OUR BOARD

Alan is a proud Gunditjmara man, whose people are the traditional Owners of Lake Condah, in Victoria’s far southwest.

Currently works for Dept of Education as a KESO (Koorie Engagement Support Officer)

Has worked across a number of roles in the Aboriginal Community in NSW and Victoria over many years, including teaching Aboriginal Studies at tertiary level, Training – delivering programs with specific Aboriginal content (both in-house and to external organisations), high-level Information Technology as a System Engineer, and providing guidance and mentoring to young Aboriginal people in his workplaces.

Brian is a Yorta Yorta/Wemba Wemba man who grew up and lives on Bunurong land. He has lived in Frankston for over 20 years.

Brian has extensive leadership experience working with the Koorie community in employment, engagement, and education roles, as well as strong networks in the Koorie community and a deep understanding of cultural protocols.

As a foster carer with wife, Machelle, they have cared for over 60 young people, as well as their children Karen and PJ

Aunty Yvonne Luke was born on Wurundjeri Country and identifies with her mother’s Alyawarr Country. She is the proud mother of three children.

Yvonne has worked supporting Aboriginal young people in Victorian both in Aboriginal community organisations and Government. She is a past Elder of the Broadmeadows Koori Court and a current Elder at the Melbourne County Court. She has sat on Government Boards and Committees including: the Dept of Justice Ethics Committee; Youth Parole Board; First Peoples Directions Circle and The Child Death Review Committee. Yvonne is a past member of the Margaret Tucker Management Committee and is a current director of Baluk Arts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation and Nairm Marr Djambana.

Kylie Bell is a proud Yorta Yorta and Wamba Wamba woman who has had the immense privilege of living, working, and playing on Bunrong country for over 30 years. Through her strong connection to the land and the community, Kylie, along with her husband and child, has been accepted by the local Aboriginal community.

Born and raised in a small country town boarding Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta country, Kylie grew up in the bush, where she developed a deep connection to the land, water, and sky. As a child of a parent who is part of the Stolen Generations, Kylie has experienced the profound grief and loss that comes with not knowing one’s family or place within it. Her journey as an adult has involved navigating the challenges of building connections to her family and community, both locally and back on her country. Kylie knows the grief and loss that comes with not knowing who your family is and where you fit in, along with the anger you feel that it was done under government polices!

Kylie has been also blessed to see firsthand the strength and resistance that Aboriginal people have, firstly demonstrated by her parent who was part of the stolen generation as well as border Aboriginal community.
For approximately 20 years, Kylie has dedicated herself to the child and family services sector, working on Bunrong and Wurundjeri country, where she has provided crucial support to Aboriginal communities.
In addition to her professional work, Kylie has demonstrated strong leadership within the local Aboriginal education sector. Seven years ago, she was voted in as the vice-chairperson of the Local Aboriginal Education Consultation Group for the Southern Metro region, and four years ago, she became the chairperson. She is also an active member of RAJAC (Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee) and a founding member of the Eyes on Boorais Committee, both of which work to advance the rights and opportunities of Aboriginal children and families.

Currently, Kylie serves as the Aboriginal Practice Leader for the Nugel Program at the Victorian Aboriginal Child Community Agency (VACCA). In this role, she continues her commitment to improving the lives of Aboriginal children and families, ensuring that services are culturally informed and support the unique needs of Aboriginal children and their families, in a culturally responsive way.

Kerry Strickland is a proud Wodiwodi woman from the Yuin nation, the First Nations people from the Illawarra region in NSW. She is a Registered Nurse with a passion for achieving positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and children. Kerry’s nursing career has been focused on Aboriginal Early Years, and she is currently working at Monash Health as the Manager of Aboriginal Health Community.

Kerry has been the treasurer for Nairm Marr Djambana for the last 5 years and is committed to ensuring its financial stability. Additionally, she sits on the Women’s Spirit Program committee as the Cultural Advisor.

Kerry’s dedication to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is evident through her work and community involvement.

Diane McDonald is a committed advocate and ally for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with a strong focus on advancing equity and community-led outcomes. While not Aboriginal herself, Diane has built trusted relationships through respectful engagement, listening, and a deep commitment to supporting First Nations voices and leadership.

Diane has a long-term history in cross-cultural evaluation, bringing analytical rigour alongside an appreciation for community-defined measures of success. Her evaluation work is grounded in ethical, strengths-based, and culturally informed approaches that prioritise accountability while respecting lived experience and local knowledge.

She holds qualifications from the University of Melbourne, which underpin her evidence-based practice and her ability to support organisations in measuring impact, improving program design, and strengthening community outcomes.

Diane is the Facilitator of SWAN – Southern Women’s Action Network, where she contributes to advocacy, collaboration, and initiatives supporting women and broader community wellbeing. Her involvement reflects her commitment to social justice, inclusive practice, and addressing systemic inequities. Diane continues to make a meaningful contribution by standing alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as a respectful ally, supporter, and champion.

Emma is a consultant with expertise in human rights law, social reform and community development. For the last two decades, Emma has worked to transform public policy, workplaces and services by driving system, culture and practice change. This included playing an integral role in the historic reforms to progress Treaty with First Nations people in Victoria and working with major public sector agencies to create safe and equitable workforces. Emma is also passionate about community development, including working in partnership with First Nations communities to empower self-determination and sustainable change.

For the last decade, Emma has worked alongside Nairm Marr Djambana to support its transformation into a thriving cultural hub for First Nations people in the Frankston area — a place that now provides connection, hope, support and heart to a growing number of First Nations families, children and young people, and their allies. During this time, Emma has had the pleasure of working with Nairm Marr Djambana on projects related to governance and strategic planning, workforce development, child safety and compliance, community infrastructure development and risk management. Emma continues to advocate strongly for the future of Nairm Marr Djambana, with its continued growth and unapologetic approach to delivering community outcomes.   

Dr Andrew Curtis is an experienced leader and strategist with over three decades of work across the non-profit, academic, and human services sectors. As Director and Co-Founder of The Dragonfly Collective, he helps organisations design and scale social change models, leveraging under-utilised assets and innovative enterprise approaches to create systemic impact.

Andrew’s career reflects a deep commitment to justice and human rights. He has led transformative initiatives including founding Hope Street in Sydney to support marginalised inner-city communities, launching SEIDs in London to incubate social enterprises for disadvantaged groups, and pioneering Sanctuary at Baptcare—Australia’s first transitional housing program for asylum seekers without access to basic services. His work also includes technology access projects with WorkVentures and strategic roles with organisations such as Oxfam GB, Caritas Westminster and Melbourne City Mission.

Currently, Andrew is delivering the Economic Pathways for Refugee Integration Project in partnership with Value Nation, funded by the Department of Home Affairs, and contributes to the Frankston Social Enterprise & Innovation Hub. His approach combines academic rigor with practical innovation, challenging systemic norms to create equity and opportunity for socially excluded individuals.

Academic Qualifications

• PhD in Hermeneutics/Critical Theory – Queen’s College, Oxford/Open University
• MBA – Swinburne University (Strategic Foresight & Development)
• Master of Theology – University of Sydney
• BA – Macquarie University
• BD – Melbourne University.