Head Office (Shepparton)
Valerie Atkinson
Leadership Coordinator
Valerie is a proud Yorta Yorta Wiradjuri woman born and raised in Shepparton and has been working at Ganbina since 2022 as an Education Program Project Officer. Valerie has a background in education, she previously worked as a Koorie Educator at Greater Shepparton Secondary College and tutor with the HIPPY Program for Save The Children.
Talia Trimboli
Education Program Project Officer
Talia is a proud Yorta Yorta/Ngarrindjeri woman who has grown up in Shepparton and has always aspired to work with Indigenous youth in the community.
Executive Team
Paulleen Markwort
Executive General Manager
Paulleen is a Murri woman with ties to the Gulf of Carpentaria through her matriarchs and to Wiradjuri heritage through her grandfather. As a senior executive, Paulleen brings a wealth of experience in strategy and policy development across State Government and the community sector.
Craig Marshall
Finance Manager
Craig has been supporting the executive of Ganbina since 2001 to create Australia’s most successful school-to-work-transition program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth.
Corporate Administrative Office (Melbourne)
Lachlan Harlow
General Manager – Projects
Lachlan Harlow is a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung man who was supported by Ganbina from 2010-2020. Lachlan moved to Melbourne Grammar School in Year 10 thanks to Ganbina’s support. He then completed a Bachelor of Arts Double Major in Criminology and Philosophy from Monash University.
Anouk Petit dit de la Roche
Digital Transformation Manager
Anouk joined Ganbina in 2024 as Digital Transformation Manager, bringing over 10 years of experience in digital technology and consulting. Previously, she worked at BlueRock Digital, where she led a team of consultants to develop digital strategies, managed projects, and provided strategic technological leadership as virtual CTO for a diverse range of clients.
Expansion Pilot Office (Brisbane)
Tracy Bevan
National Manager - Expansion Project
A proud Kija woman from East Kimberley, Western Australia and also her father’s connections, a Bardi man from Dampier Peninsula, Tracy has worked for Ganbina since 2018. Her first role was as Ganbina’s Relationships Manager for the Ganbina Expansion project and she is now Ganbina’s General Manager.
Soraya Atkinson
Project Coordinator
Soraya is a proud Yorta Yorta and Bangerang woman who grew up in Mooroopna in Shepparton, Victoria. Soraya attended Mooroopna Secondary College where she was a past participant for Ganbina. Soraya finished her education with ASHE (Academy of Sports, Health and Education) and completed her Certificate IV in Community Services.
Tamika Swain
Brisbane Office Administrator
Tamika is the Office Administrator for Expansion Projects at Ganbina’s Brisbane office. She is responsible for management and maintenance of the office, building relationships with stakeholders, and team support to assist the Expansion Team in deploying the Ganbina model across Queensland communities.
Board
Edward Waller
Treasurer
Ed is a Deputy Portfolio Manager at Yarra Capital Management, one of Australia’s leading independent fund managers. As a member of the firm’s investment team, he is responsible for equity research and analysis of banks, diversified financials, infrastructure and utilities securities.
Timothy Warwick
Secretary
Tim is a former teacher and school principal, who currently leads the Education Equity Alliance, a collaboration of students, teachers and school/system leaders, aimed at achieving system change for equity. He is also a current board member of the Australian Alliance of Associations in Education, Ganbina and the Victorian Student Representative Council.
Lena-Jean Charles-Loffel
Member
Lena is a Yorta Yorta/Gunai Kurnai woman and a Ganbina graduate. She joined Ganbina when she was 14-years-old and became the first Ganbina participant to obtain a Master’s degree (Master of Public Health) specialising in Indigenous Health from The University of Melbourne.
Larissa Falla
Member
Larissa has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, values driven leadership and cultural inclusion advocacy. In her role as Senior Koorie Education Advisor for the Shepparton Education Plan, she is passionate about reshaping systems to support improved access and participation in education and meaningful long-term outcomes for the region’s First Nations young people.
