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
Alexandra Neill (she/her)
Alexandra works at the ABC on youth impact projects. She is passionate about ensuring young people are given the opportunities and agency to have their voices heard in their communities.
Deputy 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).
Rural Representative
Tim Harte
Tim’s lived experience as an NDIS stands for National Disability Insurance Scheme.NDIS participant and rural young person drives his commitment to empowering the voice and agency of young people and people with disabilities.
Tim is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, has tertiary qualifications in performing arts and science and a background in disability, social & environmental justice activism. Tim is currently studying a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in chemistry at Deakin University’s Institute for Frontier Materials.
Tim serves as Treasurer, Victoria State Director and Youth Network committee member of Physical Disability Australia; Board Member of the Geelong Landcare Network; member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee; member of the Surf Coast Shire’s All Abilities Advisory Committee; and member of the Commonwealth Children and Youth Disability Network.
Other Members
Kerrie Loveless (she/her)
With over twenty years’ experience in the youth and community sector, Kerrie has worked and volunteered within a range of community organisations, as well as state and local government. These roles have been located in both inner city and urban fringe communities and have included running group programs, providing individual support, developing policy, leading and managing services.
Kerrie is a passionate advocate for the inclusion of young people in all aspects of civic and community life.
Jasmine Elliott (she/her)*
Jasmine grew up in Gladstone (QLD) but is completing her final year of medicine on Dja Dja Wurrung Land (Bendigo) in 2022. Her lived experience with mental illness in regional Australia has given Jasmine insight into the impact of fragmented care, and an appreciation for the importance of strong transitions between services and access to opportunities regardless of postcode. She is a member of the headspace National Youth Reference Group, an eheadspace Peer Support Moderator, Young Leader with the CHF Youth Health Forum, and youth advocate with the Centre for Research Excellence in Global Investment in Adolescent Health.
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.
Dylan Broomfield (he/him)
Dylan is currently the General Manager, Policy and Advocacy at the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Dylan has several years’ experience in politics and public policy. In his current role Dylan is responsible for policy development and advocacy on behalf of Victorian businesses and industries to ensure that the right policy settings are in place for them to thrive in Victoria. Prior to this he was an adviser to the Victorian Treasurer with carriage of several portfolios. He was previously a Masters and Undergraduate lecturer at Monash University. Dylan has had an extensive interest in the youth sector stemming from his work as a lecturer and growing up in regional Australia where the lack of available opportunities for youth led to poor outcomes and further disadvantage.
Husna Amani (she/her)*
Husna is currently studying a Bachelor of Social Work, and upon completion of her studies, she hopes to work with culturally and linguistically diverse people and their families, with lived experience of disability. She is currently volunteering with Democracy in Colour and is a member of Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network’s Youth CALD Disability Collective. Additionally, she works at Children and Young People with Disability Australia, where she engages directly with young people.
Husna has experience in both sides of co-design, and has also participated in various reference groups and advisory projects. Her work in these areas has focused on various issues, where she brings her lived experience, to improve existing services, making them more inclusive and accessible. She is passionate about improving the representation of young people from the communities to which she belongs, as well as other young people who may share intersecting, multifaceted identities similar to her own.
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.
*Denotes young person