Maria Allison
Chairperson
Maria is experienced educational professional with a demonstrated history of working across a range of state and catholic sector schools in senior leadership and management roles. Highly skilled in teaching visual arts and design, leading student wellbeing and positive education, pathways, professional learning and disability inclusion.
Maria is a lifelong learner attaining a Master’s in Education (Educational Leadership and Management) from The University of Melbourne that provided positive connections, increased networking opportunities, and the acquisition of knowledge to increase self-awareness to future develop leadership and management skills.
Living in Maroondah for over forty years, Maria has been actively involved in many sporting clubs (Basketball, Netball, Little Athletics, Football), coaching or participating as an active committee member. She enjoys spending time creating memories with her children and grandchildren to build positive connections and develop healthy relationships in her family.
Maria lives her life guided by the values of respect, integrity and honesty to inspire, connect and establish wellbeing in her life and the life of others.
Suzanne Stojanovic
Vice-Chairperson
Suzy is a single parent to four and a dedicated community advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and a Diploma of Community Services. Suzy’s top character strengths include curiosity and fairness. She is a former Ward Councillor and Chair of several advisory committees at the City of Maroondah. Suzy enjoys cooking, exploring local nature trails, and creating connections through community events in her spare time.
Marijke Graham
Secretary
Marijke is a mum of 2 and secondary school teacher. She is a graduate of the Maroondah Certificate in Creating Wellbeing and her top character strengths include love of learning and fairness. She is a former Ward Councillor and Deputy Mayor at the City of Maroondah. Marijke enjoys gelli plate printing, spending time at the beach and listening to podcasts in her spare time.
Gail Woods
Treasurer
Gail is a CPA having practised and worked in the Maroondah and Knox areas since 1996. Gail believes that accounting is a relationship issue and having a good connection with clients is imperative in a good working relationship where trust is paramount, as is the ability to speak freely about matters. Gail works with all levels of business with the aim to assist them to achieve both their business and personal goals – impossible to separate as they are so intertwined.
Janni Haskin
Committee Member
Janni migrated to Australia from Denmark in 1990. After 20 years working in palliative care nursing, she studied counselling and community services and worked in a mental health setting providing psychosocial rehabilitation support. Throughout her working years, wellbeing has played a big part of her passion and she always cared as much for her colleagues as the patients and clients she supported. She believes everyone is unique and is passionate about supporting and empowering people to live their best lives. She hopes to inspire people around her to live in peace and harmony based on respect, transparency, consideration, hope and fairness.
Peter Gaze
Committee Member
Peter has had a long career in IT in large organisations. He is very empathetic and has a strong interest in psychology, health and wellbeing. Always learning and growing, he is currently completing a Diploma in Counselling that adds to Life Coaching, Hypnotherapy and Training certifications.