Hawthorn deserves a representative who is focused on this community.
I’ve lived in Surrey Hills with my husband and three children for the last 17 years, and this community is where I’ve built my life.
What I value most about Hawthorn is what so many people here care about - great local schools, beautiful parks and streets, strong community organisations, and a real sense of connection. Being part of this community over many years has given me a clear understanding of what matters to people who live here.
I currently serve as a councillor and Deputy Mayor of Boroondara. In that role, I’ve worked closely with residents, local businesses, and community groups to make decisions, solve problems, and deliver outcomes. It’s given me practical experience in how government works - and how to get things done.
Before I stood for Council, I spent my working life in two worlds that rarely meet, financial services and the community sector. Each has made me better at the other.
Behind every superannuation account is a person planning for their future. I spent more than a decade in financial services, mostly in super, and I learned early that people deserve clear information and a fair go from the institutions looking after their savings.
I led teams at Colonial First State, Norwich Union and VicSuper. As a Client Partnership Manager at Australian Administration Services, I advised the trustees of industry super funds on strategy and performance, sat in on their board and committee meetings as a subject matter expert, and led the team that served their members. I also wrote for the sector, from fact sheets to Product Disclosure Statements, turning complicated rules into plain English.
That grounding in budgets, governance and accountability to members is what I bring to asking hard questions about how the government spends your money.
In 2013 I became Centre Manager of Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre. I led our staff, tutors and volunteers, ran programs and events, and took responsibility for finances, governance and compliance. I built partnerships with local businesses, not for profits and Council, and gave the Centre a new look and a new website.
I later worked on a project supporting older residents with complex needs across five public housing estates in Whitehorse, Boroondara and Monash, helping people feel more connected, healthier and safer at home.
I have also been proud to lead the sector itself, as President of the Network of Inner East Community Houses, and then as President of Neighbourhood Houses Victoria, working with hundreds of neighbourhood houses across the state.
From 2022-25, I was Principal Executive Officer of Prahran Place, where my role was to review compliance and finances after an employee had engaged in serious fraud, and was sent to prison. In that role, I put in place proper financial controls and rebuilt trust with its management committee, stakeholders and funding bodies. I know what it is like first hand to deal with corruption and its corrosive effects on public organisations.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne, and have completed and passed the Opening Doors Community Leadership Program, the Advanced Leadership Program with Women and Leadership Australia, and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) course.
I’m currently Deputy Mayor of Boroondara and councillor for the Maling Ward. Prior to that, I’ve served the Hawthorn community in a range of leadership roles.
Through these roles, I’ve had the great privilege of working with people across our community, understanding local challenges, and contributing to initiatives that make a real difference.
People often ask me about my heritage. It’s a little bit complicated! My mother was a Japanese orphan, adopted by an Australian soldier who served in the Korean War in the 1950s. My mother and father met at language school in Australia, and they opened a number of Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. Their experiences gave me a real appreciation of what it’s like to run a small business. And, as a first generation Australian, I have a great appreciation for the migrant experience.
I’m running as an Independent because Hawthorn deserves a representative who is accountable to the community.
My commitment is simple: to represent this community honestly, work constructively, and always put Hawthorn first.
From my experience, people want their concerns heard and acted on, not filtered through party politics. Too often, decisions at the state level are shaped by party priorities and political games rather than what local communities actually need.
I’m running to change that. I’m running to stand up for our community. I’m running to bring a practical, community-focused, outcomes-oriented approach to state parliament.
As your Independent, I will listen, engage, consult, and deliver outcomes that reflect the values and priorities of Hawthorn.