OUR TEAM

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Our Team

Our Directors

Bruce Anderson

Chairman

Bruce Anderson

Chairman

Bruce 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 is currently Chairman of Ourschools Advisory Group, Chairman of Wesley Church UCA Congregation, 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.

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 Bank First (formerly VTMB) and moved into corporate governance after 30 years in education in Victoria with the final 16 years in leadership positions. 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 twenty 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.

Mandy Hutchinson

Director

Mandy Hutchinson

Director

Mandy is the CEO at Northern District Community Health and has been in this role for the past 4 years, overseeing a budget of over $7.2 million with ultimate responsibility of over 65 staff. Within her role, Mandy delivers services including allied health, nursing, community support, counselling, health promotion and primary care across multiple rural local government areas. Additionally, Northern District Community Health has proudly provided services to support the community during Covid-19.

Previously, Mandy was a Director of Community Services at Gannawarra Shire Council where her leadership portfolio included Community Care Services, Children and Youth Services, Community Health, Communications and Community Engagement and Libraries, Arts and Culture.

Mandy’s stand out qualities include positivity and skills in building collaborative, respectful partnerships and using these strengths to have the greatest effect for our rural community. She is passionate about creating a resilient, inclusive and dynamic culture that celebrates success, innovation and hard work.

Nick Young

Associate Director

Nick Young

Associate Director

Nick is completing the final semester of his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at Monash University. He is a Youthrive Scholar, a Monash University Excellence Scholar and the Senior Research Assistant to the Dean of the Monash Law School. Nick grew up in Warrnambool and cares deeply about access to education, particularly for rural people. He has volunteered as a teacher in East Timor and India and with UN Youth Australia. He is currently piloting the Youthrive Victoria Branch Out e-mentoring program to encourage and empower regional Victorian high school students to access further education.

Jacob Chacko

Associate Director

Jacob Chako

Associate Director

Jacob currently works as a Policy Advisor in the Australian Parliament – focusing on Indigenous Affairs and Social Policy. He is a Youthrive Scholar and completed a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Laws at Monash University where he was a member of the Vice-Chancellor’s Ancora Imparo Student Leadership program. As a migrant to Australia, Jacob moved to Benalla with his family and remains deeply connected to that place. As one of the early participants of the Youthrive program, Jacob has witnessed the organisation grow and has been involved in its various programs. Jacob is passionate about rural policy and believes Youthrive plays a significant role in promoting regional and remote life in all its diversity. Though currently based in the Kimberley (WA), he still calls Benalla home.

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.

Bernadette Lloyd

Director

Bernadette Lloyd

Director

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.

Caroline Kennedy

Accountant/Business Manager

Caroline Kennedy

Accountant/Business Manager

Caroline grew up on a farm at Burrumbeet and attended school in Ballarat. She loved the farm life and understands the challenges of travel and moving away from home to study and work. After completing her accounting degree at the University of Ballarat and CPA qualification, she worked in public accounting firms, with not for profits and has run her own and family businesses. Caroline joins Youthrive as our inaugural accountant and business manager. She is passionate about Youthrive’s purpose and helping young rural people and she is keen to provide financial literacy skill development for the young people.

Louisa West
Communications & Office Administrator, Mentor Coordinator

Louisa West

Communications & Office Administrator, Mentor Coordinator

Louisa joined the Youthrive team as Communications/Office Administrator in July 2021.

By following a career path in fine arts, photography and VCE secondary teaching, Louisa has developed a great passion for education and the importance of providing young people with opportunities to thrive through learning.

Having grown up in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Louisa resonates with the Youthrive vision and is grateful to be a part of this passionate team and organisation that supports rural communities.

Charlie Bracey
Rural Youth Network Coordinator

Charlie Bracey

Rural Youth Network Coordinator

Charlie is a youth worker with over 10 years experience in the field. She has a strong passion for mental health and is a youth and teen Mental Health First Aid instructor. Charlie moved to the Central Victorian Region 5 years ago and is excited to be working with Youthrive and all the young people connected to them.

Jarrod Stephens

Rural Youth Network

Engagement Leader

Jarrod Stephens

Rural Youth Network Engagement Leader

Jarrod grew up in the East Gippsland town of Bairnsdale and is currently a student at the University of Melbourne. Alongside a keen interest in health, sport and exercise, and learning all kinds of new things, Jarrod has a strong belief in the ability of connected, educated and engaged youth to have a positive impact in many areas of their communities. While on a Leave of Absence from his current Bachelor of Biomedicine course, Jarrod is working on the Rural Youth Network to support young people in his area of East Gippsland and wider Victoria to have access to the opportunities, support and connections that assist them in being strong contributors in rural communities.

Stephanie Hartshorn

Rural Youth Network

Engagement Leader

Stephanie Hartshorn

Rural Youth Network Engagement Leader

Steph is interested in all things health and wellbeing! She is originally from Swan Hill in northwest Victoria and is currently studying a Bachelor of Psychology (Social Science) in Melbourne. Steph is very passionate about working with young people and through her role as an Engagement Leader for the Rural Youth Network, hopes to discover and create opportunities for young rural Victorians to thrive.

Ella Jacobsen
Dream Seeds Coordinator

Ella Jacobsen

Dream Seeds Coordinator

Ella grew up in Yea and is currently living in Melbourne whilst completing her Bachelor of Teaching, with a double method in Physical Education and Environmental Science. Ella has contributed to the Youthrive community for a number of years as a volunteer and Alumni member. Ella is passionate about rural education and through teaching hopes to encourage young people to reach their goals, and their full potential.

Finn Poxon
Rural Youth Network Coordinator

Finn Poxon

Rural Youth Network Coordinator

Having grown up and attended school in the small rural community of Boort, Finn has developed an ethos of giving back to the community that supported him. Finn is keen to assist and support young people from rural communities to increase their connections through activities presented by Youthrive Victoria, as well as promoting and expanding the RYN online platform for both young people and relevant services and organisations. With well developed facilitation skills, Finn has participated in Dream Seeds workshops (for Year 5/6 students) and has coached on the Young Rural Leaders program.

Bree-Anna Cummins
Branch Out Mentoring & Rural Youth Network Coordinator

Bree-Anna Cummins

Branch Out Mentoring & Rural Youth Network Coordinator

Bree-Anna grew up in Caramut, in the south-west region of Victoria. After completing her schooling at Mortlake College, she moved to Ballarat to study acting. Since attending the Leadership Camp in 2017, Bree-Anna has completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Acting with Federation University. She is continuing with further study, currently completing Certificate 3 in Floristry, and engaging in free-lance performance work.

Bree-Anna has always been passionate about contributing to the lives of young people, having mentored many throughout her ongoing engagement with the arts programs at her school. She sees the RYN and Branch Out programs as an exciting new possibility to build stronger ties, stronger communities and stronger youth on the foundation of leadership. She is also passionate about Women’s Health and is set to become a certified Menstrual Cycle Coach by the end of 2021.

Escher Russell

Leadership Program Coordinator

Escher Russell

Leadership Program Coordinator

Escher Russell has been associated with Youthrive Victoria since 2018. He is studying the Bachelor of Science at Melbourne University and is passionate about having thriving rural communities.

Our Alumni Committee

Sophie Fontaine
President

Sophie Fontaine

President

Sophie Fontaine lives in Warragul while studying a Doctor of Medicine and working as a lifeguard. She is originally from Moe (home of Aussie Disposal’s first store, opened in 1962) and is an avid triathlete and trumpet player in her spare time.

Escher Russell
President

Escher Russell

President

Escher is from Ballarat and believes strongly in the benefits of empowering young rural and disadvantaged people through volunteering and engagement with non-for-profit organisations. He is studying a Bachelor of Science at The University of Melbourne, with a view to working in Science Communication and Education.

Kitty Robinson
General

Kitty Robinson

Kitty is from Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, and is an emerging professional singer/songwriter (kittyrae.com). She loves music because it connects people – the same reason she loves Youthrive Victoria and the work it does for rural young people in Victoria.

Hannah Humphries
General

Hannah Humphries

Hannah grew up in Glenrowan before moving to Frankston to study a Bachelor of Nursing and a Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours) at Monash University. She has since finished her degrees and is now working at Monash Health as both a ward nurse and a midwife in Birth Suite. Hannah is passionate about empowering people to make the most of life’s opportunities and finds this most through her work at Monash Medical Centre and through volunteering with Youthrive.

Charlotte Robinson
General

Charlotte Robinson

Charlotte is from Bacchus Marsh, a town known for yearly strawberry and cherry festivals and hospitality such as the Baby Black café. She works as a gymnastics coach for young children, and is studying a bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science at Deakin University.

Aidan Goode
General

Aidan Goode

Aidan grew up in Donald before moving to Melbourne to study Physiotherapy at Monash University. He has since finished his degree and is now based in Geelong. He now works at Kieser, a private practice focused on strength training. Outside of work, Aidan is a keen hockey player and loves a great social outing. His goal this year is to engage a larger proportion of the Alumni and provide amazing events that will strengthen the friendships and connections in the Alumni.

Michaela Humphries
General

Michaela Humphries

Michaela is originally from the small town of Glenrowan in North East Victoria, and is currently living in Geelong while completing her final year of a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours). Since first becoming involved in Youthrive, Michaela has enjoyed the connections and friendships formed with like-minded young people from across Victoria through attending the wide variety of events on offer.

Amy Zuell
General

Amy Zuell

Amy is originally from Ballarat and moved to Melbourne to study Mechatronics at the University of Melbourne. She is passionate about the opportunity to work with Youthrive due to all of the amazing young people she gets to work with who share a similar rural background and have the drive to make rural Victoria a better place.

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