Cynthia brings a unique blend of strategic insight, emotional intelligence, and regional connection to her role as Chair of the Kyamba Foundation. A former Director of the Brown Family Wine Group, she has spent much of her life in North‑East Victoria — the community at the heart of the Foundation’s work. Her professional background spans business, psychology, and human resources, a University of Melbourne PhD and an enduring commitment to social and environmental good.

Her academic work specialises in family violence and the measurement of technology‑facilitated abuse in relationships. She is the author of multiple peer‑reviewed research papers and the recipient of honours including La Trobe University’s Distinguished Alumni Award, Dean’s Medal, and Fleur Connell Memorial Prize. As a Graduate of the AICD, she brings strong governance capability and a principled, clear‑sighted approach to leadership.

Cynthia is known for her authenticity, integrity, and deep attunement to others. She leads collaboratively, holds the big picture alongside the detail, and is often sought for clarity, support, or grounded advice. Her long engagement with family violence research, alongside decades of rural life, give her a profound understanding of regional community needs. She is a progressive thinker, a problem‑solver, and someone who intentionally creates atmospheres, relationships and spaces where people can thrive.

Cynthia leads the Foundation to give back to the community that has offered her so many opportunities. She values the shared legacy of giving achieved through Kyamba’s support of causes important to her family members.

Beyond her professional world, Cynthia is a fitness, nutrition, and wellness enthusiast who embraces both inner and outer landscapes with courage. Her superhero name would be The Resonant Architect, her coffee order shifts with the day, and her adventures have taken her from the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro to the vast dunes of the Empty Quarter — and to places within herself she never imagined existed.

John has spent a lifetime helping regional communities thrive. With leadership roles spanning business, government, and grassroots organisations, he brings a rare, panoramic understanding of how ideas become reality — and the roadblocks that can get in the way. His approach is grounded, practical, and shaped by decades of working alongside the people, industries, and landscapes of North‑East Victoria. 

Across his career, John has chaired an extraordinary range of organisations, including Brown Family Wine Group (Board Chair for 15 years and CEO for 13), the Alpine Valleys Community Leadership Program, the Wangaratta Ski Club, the Mt Buffalo Chalet Restoration Committee, and multiple advisory groups for the Rural City of Wangaratta covering economic development, water management, and regional planning. His influence has extended into education, agribusiness, heritage, and community development, where he has consistently championed opportunities that strengthen regional resilience and long‑term prosperity. 

John’s service has been highly recognised. He is an Officer of the Order of Australia, a Life Member of the Wangaratta Ski Club, and the recipient of multiple CFA honours including the National Medal and the CFA Service Medal. These acknowledgements reflect not only his leadership but his unwavering commitment to community safety, volunteerism, and regional advancement. 

The Kyamba Foundation grew from the philanthropic commitment he and June (John’s wife) had nurtured for many years. Formalising their giving created a way to involve family members and ensure their support for community projects could have lasting impact. John values the Foundation’s ability to back initiatives that make a tangible difference — especially those that expand the leadership capabilities of others living in the regional community. 

Beyond his formal roles, John has explored every desert in Australia, often leading convoys of friends and visiting remote locations, Aboriginal communities and art centres. These journeys reflect his deep connection to the landscapes and communities he has long championed — and his enduring curiosity about the people and places that make regional Australia unique.

David brings a lifetime of service, leadership, and a deep commitment to regional communities. After qualifying as a mechanic at age 20, he spent 34 years in the fire services — initially as a volunteer and then a career firefighter — retiring in 2025 as a Senior Station Officer with Fire Rescue Victoria. Decades on the front line shaped his calm, decisive leadership style and his ability to work with people in high‑pressure, high‑stakes environments. 

Away from the fireground, David is an adventurer with a strong sense of purpose. He has spent years exploring the Australian outback on 2 and 4 wheels, often filming his journeys to raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. His passion for endurance challenges led him into motorcycle rally racing, where he has competed in World Championship rounds across the globe. Most notably, in 2026 David completed the highly-coveted Dakar Rally— one of the world’s most demanding and prestigious motorsport events, a test of extraordinary resilience, technical mastery, and mental grit. 

David’s early years as a tradesperson grounded his understanding of the pressures facing regional youth entering work or training. That insight shapes his contribution to the Foundation and to supporting young people through transitions he once navigated himself. 

His service and commitment have been recognised through awards such as the National Medal, the National Emergency Medal for the 2019–2020 fires, and FRV’s 30‑year Long Service Award. 

True to form, David’s adventures continue to push boundaries. His most memorable experiences include crossing the Empty Quarter of the UAE — the world’s largest uninterrupted sand desert, home to towering dunes and brutally unforgiving terrain — during a 2025 rally. It’s the kind of challenge that suits him: remote, demanding, and far from the spotlight. And while he identifies with The Phantom for his quiet, behind‑the‑scenes approach, he’s more easily found at dawn with a strong long black in hand!

Anneshka has spent more than 30 years deeply rooted in the local region, raising her family on an off‑grid bush block and contributing to community life in countless practical ways. She has volunteered as a classroom helper, typing teacher, swimming coach, and gymnastics coach, and served as a committee member to help keep the local club accessible to children across the wider district. Her leadership experience includes serving as Director and Chair of The Centre, a Wangaratta-based adult education organisation, where she saw firsthand how learning opportunities can change the course of a young person’s life and strengthen entire communities.

A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Alpine Valleys Community Leadership Program, Anneshka brings strong governance capability and a grounded, community‑centred perspective. Her extensive travels — mostly by land and sea to places far from the familiar — have shaped her appreciation for cultural diversity and strengthened qualities she draws on often: resilience, resourcefulness, frugality, and self‑reliance. These experiences have given her a broad worldview while deepening her commitment to local people and local solutions.

With a Bachelor of Computer Science and a CELTA qualification that took her to China to teach English, she brings a breadth of experience that spans technical, educational, and cross‑cultural environments. She is also a Life Member of the Moyhu Youth Club, reflecting her long‑standing commitment to young people and her belief in the importance of accessible, community‑driven opportunities.

Anneshka joined the Kyamba Foundation to support its formation and to help ensure its work delivers real, visible impact. What matters most to her is seeing the difference a single opportunity can make — whether it’s helping a young person move from home into university or giving someone the confidence to reach out for support. Those individual transformations are, for her, the heart of the Foundation’s purpose and the reason she continues to invest her time, skills, and energy in the region she calls home.

Alison brings more than three decades of clinical experience to the Kyamba Foundation, having worked as a podiatrist for 35 years and led her own highly progressive podiatry clinic for the past 25. Her daily work with patients across all ages, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds has given her a deep understanding of community health needs and the barriers many people face in maintaining mobility, independence, and dignity. She has long served at‑risk populations, including elderly patients, people with disabilities, and those living with chronic illness.

Her professional life has also grounded her in the ethical standards, regulatory frameworks, and accountability that underpin both healthcare and good governance. With a National Diploma in Podiatry from the Central Institute of Technology in Wellington, New Zealand and an MBA from Charles Sturt University, Alison blends clinical insight with strong business acumen — a combination that allows her to identify where philanthropic funding can create real, measurable impact. She is naturally aligned with mission‑driven organisations focused on wellbeing and social good.

Joining the Kyamba Foundation felt like a natural extension of her work as a trusted community health professional. Alison is motivated by the opportunity to contribute at a broader scale, to support initiatives that improve quality of life, and to leave a lasting legacy in community health and wellbeing — impact that extends beyond what is possible through individual clinical practice.

Outside her professional world, Alison is known for her warmth, humour, and the kind of easy laughter that lights up a room. She approaches life with deliberateness and courage, qualities that show up everywhere from her leadership to her personal adventures. Her superhero alter ego is Xena, Warrior Princess, her coffee order is famously particular (a weak almond latte — but only if the almond milk passes muster), and her career has taken her everywhere from the remote expanses of Laverton to the coastal beauty of Esperance.