The Melanie Jewson Foundation is family led.
Thanks to your generous support, our initiatives are helping to improve the lives of people throughout Vanuatu.
In order to deliver this life-saving and life-changing work, we rely on a team of passionate and skilled individuals striving to change the world for the better. These volunteers — our Board, Management Team and various professionals accomplished in their fields — all make it possible for us to improve access to quality education and health services for the people of Vanuatu.
Executive Team
Our Executive Team leads the direction of the Melanie Jewson Foundation’s work. Each manager runs a section of the organisation and has a team of dedicated volunteers that support them in their role.
Gary Jewson
Director • Chair • General Manager • Education Projects Manager
Gary’s professional career has been in education at schools in Melbourne and Geelong, serving for 20 years as a primary school principal, with 11 of those years as the foundation principal of a new P-12 school on the Surfcoast Highway, Geelong. He brings management and strategic experience to his role with the MJF.
Elizabeth Jewson
Director • Secretary • Development Manager
Until very recently Libby worked in leadership in the community and welfare sector and feels privileged and humbled to be able to work to support those who are vulnerable and marginalised. An accredited partnership broker, Libby is passionate about finding ways for people to work more closely together. She loves working in her garden, growing quinces, riding her bike, and sharing meals and stories with others.
Dr. Ashlee Jewson
Director • Health Projects Manager
Dr Ashlee Jewson is currently completing her general paediatric speciality training with the Royal Australian College of Physicians, working in hospitals across Victoria and the Northern Territory. She is also completing a Masters of Global Studies at RMIT, growing her understanding of healthcare delivery in global settings. She has industry and academic experience in paediatrics, tropical medicine, public health and Aboriginal child health, and is passionate about delivering healthcare to the most vulnerable populations.
André Jewson
Director • Marketing & Fundraising Manager
André is an actor with twenty years industry experience. Trained at the Victorian College of the Arts (Melbourne) and École Philippe Gaulier (Paris), André has performed on stages across Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia. A skilled web designer and communicator, André brings his aesthetic discernment and passion for sharing people’s stories to his work with the MJF.
Board
Under a Deed of Trust our volunteer board is responsible for providing strategic direction and making sure the Melanie Jewson Foundation performs to the best of its ability. It delegates the responsibility for the day-to-day running of the company to our General Manager Gary Jewson, who together with our Executive Team is accountable to the Board.
The MJF Board meets at least four times per year and monitors financial accountability, overseas donations, legal requirements and approves budgets, fundraising initiatives and events.
The board has established a regular cycle of meetings with each meeting having a particular focus:
- February: Governance Review & Training
- May: EOFY & Budget Setting
- August: AGM, Annual Report
- November: Strategic Review (SWOT on priorities)
The MJF is a small organisation and as such, the Chairperson also acts as the General Manager to oversee operational activities and support other members with required tasks.
A key role for the Chair is to ensure that each meeting of the board is well prepared with a comprehensive agenda that schedules the receipt of regular reports from each portfolio (Finance, Health, Education and Marketing & Fundraising) and that the required governance tasks of the organisation are conducted in an orderly and efficient manner.
Joy Adcock
Director • Health
Joy is a registered nurse, endorsed midwife and lactation consultant. She has a passion for supporting women on their journey to becoming mothers and enjoys being able to contribute to maternal and infant health in Vanuatu through the MJF.
Rob Baker
Director • Education
Rob is a founding member of the foundation. His background is in education so he has a specific interest in the support of learning in the schools in Vanuatu. From his visit to East Vila Primary School he sees a need for the provision of culturally-based reading materials as well as the support for the teachers in the teaching of literacy.
Jan Baker
Director • Education
Jan has a background in education, currently sits on the board of Geelong Lutheran College and volunteers with the Geelong Lutheran Migrant Ministry. She see literacy skills as important for health, well being, employment and accessing further education.
Kay Buckland
Director • Education
Kay has worked in Education for many years in rural Victoria, UK, and the Northern Territory. Her passion has always been to share knowledge, encourage experiences and help people understand their strengths.
Peter Buckland
Director • Education
Peter Buckland trained as a mechanic in the Australian Army before taking up employment with Australia Post. Over the last 10 years, Peter has worked in the education sector, supporting students with special needs. Peter draws on his wealth of community experience and his heart for the vulnerable as he serves the people of Vanuatu through the MJF.
Jarrod Lundie
Director • Finance
Jarrod is proud to be part of a team that's helping create real, lasting change in Vanuatu through better access to health care and education. Coming from a long line of teachers, Jarrod understands that education can positively shape the lives of people and their communities. With a background in accounting and advisory, Jarrod brings important insights to the board, ensuring the MJF can continue to be sustainable in its mission for years to come.
Leiha Astall
Member • Bookkeeper
Leiha has a strong background in office management and financial administration, with several years experience in the allied health sector. She is honoured to serve the MJF as a way of paying forward the support that helped shape her own life, and to honour the legacy at the heart of the foundation.
Previous Board Members
We are deeply grateful to the following individuals who gave freely of their time and expertise as previous members of the MJF Board:
John Donoghue Board Member • 2013-2023
Andrew Dunbabin Founding Board Member • 2011-2023
Tim Edwards Founding Board Member • 2011-2013
Marian Wilson Founding Board Member • 2011-2023