The voluntary Board of Management of Youth Connect consists of a range of individual community members and organisational representatives that reflect Youth Connect’s broader stake holder groups. The Board of Management is made up of committed voluntary members who have generously given their time, knowledge and experience throughout the year.

Anne Jamieson - Chairperson
Anne has been a member of the Youth Connect Board for more than 4 years and has held the position of Secretary and Deputy Chairperson. Anne is the Student Pathways Coordinator at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College in Bentleigh and enjoys the challenges and variety presented in this role. Over the years, Anne has become increasingly committed to working towards successful transitions for young people. Anne has extensive experience in education particularly in the VET and Careers areas and brings that knowledge to the Board at Youth Connect.

Jeni Ritterman - Deputy Chairperson
Jeni has been a member of the Board since 2008 and has recently taken on the responsabilty of Deputy Chairperson. Jeni originally taught Economics and Geography, and her interest in Career Development led her to complete a Graduate Diploma in Careers in 1989. Jeni has experience in the private, tertiary and government sectors. Jeni was the president of the Bayside Careers Group for 5 years and is a mentor to scholarship recipients participating in the Career Education Scholarship Program. In 2008, Jeni coordinated a very successful federally funded Careers Lighthouse Project – a program designed to assist Sandringham College students with transition and pathways.

Greg Davies - Treasurer
Greg has been a Youth Connect Board member for more than 8 years and in that time has held the positions of Ordinary Member, Treasurer, Deputy Chairperson and Chairperson. Greg brings a wealth of experience to the Board as has been actively involved in the community sector in both a volunteer basis (30 years) as well as various employment roles (20 years). Greg has been a member of the BGK LLEN board for more than 5 years and a scout leader for 30 years. Greg currently works for the local accounting firm Gartly & Associates.

Mary Tresize-Brown - Chair, Human Resources Sub-Committee
Mary joined the Board in May 2010. Mary has a long history with Youth Connect that goes back to 1998 when she was the Pathways Program Manager at Link Employment and Training who entered into a partnership with MOSEDG; a strong connection was forged then and Mary is delighted to continue that connection through support as a Board member.

Mary has worked in the area of youth transitions for over 12 years in the community and not for profit sectors developing research based initiatives for disadvantaged youth. A significant area of interest for Mary is support and education for parents of young people and she led the development of the PACTS (Parents As Career Transition Support)  Program which received national recognition. She was a member of NYCTAG (National Youth Career Transitions Advisory Group) convened by the Australian Government Department of Education Science and Training.

Mary’s main area of skill is learning and development, particularly the developmental areas of careers, organisational and human resources where she has worked with local government and in the private sector. Mary is currently with the Department of Human Services as a Project Leader in Organisational Development.

John Dance - Public Officer
John has been a Youth Connect Board member for 12 years and has held the positions of Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Treasurer and Public Officer. John’s background is in education having taught for 35 years and has gained extensive experience in assisting young people. Since leaving education, John has worked for seven years as a Company Director in a computer network support company.

Jan Lambert
Jan brings the TAFE perspective to Youth Connect. She has worked in the TAFE sector for the past 12 years in a variety of youth sector roles. She is currently the Principal of the Holmesglen Vocational College - a department that delivers the VCAL program designed with a very strong vocational training focus. Jan has an education background having started in secondary education in maths and science teaching.

Suresh Sutrave
Suresh has recently joined the Board at Youth Connect. Suresh started his career as a Toolmaker and has a wealth of experience in the Tooling industry. Suresh has a number of business interests and is the owner of a leading tooling business, Chirag Tooling, as well as Atlite Skylights and The Curry Club Café. Suresh has financial and business knowledge which has enabled him to turn opportunities into successful business.

Suresh is a member of AiGROUP, South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance INC (SEMMA) and a Mentor for Small Business Mentoring Service Inc. Suresh also dedicates his time as an advisor and board member to the Council of Small Business Australia.

The Board of Management is governed by the organisation’s ‘Rules of Association’, and elected into their positions by Youth Connect members at the Annual General Meeting.