Youth Affairs Council Victoria

Kirsty Greenwood (she/her)

Head of Corporate Services; Acting co-CEO

Kirsty joined YACVic in September 2020. Her career in non-profits spans over 25 years in senior management and leadership positions, encompassing community development, allied health, mental health and now the youth sector.

Kirsty previously worked for the Butterfly Foundation for eight years in national management, where she set up Australia’s national eating disorders hotline. Over her career Kirsty has managed and improved organisational systems in strategic planning, finances, HR, risk and compliance. She also taken organisations through generational rebranding, successfully managed several major conferences, and secured millions of dollars in project-based funding through grants and sponsorships. Prior to her non-profit work, Kirsty worked in local government and the corporate financial sector.

Kirsty grew up in the UK but has lived in Australia for the past 30 years. She lives on Wurundjeri country. She holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours from the University of Nottingham (UK).

Derm Ryan (he/him)

Head of YACVic Rural; Acting co-CEO

Derm joined YACVic in 2016, bringing over 30 years’ experience in community development, health promotion and youth work, with extensive expertise working with rural and Indigenous communities.

Prior to YACVic, Derm worked at ACON Health where he managed HIV and sexual health projects. He also worked for five years at the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, where he managed the national education portfolio and Indigenous projects. Derm’s youth work experience is diverse, including roles in sexual health promotion and education; employment, post-secondary education and training; recreational leadership and outdoor education; and general youth work.

Derm lived for 12 years on a small rural property in far north NSW on Bundjalung land, where he was also a volunteer rural fire fighter and board member of various local rural agencies. He now lives on Wurundjeri country. Derm holds an Advanced Diploma in Community Management.

Mija Gwyn (she/her)

Head of Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS)

Mija joined YDAS in 2017, bringing a range of leadership, governance and management experience in the disability advocacy and arts sectors. Mija is Deaf and uses Auslan as her first language.

Mija’s previous YDAS roles involved supporting disabled young people to develop self-advocacy, goal-setting and NDIS readiness skills. She has led film festivals in Australia and the UK, curating programs with, by and about disabled people.

Mija is the Deputy Chair of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council, and sits on the Royal Women’s Hospital Community Advisory Committee and Disability Action Plan Advisory Committee.

Mija lives on Wurundjeri country, and grew up near the Murray River on Wadi Wadi and Muthi Muthi lands. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Cultural Studies from the University of Melbourne and is currently completing a Master of Public Policy; she also holds a Master of Communication from Griffith University.