Our board and committees

Our board

Linda Davison

Chairperson Board member since 2007.

Linda knows exactly what it takes to run a service. She is the coordinator of Clarendon Children’s Centre – an outstanding service, and the location of choice for the launch of the Victorian government’s funded Three-Year-Old Kinder program. Linda was Early Childhood Director of the Year in 2017, has sat on the board of the Children’s Services Co-ordinators’ Association (2000–2017), and was the Deputy National Convenor of Australian Community Children’s Services (2015-2022).

Dr Bruce Hurst

Deputy Chairperson Board member since 2014.

Bruce is our OSHC expert – one of the rare few Australian academics who specialise in outside school hours care. His work draws on methods that give children a voice in the research. Bruce worked in diverse early childhood roles for more than 25 years.

Brian Newman

Treasurer Board member since 2009.

Brian is a writer and an advocate for social justice in early childhood. He has been an educator and manager of early years services, and is chair of ACCS’s Children’s Education and Care Industry Reference Committee, which is responsible for the content of educator training.

Barry Hahn

Board member since 2010.

Barry’s background is in health and human services, with more than 25 years’ experience in senior management roles. He is currently the Manager of Social Policy and Early Years Services with Moreland City Council. He is skilled in strategic service planning and stakeholder engagement.

Christine Straubinger

Board member since 2019.

Christine is an early childhood consultant with 25 years’ experience in the early childhood sector – from direct service delivery in kindergartens right through to managing a children’s services team within the Department of Education and Training Victoria.

Janine Voigt-Brown

Board member since 2023.

Janine has worked in the education and care sector since the 1980s, with roles including senior manager in local government, state government policy advisor, early years advocate and preschool field officer. Her career is guided by a philosophy of curiosity and embracing new challenges.

Mardi Luff

Board member since 2023.

Mardi manages Poets Grove Family & Children’s Centre, a not-for-profit, community-run service in Melbourne’s bayside. With nearly two decades of experience in education and care, she specialises in performance improvement, career development, coaching, mentoring and community building. Mardi holds an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Early Education from Monash University.

Sigi Hyett

Board member since 2017.

Sigi is a lifelong learner and believes every day is a gift. She has a Bachelor of Early Childhood, Diploma of Community Services, Diploma of Business and is a member of the Institute of Community Directors Australia. Sigi is a passionate early childhood professional and has worked in the sector for more than 30 years. She is the CEO at Northern Schools Early Years Cluster Inc.

ITAV committees

OSHC Victoria Sub-Committee

The OSHC Vic Sub-Committee is a sub-committee of our board and a voice for It Takes A Village OSHC members. The committee is made up of It Takes A Village (ITAV) members who are from the not-for-profit sector including educators, users, sponsors or committee members of OSHC services.

The sub-committee supports ITAV to represent and speak on OSHC policy issues in ITAV’s role as the Victorian branch of the National Outside School Hours Services Alliance (NOSHSA).

We meet virtually once per term. All ITAV not-for-profit OSHC members are welcome to join. For more information, please contact It Takes a Village on (03) 9486 3455 or reception@cccinc.org.au.