Beth is the President of Anglesea Community House.

Antonia is the Network Manager of Neighbourhood Houses Gippsland. Tell us about your experience in the sector. I have been part of the Neighbourhood House sector since 2016 as a Network Manager supporting Houses across Gippsland and was also the Strategic Network Manager for Southern Region for 18 months, supporting 94 organisations across both regions. During this time, I led a Governance and Risk Project that developed sector-wide resources now used by Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres across Victoria. I have also worked as an independent consultant and quality assessor since 2016, specialising in governance, compliance, quality improvement, and risk management. Previously, I held Executive Management and CEO roles in community service and specialist family violence organisations. What makes being part of the Neighbourhood House sector so special? The Neighbourhood House sector is truly unique, it’s built on the principles of community development, empowerment, and inclusion. Every day, Houses make a tangible difference by creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and connected. What makes it special is that this impact comes from the ground up; driven by community, for community. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the NHVic Board? I want to contribute to a strong, trusted and accountable peak body that genuinely reflects the voice of its members. My focus will be on strengthening NHVic’s governance and financial sustainability while ensuring advocacy remains its core purpose. I also want to help strengthen the three tiers of the sector; Houses, Networks and NHVic, to build unity, collaboration, and clarity of role. Above all, I want to elevate members’ voices so that NHVic’s direction, priorities, and advocacy efforts are truly shaped by those working at the grassroots level. What passions or interests take up your spare time? I love spending time with my family and friends, they keep me grounded and remind me why community matters. I also enjoy honing my creative side through ceramics (with mixed results!) and have recently ventured onto the golf course to share a pastime with my three boys. My golf skills are questionable at best, but we have a lot of laughs, and that’s what counts! Tell us a quote that inspires the work you do. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead

David is the President of Mansfield Adult Community Education (MACE). Tell us about your experience in the sector. Treasurer of MACE for 8 years, becoming president this year. What makes being part of the neighbourhood house sector so special? It is local and provides valuable services to its community, particularly in challenging times. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the NHVic board? Use my skills and experience to provide good governance to the organisation and to ensure its long term sustainability. What passions or interests take up your spare time? Golf, boating on lake eildon in summer, part ownership of 2 racehorses, other roles in community organisations. Tell us a quote that inspires the work you do. 'True merit is like a river, the deeper it is the less noise it makes."

Jenni is the Secretary of Milpara Community House.

Arna is the Manager of Cheltenham Community Centre. Tell us about your experience in the sector. I’ve worked in the Neighbourhood House sector for over 25 years, including the last 18 as Manager of Cheltenham Community Centre and six before that at Mordialloc Community Centre. My work spans adult education, childcare, food relief, health and wellbeing, youth engagement, and sport — giving me a strong understanding of how diverse community programs connect people and create opportunities. I also hold a Master’s in Psychology and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Movement, both grounded in community and wellbeing. What makes being part of the Neighbourhood House sector so special? It’s the authentic connection to people and place. Every House reflects its local community while sharing the same values of inclusion, empowerment, and belonging. The sector is driven by goodwill, collaboration, and a genuine commitment to supporting people where they are - and that’s what makes it so special to be part of. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the NHVic Board? I’m passionate about helping to raise the profile and impact of our sector at both state and local levels, ensuring the value of Neighbourhood Houses is clearly recognised and supported. I’m also committed to strengthening advocacy, collaboration, and sustainability across our sector. I’m keen to learn about the state-level perspective and be part of a team of experienced managers and members, gaining insight from their expertise and how they apply it strategically at this level. What passions or interests take up your spare time? Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my two daughters, son, and husband, coaching netball, and open water swimming throughout the year — even in winter when it’s freezing! I also love catching up for coffee with my mum at our local café, where everyone knows your name and there’s always a friendly chat. And if I can throw in a trip to the Nordics or another amazing overseas destination every five years, I’m in seventh heaven!

Jo is the Co-Manager of Lalor Neighbourhood House. Tell us about your experience in the sector. I have a cross-disciplinary background in the neighbourhood house and arts sectors, which helps me bring practical, creative, and strategic approaches to community programs. As Co-Manager of Lalor Neighbourhood House, I work with our team to improve programs, expand funding opportunities, and strengthen community engagement, drawing on lessons from both sectors. My experience includes governance, policy development, strategic planning, funding expertise, project and event management, and marketing and promotion. What makes being part of the Neighbourhood House sector so special? Neighbourhood houses are special because they are truly grassroots and community led. They’re embedded in their communities, listening, responding, and working alongside people to meet local needs. I was drawn to this sector from the arts, as both value creativity, connection, and inclusion. What makes neighbourhood houses unique is their ability to achieve big social outcomes, like inclusion and wellbeing, through every day, local relationships. With established networks and infrastructure, they can make real change happen, approaching it with care, authenticity, and collaboration. It’s a hopeful and inspiring sector that genuinely empowers communities. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the NHVic Board? On the NHVic Board, I hope to support the visibility, sustainability, and impact of neighbourhood houses. Drawing on my experience in local and state government, I understand how to share the sector’s achievements with funders and policymakers. I’m passionate about highlighting neighbourhood houses as essential community partners and advocating for greater recognition and resources. I also want to help improve efficiency and collaboration across houses by developing shared templates and processes to reduce duplication. My aim is a confident, connected, and well-resourced sector working together to achieve stronger outcomes for communities across Victoria. What passions or interests take up your spare time? I’ve always loved to travel, curiosity and a sense of adventure are a big part of who I am, and exploring new places brings both of these to life. I’m also passionate about art and culture, and in addition to working in this field, I spend much of my spare time visiting exhibitions, shows, gigs, and performances. My family are at the heart of my life, and I treasure time with them. When I can, I enjoy long walks, yoga, catching up with friends, playing bridge, writing, dancing, and being at the beach, especially Ocean Grove or Venus Bay. Tell us a quote that inspires the work you do? “Our stories, our creativity, and our futures are bound together — we can only thrive when we thrive together.” Desmond Tutu

Judy is a Manager of Northwest Neighbourhood House Network.

Lydia is the Network Manager of Community House Network Southern. Tell us about your experience in the sector. I have extensive experience in the community and public sector, leading the delivery of community and stakeholder engagement across a range of disciplines including housing, urban revitalisation, planning, utilities, construction and education. My areas of expertise include design, delivery and evaluation of bespoke stakeholder engagement strategy and policy including deliberative engagement advisory alongside partnership brokerage. Other areas of expertise include community planning, place management, urban revitalisation, group facilitation, training and governance and board support. What makes being part of the NH sector so special? The NH sector is a space that retains the principles and values of community development in the truest sense. It is often undervalued and possibly misunderstood at times as an essential element delivering upon key government strategies, such as local government community, health and wellbeing plans the state government and its various focus areas such as inclusion, mental health, education. The many people who volunteer, work and participate in NH all demonstrate a commitment to delivering meaningful outcomes to their communities that no other sector possibly could. The range of skills and experience across the sector is incredible. This is a space that truly walks the talk. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the Board? The importance of a peak body in this sector cannot be underestimated, and I hope to be part of a team that strengthens focus on the core business of a peak body and plays a role in better recognition of the critical role houses and centres play in community wellbeing and inclusion. I would like to see NHVic become an exemplar to its members, in building and strengthening standards, processes and policies all meeting the highest of governance standards. Important especially is the role NHVic has in representing members and advocating, lobbying and promoting the interests of its members - the peak is the "voice" of the collective. NHVic as a peak, provides an important role in research and policy development alongside training and development for its members. I am very keen to see these areas strengthen during my time on the Board. What passions or interests take up your spare time? I am blessed with two marvellous grandchildren who seem to occupy quite a bit of my spare time and constantly amaze and delight with their sense of fun and their views on their world. My life also includes a circle of friends who inspire, challenge, support and mostly make me laugh and my companions, poodles Mia and Esther Blueburger and a spicy ginger cat called Billy. I moved house 12 months ago and gardening and decorating have been a constant. I write and keep a commonplace book, crochet, I make jam, marmalade and cakes and I do like to chill with a colouring in book. Most of all I am curious about the world and have an ongoing passion to learn, I read constantly, pick up any learning opportunities available, particularly around improving my practice, a recent favourite has been learning Street Epistemology. •Tell us a quote that inspires the work you do? Less a quote, more a call to action from the book Making social Worlds by W. Barnett Pearce Making social worlds: •What are we making together? •How are we making it together? •What are we creating as we make this? •Is this what we want to be making / creating for ourselves and others? •How is what we are doing contributing to a better social world?

Simone is the Manager at Birchip Neighbourhood House. Tell us about your experience in the sector. I have worked in community development in rural communities for over 30 years. I am the manager of the Birchip Neighbourhood House and have been a member and past executive member of the Mallee Neighbourhood House Network for the same amount of time. I was previously a board member of NHVic from 2014-2016. What makes being part of the Neighbourhood House sector so special? Neighbourhood Houses empower individuals, strengthen local communities, and provide vital support for our most vulnerable community members. Neighbourhood Houses are adaptive and responsive to their own particular community. They can connect people in the heart of their community, building inclusion, resilience and opportunity through genuine, grassroots engagement. I love that it is a sector driven by care, collaboration and partnerships. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the NHVic Board? I hope to be part of a board that is trusted and inclusive and one that can build stronger connections with members through transparent, accountable governance and sound financial management. I hope we can deliver inclusive, high-quality support that truly reflects the needs of all Houses and Networks, particularly those in rural and remote areas, while fostering a strong, sustainable and member-focused organisation. What passions or interests take up your spare time? I enjoy travel, spending time with family and friends, arts, sport and food. I am a member of the local Health Board and several other community groups that take up a lot of my spare time. Tell us a quote that inspires the work you do? “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead