Con has been associated with Volunteering Victoria as a member of the Governance Committee since 2015 and has been a member of the Board since April 2017. He is an experienced management consultant with an extensive background in corporate governance, corporate finance and strategy. He has co-authored several text books on business finance and has consulted to a broad range of companies and agencies in the commercial, not-for-profit and government sectors. Conway has been a director of several companies and organisations, serving in both executive and non-executive roles. He is an experienced Chair at both Board and Committee level and is a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Sydney and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia.

Andrew brings over 20 years experience in the emergency management sector. His current role is as National Manager, Emergency Services with Australian Red Cross, overseeing the national Emergency Services function. Andrew has played a pivotal role in coordinating the Red Cross response to a number of major emergencies and disasters, including Cyclone Larry (2006), the Black Saturday Victorian Bushfires (2009) and Queensland Floods and Cyclone Yasi (2011). Prior to joining Red Cross, Andrew was the National Recovery Consultant with Emergency Management Australia, providing advice to both State and Federal governments following a range of emergencies and playing a key role in coordinating recovery assistance to Australians impacted by events such as the Boxing Day 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

An advocacy and government relations expert, Bronwen has consulted to diverse industries including agriculture, education, health, community services and Indigenous groups. Previously, she has represented the Australian Government at the World Trade Organisation and United Nations in Geneva, working on multilateral trade negotiations. Bronwen currently heads the National Growth Areas Alliance, representing 21 Councils in the fast-growing outer suburbs across Australia, where 5 million people live. She coordinates a national research program and advocates for improved policies on infrastructure, population distribution and urban planning. She has worked in corporate volunteering and participated in a range of volunteering activities in both metropolitan and regional settings. Bronwen has postgraduate qualifications in Public Relations and corporate governance and is a graduate of the Leadership Ballarat and Western Region program. She has over a decades’ experience as a Non-Executive Director including with GWMWater, Wimmera Development Association, Volunteering Western Victoria (now Centre for Participation) and Regional Development Australia - Grampians.

Alek is a senior leader with over 20 years of experience in the aquatic and leisure industries, currently serving as Senior Manager - Aquatic Industry Services at Life Saving Victoria (LSV), one of the largest volunteer-led organisations in Victoria. At LSV, Alek leads a team of risk and safety auditors focused on drowning prevention, overseeing state-wide incident investigations and compliance projects, while also driving business growth by expanding LSV’s risk and safety services beyond the aquatic industry, to inland and coastal waterways. His work includes leading risk and safety audits, conducting incident investigations, and developing tailored safety strategies for both inland and coastal areas. Alek holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne, with majors in Criminology and Japanese Language. He is a qualified Lead Auditor with SAI Global Assurance and holds credentials in quality management systems, emergency management, incident investigation, and root cause analysis.

Kalpana Ramani values community connection and balances working for the Department of Justice and Community Safety with her community leadership commitments as a board member of the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) and Chairperson of the Australian Sports Museum Board of Directors. Kalpana’s experience in strategy and governance within the public sector, (currently working in Strategic Financial Governance), has allowed her to contribute meaningfully in her voluntary roles to drive change initiatives and strengthen community engagement.

Clemens serves as the General Manager of South Port Day Links, a volunteer-based organisation dedicated to providing services to older individuals, those with disabilities, and their caregivers in the City of Port Phillip and the City of Melbourne for the past 35 years. Prior, he worked in senior roles within the not-for-profit sector as well as executive consultant and coach for over 20 years. Clemens has actively volunteered, participating in a community visitor scheme and engaging in STEM outreach for the NASA OSIRIS Rex mission.

Kerry has been Executive Officer at Interchange Incorporated since 2013 and is a passionate advocate for sustainability of volunteer supported service models within the disability sector.  She is involved with numerous initiatives designed to secure ongoing commitment from the state and commonwealth governments to support the millions of Australians living with disability who rely on volunteers for important social support and links to their local communities. With tertiary qualifications in Business and Marketing and fifteen years in the disability and mental health sectors, she is passionate about supporting communities to work together. Kerry has a Foundations for Directorship certificate from the Australian Institute of Company Directors and currently sits on the NDS State Committee in Victoria.

Ash Youkyoung Lee is a Community Development practitioner with expertise in strength-based community development and program & partnership development. She has practiced inclusive volunteering in Neighbourhood Houses, Volunteer Resource Centre, and local government. Ash has supported over 100 small multicultural community groups to run inclusive volunteering programs.

Geoff is the recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of Volunteering Victoria, having taken on the role in January 2024. Geoff has been involved with Volunteering Victoria for a number of years as a Board Member, and previously through Volunteering Ballarat and the Victorian Volunteer Support Network (VVSN). He offers over 20 years of experience in senior leadership roles across international Aid and Development, the Philanthropic sector, Volunteering and the Early Years Field. Most recently Geoff has been specialised in Strategy, Systemic Change and Leadership across the not-for-profit sector, as he has consulted and worked to drive long-term systemic change and collaborative approaches to complex social issues and place-based change. Geoff has held multiple current and past Directorships, is a member of the Worldwide Institute of Learning Professionals, and takes great joy in his wonderful little farm on Wathaurong Country in Western Victoria.

Sara joined Volunteering Victoria in January 2018 with a focus on Professional Development services. She has ten years’ experience in government and not for profit sectors. She has focused on volunteer management, program support and administration and training and development. She has a Masters in Social Policy, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. She is passionate about volunteers, volunteer managers and supporting the sector broadly.

Vittoria joined Volunteering Victoria in October 2021 as a Program Coordinator working on the coordination of the Volunteer Management Activity in Victoria. She has more than ten years' experience in the community, health and government sectors. Vittoria completed a Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Health Sciences, majoring in Australia politics and public health, and a Master of Health Administration / Master of Business Administration. Driven by her passion to contribute to the community, Vittoria has volunteered in the mental health sector and currently volunteers in sport and recreation. Vittoria is passionate about the social determinants of health, helping grow and develop talent and influencing healthy and connected communities.

Following an early-life career change (from patents translator to not-for profit), Hazel has worked for a number of Not for Profit organisations in the past three decades, including the Australian Red Cross, Amnesty International and The Cancer Council Victoria. She has managed large and small volunteer programs. Hazel is a trainer for Volunteering Victoria and runs public and in-house training sessions for the not-for-profit sector. She is passionate about encouraging people who are socially isolated or marginalised to volunteer, and upholding the rights of volunteers. Hazel has volunteered for much of her life, joining St John Ambulance Brigade as a volunteer first-aider when she was eleven because she liked the uniform – this relationship was short-lived as she fainted at the sight of blood on her first assignment. Hazel became a board member of Volunteering Victoria in 2006 and was the President of the Board of Management from 2008 to 2010.  She was awarded honorary life membership of the national peak body, Volunteering Australia, in 2006 and has had a number of articles published in professional journals, mainly on topics relating to volunteer management. In October 2017, Hazel was given a Volunteering Victoria Lifetime Achievement Award which is awarded for long-standing, distinguished and meritorious services to the volunteering sector in a leadership role. Hazel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in modern languages and is a keen cyclist, skier and self-confessed gym-junkie.

Gillian joined Volunteering Victoria as the Business and Policy Officer in January 2020. She has over 20 years’ experience in law, the not for profit sector and the international development field, having worked in the Australasia Asia Pacific region and in Southern Africa. Gillian worked as a development lawyer in South Africa prior to moving to Australia with her family in 1999. In Australia she worked in project management with an international development organisation in Melbourne until 2011. Before joining Volunteering Victoria, Gillian was the Executive Officer for the Victorian Council for Civil Liberties Inc (Liberty Victoria), a not-for-profit organisation which has a long history of working to defend and extend human rights and freedoms in Victoria. Photo credit: Torunn Momtazi

Jessica brings over two decades of experience working with not-for-profits and government, with a passion for building relationships and helping organisations to grow their impact. Jessica’s expertise spans multi-million dollar project delivery, funding acquisition, consumer representation at senior levels and expert consultancy, with extensive experience in grassroots co-design and consultation. Jessica completed Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Community Leadership Program in 2016 and holds a BA (Media and Comms).

Jen joined Volunteering Victoria in March 2021 as Communications & Engagement Officer for the weVolunteer program. In March 2022, Jen took on the role of Communications Officer and now oversees all digital communications, including website management, EDMs and social media. She has experience across both communications and volunteer management, including previous roles with Swinburne University and Reading Out Of Poverty. She also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media & Communications and a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology. Being an avid volunteer herself, Jen loves being able to combine her love of communications and community engagement with the Volunteering Victoria team.

Kathryn joined Volunteering Victoria in April 2022 as a Program Coordinator working on the coordination of the Volunteer Management Activity in Victoria. Kathryn completed a double Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and French and Francophone studies. She has more than ten years' working experience in the health and health education sector. Originally hailing from Chicago, USA, Kathryn has spent time living, working, and studying in France as well as travelling to various other countries around the world. She relocated permanently to Australia in 2018. Kathryn is passionate about mental health advocacy and gender equality. A creative at heart, she spends her free time making her own watercolour paints, reading, and going to the cinema.

With Diplomas in Training and Assessment and HR, Maureen spent many years in the training environment learning from others. Maureen’s career took a change of direction when she moved to Latrobe Regional Hospital 11 years ago. While working there, she found her passion in becoming a Volunteer Coordinator. After many years being involved with volunteers, Maureen discovered that it is the sense of community and being able to contribute that inspires her.  As a first generation Australian, Maureen enjoys travel and has done most of her exploring overseas. Maureen loves the outdoors and gardening her vegetable garden beds.  

Melissa joined Volunteering Victoria in November 2020 as part of the weVolunteer team in the role of Project Officer. Melissa's lifelong passion is Travel, first as a Lion's International exchange student which saw her take her first plane ride to the other side of the world at 17 years of age and then as an International Travel Consultant for the last 17 years. She has travelled to 6 out of 7 continents and has an ever-growing bucket list of places to visit. Melissa's other love is anything toy related with the last 8 years being actively involved in her community, volunteering for her local Toy Library. Her favourite position was Toy Manager which meant being in charge of all the toys (and testing them out too!). This culminated in a Banyule council "Volunteer of the Year" Award nomination in 2019. Whilst not winning the individual award, she was very humbled at being nominated and recognised for her voluntary contributions to the local toy library community. She strongly believes in the benefits of volunteering and the role that it plays at an individual and community level.

After retiring in 2019 Helen is delighted to be back at Volunteering Victoria to project manage a major event to be held later in 2021.  She originally began working with VV as Learning and Development Manager in 2014.  In that role she helped develop Volunteering Victoria’s training and events program, annual Awards and mentoring program, before taking a break to do some travelling in 2016. Helen came back to Volunteering Victoria to work on their inaugural State Conference in 2017 and subsequently the 2019 State Conference.  During her career, Helen has applied her enthusiasm for professional education to help people realise a happy and fulfilling working life. She worked extensively in the professional development realm, managing leadership and training programs for an employer association in the health sector and a major union in the federal public service. Helen has a Bachelor of Economics, a Post Grad in Organisation Behaviour and a Masters in Professional Development and Training.