Board of Directors

 

Yohan Kumaran

Joined: August 2023
Position: Treasurer

Qualifications and
Experience: Chartered Accountant
(CA), Masters of Business Administration (MBA), Bachelor of Business
(Accounting & Finance), Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)
Non Profit Governance. 

Yohan has worked with the not for profit sector for over 10 years previously as a consultant and now as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative.

Particular Interests:  Yohan is passionate about social justice, economic empowerment and sustainability causes. He is an avid scuba diver. In his free time you will find him tending to his veggie patch in his front garden or at a local dog park with his cocker spaniel Pippa.

Other local involvement:  Yohan was previously the CFO of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service in Preston.

Wennie van Riet

Joined: September 2017
Position: Chairperson

Qualification and experience Bachelor in Sociology and a Research Master in Social Sciences at the University of Amsterdam. Wennie has a background in working and volunteering for several not–for–profit organisations in various research and client facing roles in the Netherlands, South Africa and Australia. Wennie has experience working with CALD communities and people with disabilities and I am currently a Local Area Coordinator for the NDIS.

Particular interests:  Building connected and inclusive communities.

Other local involvement:  A proud member of various local mum groups.

Freya Shaw

Joined: June 2021
Position: Deputy Chair

Qualifications and Experience: Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), Bachelor of Business (major in Accounting & Marketing), Australian Institute of Company Directors training and Mental Health First Aid training.

Particular Interests: Freya is passionate about community, sustainability and life long learning. Having traveled a lot as a young child Freya was exposed to many different cultures and experiences which made her appreciate the impact communities and neighbourhoods can have on our lives and on our environment.

Other local involvement: Involved with local running groups as park run Director and volunteer, previously volunteered at Lentil as Anything.

Militsa Toskovska

Joined: April 2022                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Position: Board Member

Qualifications and Experience: Bachelor of Arts (Social Sciences), Post Graduate Diploma (Public Policy), Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors, Governance Institute of Australia (GIA) (Affiliated).  Member of Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA). Over twenty years’ experience in the public sector in various roles and government sector agencies. Past experience includes responsibility for Corporate and Business Planning, including risk and audit, public policy, project and contract management, and assistant corporate secretary to a Board for a state agency. Also worked as a management consultant in private practice.  Presently Senior Manager in an emergency services agency.

Particular Interests: Education and continuous learning, connecting communities, environment and sustainability, social equity and opportunity.  Education is a particular interest as it empowers individuals to create meaningful and substantial opportunities for themselves, their families and their communities.

Other Local Involvement: An interest in early childhood development and education led to becoming a member of a Committee of Management at a local community child care centre for three years then a School Councillor for six years, including a term as School Council President at a local Primary School.  Activities in this capacity included being a member of School Council sub-committees (such as Finance, Strategy and Policy), volunteering in various activities such as fundraising, fetes, classroom help and working bees.  Have also volunteered at the Fitzroy Legal Service and was involved in a local community theatre group, staging Shakespeare plays on the banks of the Merri Creek and one season in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Renee Daniele

Joined: September 2021
Position: Secretary

Qualifications and experience: Dual Diploma in Hospitality and Event Management. Currently completing a Diploma in Community Development. Renee has had over 10 years’ experience working in community venues and developing programs and events for and with the community.

Particular interests: Sustainability, social inclusion and engagement in particular for mature Australians and those from culturally and linguistic diverse backgrounds.

Other local involvement: Renee was a member of The Compost Depot and started the swap and go compost system now running at SPAN.

Jennifer Nathan

Joined: April 2022
Position: Board Member

Qualifications and experience: Bachelor of Arts, Diploma of Education (La Trobe University); Bachelor of Educational Studies (University of Melbourne), Master of Education (La Trobe University).

Jennifer has been a classroom teacher and teacher trainer in many different contexts including China and Indonesia. She has also worked as a program coordinator in the state education system (on-arrivals program) and in community education. In 2017, she was awarded The Australian Red Cross Service Award for her role in in the coordination and delivery of English classes for vulnerable migrants.

Over approximately 10 years, JenniferMarketing and social media also worked as a Hansard reporter in the state parliament and in the secretariat for a parliamentary committee.

Particular interests:  Lifelong learning through community connections, language learning, reading and writing.

Other local involvement: Jennifer was born and raised in the local area and was a student at Westgarth Central School and Thornbury High School. She’s now a member of Darebin U3A. She’s a serial volunteer, and as well as volunteering on the Span Board, currently volunteers at Heide Museum of Modern Art.

 

David Westlake

Joined: November 2022
Position: Board Member  

Qualification and experience: Electrical mechanic A grade, foreman, project management – commercial, government contracts, large sporting venues, transportation, railway upgrade for national rail network Melbourne to Geelong, high rise CDB building projects, night horse racing projects in Melbourne and Cranborne, phosphate ship unloading facility and conveyor system in Geelong, and seven years as an Apprentice Master.  Facilitator of men’s group, facilitator of men’s shed, committee member of Scouts group, school committee member, English as a second language tutor, mentor to young future leaders in industry, pre-apprenticeship tutor.

Particular interests:  Life long learning, mentorship of young people, community development and connection. Life time interest in all forms of car racing.

Other local involvement: Facilitator of men’s groups – OM:NI at Span and men’s shed. Service on local community committees, local primary and secondary schools representative for the northern region on the Federal Government Disadvantage Schools Programme, Member of the Northcote District Scouts committee and the local Scout troop.