OUR TEAM

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Our Team

Our Directors

Bruce Anderson

Chairman

Bruce Anderson

Chairman

Bruce Anderson is a highly experienced business leader who has successfully combined his 20+ years in senior executive roles at ASX and global companies with a broad contribution within the community sector. He is a community builder having held a variety of roles in organisations to create a better world. Bruce is most passionate and experienced in supporting secondary school students successfully transition to university then work, and develop their leadership capabilities. Bruce created The Anderson Partnership to partner with boards, business owners and executives to build and implement growth plans.

Bruce is currently a Director of The Rural Foundation, Chairman of Our schools Advisory Group, and a Trustee of the Anglesea SLSC Foundation. Bruce is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and an alumnus of the Williamson Community Leadership Program.

Professor Kate Auty

Director

Professor Kate Auty

Director

Kate Auty is the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment. She is also a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Her present Board, Advisory Council and panel positions include – Banksia Foundation P/L (Chair), Sustainable Business Australia P/L (co-opted director), Urban Climate Change Research Network – Columbia University/Goddard Institute affiliations (Director Australian Hub), Australian Research Council grant assessor (Engagement and Impact – Health and Life Sciences panel), Fenner School Advisory Board member ANU, Institute of Applied Ecology Advisory Board Member U Canberra, North East Victoria Community Energy Group, member. Other appointments have included – Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria; magistrate and coroner in both Victoria and WA; Inaugural Koori Court magistrate, Victoria. She continues as a barrister attached to the non-practising list of the Victorian Bar. She is also a published author on texts on the law and Indigenous justice issues.

Duncan M Malcom AM JP

Director

Duncan M Malcom AM JP

Director

Duncan Malcolm AM has over 34 years’ experience as a Board Director. A former Chair of the Rural Water Corporation of Victoria, the Irrigation Association of Australia and the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, he has also been a member of the Victorian Coastal Council and was an East Gippsland Shire Commissioner at the time of Victorian Council amalgamations. Current roles include; Trustee of the Australian Landscape Trust, Deputy Chair of the Gippsland Primary Health Network, Immediate past Chair of the Gippsland Vehicle Collection and Chair of the Western Port Biosphere Reserve Foundation Ltd. Duncan is an Honorary Fellow of Monash University.

Ross McPherson AM

Director

Ross McPherson AM

Director

Ross McPherson is Executive Chairman of the McPherson Media Group, a fifth-generation family Newsmedia business which started with the Shepparton News in 1888. It now includes numerous newspapers, magazines, printing events and internet businesses. He joined the family business after practicing commercial law, having graduated from Melbourne and London Universities. Among numerous industry, local and philanthropic involvements, Ross chairs the Goulburn Valley Health Foundation, is a member of the Committee for Greater Shepparton, a past director of SPC Ardmona Ltd and Treasurer and past-president of the 8000-member International Newsmedia Association. He is a trustee of several charitable trusts and a member of the Melbourne University Council.

Bernadette Lloyd

Director

Bernadette Lloyd

Director

Bernie Lloyd is the Chair of the Board of Victoria Teachers Mutual Bank and moved into corporate governance after 30 years in education in Victoria with the final 16 years in leadership positions. Her extensive educational experience in rural and metropolitan schools as a classroom teacher as well as executive manager has prepared her for her current portfolio of interests and commitments. She understands the interdependence between schools and their communities and how high levels of trust enable productivity. She taught at her country high school for 20 years where she facilitated learning experiences for her students which gave them the capacity to enrich their own communities as well as preparing them for the world beyond their rural locale. Her leadership expertise resides in long-term strategic planning, building capacity in teams and sustaining and expanding growth in organisations. She facilitates Principal workshops in Victoria and Queensland with emphasis on school governance and ethical and performance cultures which sustain and empower.

Peter Hunt

Company Secretary

Peter Hunt

Company Secretary

Peter Hunt has over 38 years’ experience in business ranging from retail, aged care and education including 33 years running regional boarding schools across NSW and Victoria. Peter concluded his 23 years as Business Manager/Company Secretary at Ballarat Grammar in July 2018. He is also a director on the BGS Educational Service Ltd Board; Company Secretary and Trustee on the Ballarat Grammar Foundation; and his own private company. Peter has an MBA from UNE Armidale; is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Accountants, Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Member of Institute of Managers and Leaders; a member of Association of School Business Administrators and a Justice of Peace in Victoria. He is passionate about rural education and the effective management of Foundations. His interests include psychology, behavioural finance, financial markets and is a life-long learner across a many-and-varied field of interests.

Our Staff

Dr Maryann Brown

Chief Executive Officer

Dr Maryann Brown

Executive Officer

Dr Maryann Brown was appointed CEO of Youthrive Victoria, formerly Macpherson Smith Rural Foundation Ltd (MSRF), in July 2016. Prior to this Maryann was Senior Education Advisor of MSRF and was responsible for developing the mentoring and leadership programs.

Passionate about helping young people live great lives and committed to supporting rural communities, Maryann considers herself very fortunate to be leading Youthrive Victoria and engaging with so many inspiring participants and supporters from across rural Victoria. A lifelong learner, Maryann enjoys collaborating on projects and addressing perennial social problems in new ways.

Prior to joining MSRF in 2011, Maryann worked extensively in the education sector as a secondary teacher, curriculum leader and teacher educator. She has strong connections with rural and regional Victoria through her work at Federation University where she was a Senior Lecturer and program coordinator of the Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary). She has qualifications in education and business. Her doctoral work explored contemporary ways of learning in teacher education.

Maryann volunteers in the local community and beyond and has various board and committee roles. She lives at Smokeytown and loves the land, her family and friends, her animals and the garden.

Youthrive Supporter Relations Coordinator, Brett Dunlop

Brett Dunlop
Supporter Relations Coordinator

Brett Dunlop

Supporter Relations Coordinator

Brett joined Youthrive Victoria in January 2018 as Supporter Relations Coordinator. In this role, he builds and maintains strong relationships between the foundation and its supporters, which include donors, funders, partners, sponsors, volunteers and alumni. Brett works closely with the CEO in liaising with our existing supporters, building our profile and growing a strong and diverse supporter base.

Brett was born in Kalgoorlie and educated in Perth, holding a BScEd (Hons) from UWA. He taught in secondary schools in WA and NSW before commencing a three-decade-long career in major museums in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Ballarat. Brett completed his MBA at the University of Technology, Sydney. He has held executive management positions and also contributed outside of work to professional associations, heritage committees, government panels and an environmental trust.

It has been several years in transition but Brett’s ‘tree change’ to Glenlyon is now complete. He particularly enjoys volunteering in local community-strengthening activities. Brett enjoys working with Youthrive supporters, helping them realise their aspirations for capable young adults in thriving rural communities.

Youthrive Communications & Programs Administrator, Emma Jarvis

Emma Jarvis
Programs and Communications Administrator

Emma Jarvis

Program and Communications Administrator

Emma is a graduate of Swinburne University BA Design, CD (Hons), and has more than 20 years experience working as a graphic designer and project manager in design studios and advertising agencies across Melbourne. Emma is responsible for program administration and marketing collateral, utilising her design skills to produce and maintain the print and digital communications for Youthrive Victoria.

Having moved to Ballarat 4 years ago, Emma enjoys exploring the local region with her husband and young son. She loves all forms of creative design and is always learning new techniques and processes.

Emma finds working with the talented Youthrive alumni very rewarding, and is inspired by their willingness to learn and grow. She is looking forward to further developing the Youthrive Victoria brand and sharing the important work that we do empowering young people and strengthening rural communities.

Dream Seeds Website Project Coordinator, Rohan Gerrard

Rohan Gerrard
Dream Seeds Website Project Coordinator
Funded by Collier Charitable Fund

Rohan Gerrard

Dream Seeds Website Project Coordinator
Position Funded by Collier Charitable Fund

Rohan Gerrard has been appointed as Project Coordinator for the development of our exciting new Dream Seeds® Website for 2019. He has worked in website development for the last three years, running his own graphic design and website development business, building websites for a wide range of clients. He is in his second year of study completing a Bachelor of Design at Swinburne University.

Rohan began his involvement with Youthrive Victoria and Dream Seeds® in January 2018 as a participant of the leadership program. Since then Rohan has been involved with a number of Youthrive Victoria programs and has assisted with planning and attending Dream Seeds® trips to both the Mallee and the South West.

Rohan really enjoys working with Dream Seeds® and believes that the unique program is an amazing opportunity for Year 6 students and that it can make a real difference to a young person by allowing them to see new possibilities for their future.

The new Dream Seeds® website will be a great asset to the program, allowing the magic of Dream Seeds® to continue once workshop presenters leave the classroom.

Our Alumni Committee

Youthrive Alumni President, Rebecca Postlethwaite

Rebecca Postlethwaite
President

Rebecca Postlethwaite

President

Rebecca is originally from Gooroc, North West Victoria. She has spent the past four years completing a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and Diploma of Languages at Monash University and is now working back in her rural community. Rebecca loves Youthrive Victoria because it empowers young rural Victorians to thrive in their communities and creates an incredibly strong network of passionate individuals.

Chris Dempsey
Secretary

Chris Dempsey

Secretary

Chris is originally from Ararat and now lives in Melbourne. He attended the Young Rural Leaders Program in December 2012 and has been involved with the foundation in a multitude of roles since, including being a member of the inaugural Alumni committee and program manager of the Young Rural Leaders program. Chris is a secondary school teacher.

Youthrive Alumni Treasurer, Caitilin Allman

Caitlin Allman
Treasurer

Caitlyn Allman

Treasurer

Caitlin has lived in Rochester and Maryborough but is moving to Adelaide to study a Bachelor of Medical Science at Flinders University. She loves that Youthrive is a wonderful and supportive group of young people who are always ready to take on a new challenge that will positively impact rural communities.

Sam McColl
General (Social)

Sam McColl

General (Social)

Sam was born and raised in Ararat, and for the past five years he has lived in Ballarat. He currently works at the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute, while also volunteering for St John Ambulance, CFA and Headspace. He believes that his love for Youthrive Victoria stems from his love of his own community, and that Youthrive prides itself on supporting and strengthening young leaders.

Jessie Newton
General (Leadership)

Jessie Newton

General (Leadership)

Jessie is from Avenel in Northern Victoria and is currently studying a Bachelor of Design at Swinburne University in Hawthorn. She loves that Youthrive Victoria creates many opportunities for young rural people through the strong alumni network.

Sophie Fontaine
General

Sophie Fontaine

General

Sophie is originally from Hernes Oak in Gippsland and has moved to Melbourne to study Bachelor of Biomedical Science at Monash University. She loves how Youthrive Victoria brings together so many people from all walks of life and provides them with an amazing network of super-awesome and like-minded people. The social events are always so much fun – a great variety of sporting, cultural and personal development activities. She is forever grateful for the fantastic opportunity of being a part of Youthrive Victoria.

Youthrive Alumni Committee Member, Maddy Merzvinskis

Maddy Merzvinskis
General

Maddy Merzvinskis

General Committee Member

Maddy is from Ballarat and studies a Bachelor of Design (Communication Design) at Swinburne University in Hawthorn. Maddy loves that Youthrive Victoria has connected her to an incredible and supportive network and that wherever she is she’ll have a friend to call on.

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