YACVic is governed by a volunteer board of governance that always includes four young people under the age of 26, as stipulated by the YACVic Constitution. The Board comprises three officers (chairperson, deputy chairperson and treasurer) along with four general Board members, including a rural representative, who are elected by YACVic’s members at the annual general meeting (AGM). At the first meeting after the AGM the board members decide the officer roles for the coming year.
YACVic’s Board guides the strategic direction of the organisation under its governance framework while the chief executive officer manages YACVic’s day-to-day activities and decisions, and reports back to the Board. The Board is the ultimate authority for the successful operation of YACVic.
Board members
Chairperson
Natasha Ritchie (she/her)
Natasha is the managing director of Titjimbat (Teachabout Inc.), a youth-led not-for-profit organisation that facilitates community programs in remote communities in the Northern Territory during school holiday periods. She has Bachelors of Law and International Relations and a pre-masters thesis focusing on human rights law. Natasha is a member of the Australian Lawyers for Human Rights Indigenous and Women and Girls subcommittees, and in 2017 was named a Young Social Pioneer by the Foundation for Young Australians.
Natasha is passionate about supporting and creating equal opportunities for all young people across Victoria, and she is currently working with the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA).
Deputy Chairperson
Kelly Phan (she/her)
Kelly's lived experience of being a young migrant in regional Victoria drives her passion for ensuring inclusive youth participation in all aspects of society. She is a current Legal Officer at the Department of Education. She has worked in community development for migrant and refugee youth in Bendigo and volunteered actively with youth organisations, which exposed her to the power of amplifying the voices of young people. This experience founded her passion for youth advocacy through being a board director of Youthlaw and YACVic.
Treasurer
Ali Al Lawati (he/him)*
Ali is a dynamic and dedicated professional with a strong background in finance, management, and community service. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Melbourne.
Ali has demonstrated exceptional skills in auditing, risk management, and financial accountability during his time working in financial audit. His commitment to supporting communities is evident throughout the roles he has taken up, such as playing a key role in the Yes23 Campaign in his region, his role as Listening Tour Coordinator for United Nations Youth, as Regional Advisory Group Member for the Victorian Multicultural Commission, and as Youth Advocacy Group Member for Headspace. Ali brings his governance experience, passion for community service, and financial expertise to the YACVIC board.
Other Members
Jane Chen (she/her)
Jane is a second-generation Chinese-Australian and a social policy thinker, researcher and public speaker. She currently works in state government by day, whilst moonlighting as a PhD student at the University of Melbourne. She has worked in various advisory and advocacy roles across the multicultural and youth sectors and is passionate about intersectionality in public policy.
James Kyd (he/him)
James is currently a management consultant with over 23 years of leadership and board experience across not-for-profit, government, and private sectors. Specialising in strategy, governance, and strategic change, he has a proven track record in consulting and industry roles, with a unique perspective shaped by his experience as an ADHD individual.
His professional and voluntary work is driven by a passion for fostering strengths-based approaches to inclusion in the workplace and the broader community. James’ commitment to the youth sector stems from his own experience as an ADHD individual growing up in a rural area. He is an advocate for workplace neurodiversity and serves as company secretary on a not-for-profit board dedicated to promoting ADHD awareness and support.
Ryan Hale (he/him)
Ryan is a creative producer and project manager with 15+ years’ experience in the community engagement, youth, arts, government and non-profit sectors. Driven by a commitment to social justice and amplifying lesser heard voices, he’s dedicated his career to creating and facilitating inclusive, transformative programs and experiences with and for communities.
He is currently an Adviser with Youth Live4Life, a health promotion charity that delivers the only mental health education and youth suicide prevention model designed specifically for rural and regional communities. Prior to that he was Project Director of Youth Take Over, a unique work experience program supporting rural and regional young people to transition into employment. He is a graduate of the 2023 Victorian LGBTIQA+ Leadership Program and is passionate about supporting young people to thrive.
Sophie Farinacci*
Sophie has volunteered as a youth advocate for the last three years, as a Minus18 Young Leader and Orygen Digital YAG member. This work has mobilised and empowered Sophie to embark on a career in local government as a Youth Development Officer, where Sophie advocates for equitable service provision and access for young people in the peri-urban Yarra Ranges.
With a First-Class Honours BA in Gender Studies and Indigenous Studies, Sophie has a research interest in assessing institutional approaches to diversity and inclusion. Sophie is driven to foster genuine empowerment for young people, advocating for their participation beyond token inclusion by embedding youth leadership and empowerment into decision-making, governance, and policy.
Ravin Desai*
Having worked toward the foundation of the Make it 16 Campaign, the campaign to lower the voting age in Australia, alongside his advocacy as a spokesperson for various youth organisations, Ravin is a fierce advocate for giving young people a seat at the table. He sits on both the Youth Council of the Commission for Children and Young People, the Youth Sub Committee of the YMCA Victoria Board, and the advisory committee for Think Forward, a youth economic policy think tank. He is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics and International studies at the University of Melbourne, and hopes to pursue further studies in youth policy.
*Denotes young person