MEET US

Hawthorn Community Chest is managed by a Committee of volunteers with the assistance of a part-time office manager. We meet monthly to consider grant applications, plan fundraising events and discuss ongoing community engagement activities.

Currently there are thirteen of us on the Committee and we come from a range of professional backgrounds. Most of us have raised our families in the area and have been involved with local schools, or sporting clubs or other community-based organisations. We have all seen that despite its outward appearance of affluence, there are pockets of considerable disadvantage within our community, and many of us have seen this through our local involvement.

Executive Committee

David Gorton

President

Joined the Committee in 2013

David is a Risk Management Specialist who grew up and now lives in East Hawthorn with his family. David is still a keen contributor to the junior sporting clubs in the local community. He is a member of the Finance & Investments Sub-Committee, a former HCC Treasurer and was inducted as a Life Governor at HCC's 2019 AGM. David was elected President at the September 2022 AGM.

Chris Kendall

Vice President

Joined the Committee in 2018

Chris is a Boroondara resident, married, and has three children who attend the local primary school. He is a co-founder of a renewable energy company with expertise in treasury management and infrastructure investment. Chris hopes to strengthen the Boroondara community by helping those in need. He joined the Committee at the August 2018 AGM.

Jo Rush

Vice President

Joined the Committee in 2017

Jo has lived in Hawthorn for nearly 20 years and was very involved with the local community when her children attended kindergarten and school. She joined HCC in 2014 and this involvement has provided her with an avenue to continue her community contribution. Jo has a background in consulting and previously worked in corporate communications. Jo was inducted as a Life Governor at HCC's 2021 AGM.

Andrew Tait

Public Officer

Joined the Committee in 2009

Andrew is the father of three boys and has lived in Boroondara for over 25 years. Andrew joined HCC
in 2009 as Treasurer and has been a VP and is the immediate past President from 2018 to 2022. Andrew was inducted as a Life Governor at HCC's AGM in 2023.
Andrew is also a past President of the Glenferrie Primary School Council. Andrew is a financial
services executive, having worked for three of the major banks and two industry superannuation
funds. Andrew is Chair of the Finance & Investment Committee. Andrew joined HCC to make a difference in his local community and to assist individuals in necessitous circumstances. Andrew was inducted as a Life Governor at HCC's 2023 AGM.

Marc Hill

Treasurer

Joined the Committee in 2023

Marc has spent the majority of his life in Hawthorn and the surrounding suburbs, including attending high school and university. He has over 15 years of experience as an accountant and has worked with a diverse range of client businesses including not-for-profits. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and is an Associate Partner in a Hawthorn-based accountancy firm.

General Committee

Jane Nathan

Joined the Committee in 1988

Jane Nathan is a director of Cricket Victoria and President of Grace Park Hawthorn Club. Jane has a strategic and enthusiastic approach to strengthening and engaging communities and is a former Councillor, Mayor of Hawthorn and Commissioner and Administrator at Brimbank City Council. Jane was the first elected woman on The Melbourne Cricket Club Committee. Jane is a past President of HCC and was inducted as a Life Governor at our AGM in 2003. Jane uses her networks to make things happen.

Sarah Curtis

Joined the Committee in 2011

Sarah grew up in Boroondara and has been living in Hawthorn for 25 years. She has four children and is actively involved in the community through schools and sporting clubs. A nutritionist with a PhD in obesity and metabolism, Sarah is currently working as a Business Manager in Health, Safety and Wellbeing. Sarah has a strong commitment to have a positive impact on people, particularly those in her local community in need. As a former Vice-President and President of HCC, Sarah was inducted as a Life Governor at HCC's 2019 AGM

Sandra Blackburn

Joined the Committee in 2017

Sandy brings enormous experience in HR and recruitment to the HCC Committee, having held senior positions in companies in the retail, technology and energy sectors both locally and internationally. She has two children who attended local schools and looks forward to continuing her community involvement.

Kia Sadler

Joined the Committee in 2017

A resident of Hawthorn, Kia has three children attending local schools. With a health and medical background, Kia works as a sports physiotherapist and is involved in the local sporting community through rowing, soccer, basketball and netball. Kia believes that community involvement is an important part of a healthy, active and engaged life.

Scott Patterson

Joined the Committee in 2022

Scott is the principal of a Hawthorn-based real estate agency and was born and raised in Boroondara where he lives with his family. His wife owns a local business and his children attend a local school. Scott’s grandfather was instrumental in establishing HCC in 1958 and he is continuing the family tradition of meaningful community involvement.

Mike Curtis

Joined the Committee in 2022

Michael grew up in Boroondara and has been living in Hawthorn for 25 years. He is actively involved in the community through schools and sporting clubs both personally and with his four children. An engineer by trade, Michael is currently working in the IT sector in industrial automation. Michael has a strong commitment to have a positive impact on people, the environment and his local community.

Vidhya Vijayakumar

Joined the Committee in 2022

As a resident of Hawthorn, Vidhya has a finance and strategy background from a Big4 Consulting firm. Vidhya works within the NFP sector as a Strategy Manager and is passionate about driving long lasting change within the community.

Jacque Yates

Joined the Committee in 2023

Jacque and her family have lived in the Hawthorn/Kew area for over ten years and she initially became involved in the local community through her children’s sporting clubs, becoming more engaged when her husband Oliver ran as the first independent candidate in Kooyong. Now her children have finished school Jacque is keen to give back to this community through HCC’s initiatives.

Sue Owen

Joined the Committee in 2023

Sue has lived in Hawthorn for many years. She is a proven Senior Retail Operations Executive with over

30 years extensive experience in both Corporate and Franchising sectors. She has a stategic mindset and is able to achieve business results by aligning team members with organisational goals and she has an ability to develop supportive and collective environments that allow individuals to excel and grow by empowering and encouraging ownership.

Patrons

Lesley Gillespie OAM

Founder, Executive Director and Joint CEO, Baker's Delight

Lesley was appointed Patron of Hawthorn Community Chest in August 2016.

Hon John Pesutto

Member for Hawthorn, Leader of the Opposition

John is an Australian politician and lawyer serving as the Leader of the Opposition in Victoria, holding office as the leader of the Victorian Branch of the Liberal Party of Australia. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the inner-city division of Hawthorn since 2022, and previously from 2014 to 2018.

Dr Monique Ryan MP

Federal Member for Kooyong

Dr Monique Ryan was elected to the federal seat of Kooyong in May 2022. Formerly Director of the Neurology Department of the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne and a Professor of Medicine at both Melbourne and Monash Universities, she is the first woman and the first Independent to hold the seat of Kooyong. She and her husband have raised three children in the electorate, and want their children to have the same opportunities that they have had; confidence in their futures, secure employment and the ability to afford a home. Dr Ryan is committed to action on climate change, integrity and transparency in government, evidence-based healthcare, and gender equity.

Life Governors

Mr Bruce Smith - 1992
Dr Sandy Ferguson - 1992
Mrs Trixie Phillips - 1992
Mr William Troedel - 1997
Mr Graeme Hubbard - 1998
Mrs Jan Roberts - 1998
Mr Ken MacNamara - 1998
Mr Les Russell - 1998
Mrs Angela Rodd - 2002
Mrs Gabrielle Hare-Brown - 2003
Mrs Jane Nathan - 2003
Mr Ian Hunt - 2004
Mr Paul Nugent - 2010
Mr Terry Pacini - 2012
Mr Richard Jones - 2017
Mr Andrew Gill - 2019
Mr David Gorton - 2019
Dr Sarah Curtis - 2019
Mrs Caroline Touzeau - 2020
Ms Jo Rush - 2021
Mrs Lisa Fletcher - 2021
Mr Andrew Tait - 2023