2024, now wearing Cochlear Nucleus 8 processors. Previously, she wore a Resound ENZO 2 in her other ear. She has been involved with Hearing Loss organisations in a voluntary capacity for many years, serving as secretary of Better Hearing Australia Sunshine Coast Branch for 12 years and has been a member of CICADA Queensland for 6 years, taking on the role of Sunshine Coast Representative conducting regular monthly Meet-ups.
She is passionate about helping and supporting anyone with a Cochlear Implant or considering one, as well as people with any form of hearing loss.
Deborah Bordin
Deb is the daughter of Parents with a Hearing loss and a father with a Cochlear Implant.
Deb is a senior accountant who joined Woodgate and Associates in 2014. Deb has over 10 years experience in the profession dealing with taxation, structuring and reviewing business processes of clients.
Deb is particularly interested in assisting small business clients beyond their compliance requirements, with their business improvement enquiries.
Deb has also had significant exposure to the compliance needs of rural clients during her previous employment.
Deb has an extensive background in I.T., and has expertly assisted clients with the implementation and ongoing support of their I.T. systems.
Qualifications & Associations
- Bachelor of Business
- Graduate Diploma of Advanced Accounting
- Chartered Accountants Australia And New Zealand (Ca)
- Diploma of Financial Planning
- Diploma Self-Managed Super Fund Adviser (Personal Advice)
- Xero Certified Adviser
Helen Court
Helen has worked as a clinical audiologist since qualifying from the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research unit at the University of Southampton in 1996. She has worked in both paediatric and adult cochlear implant programs in the UK and was a consultant for a cochlear implant company travelling to help perform testing for the first ever cochlear implant in Pakistan. Further travelling saw her develop audiology services on the island of Bermuda before moving to Australia with her Australian husband and two children in 2007. Since this time she has worked clinically and helped further cochlear implant services on the Sunshine Coast. After being diagnosed in her early twenties with Menieres disease, she underwent cochlear implantation for single sided deafness eight years ago and has loved being able to offer her personal perspective to her clinical knowledge and help lots of cochlear implant candidates and recipients. She is passionate about cochlear implants and recently moved to work with Med-el to help train other audiologist and work in clinical support.
Helen is implanted with MED-EL and uses the Rondo 3 processor
Kymm Smith
Kymm completed her Bachelor of Nursing (Mental Health) at Edinburgh Napier University in 2014 and worked as a registered nurse in the field of older adults’ mental health and dementia.
After experiencing bilateral sensorineural hearing loss in her early 20s, she received her first cochlear implant in Scotland in 2012 and her second in Brisbane in 2017.
Since relocating to Australia in 2016, Kymm has been an active member of the Sunshine Coast branch of CICADA Queensland, while working in individual support and raising her three daughters.
Her extensive lived experience and passion for helping others live well with hearing loss inspired her to pursue further study in the field, and she is currently undertaking a Master of Clinical Audiology at Charles Darwin University.
Jody Wallace
Jody has a background in Community Service, Chaplaincy, Business Support & Process Improvement across the NFP community, legal and Gov sectors. She is an experienced national event lead.
Jody is excited by events and projects, especially those that give back to and strengthen community. She currently facilitates short-term respite stays, with a focus on creating restful atmospheres that offer a retreat haven away from the world for every guest. Jody has loved ones within her circle experiencing varying degrees of hearing loss and is honoured to serve as a member of the CICADA Qld team.
Russ Ezzy
With a background spanning large remote cattle stations and suburban house construction, Russ brings a diverse range of business management skills to the committee. His extensive experience working with Aboriginal communities further enriches his contribution. Now enjoying retirement by the beach near Bundaberg, Russ is BiModal, implanted with MED-EL and uses the Sonnet 3 processor with the EAS (Electronic Acoustic Simulation) system on his right side, while wearing a conventional hearing aid on his left .