Meet the Youth Live4Life inc. Board

Sarah Mahon
Chairperson

Sarah Mahon is a Woodend resident with a nursing background who now runs a small beef and sheep farm. Sarah served on the Kyneton & District health Service Board for six years and is involved with a range of community and sporting groups. Sarah brings significant governance and board experience in addition to her community connections.

Sarah Hardy MAICD
Deputy Chair

Sarah has held diverse leadership and management positions for 25 years in the philanthropic and Not for Profit sectors. Sarah’s experience has focused on strategy development, grant management, governance, financial management and reporting to boards. Originally a Registered Nurse and Adult Educator, Sarah has worked with a broad and diverse cross-section of the philanthropic, not for profit sector and education sectors across Australia, particularly organisations and institutions working in mental health, youth, education, rural and remote issues and women’s health.

Sarah is a co-founder of the Live4Life initiative in the Macedon Ranges, having established the program in 2009. Sarah has post graduate qualifications in Mental Health Sciences (majoring in Youth Mental Health), Community Health, Adult Education and Business. Sarah has also undertaken an executive leadership program at Stanford University and an executive program in fundraising at Harvard.

Caroline Johnston
Treasurer

Caroline is Director of Riverwood Group Pty Ltd a Public Practice Accounting Firm with Offices in Woodend, Kilmore and South Melbourne. A fully qualified CPA and Tax Agent for 28 years. Over this time, Caroline has acquired an extensive knowledge across all facets of business and taxation. She has been the Treasurer in other Not for Profit community events and clubs over the years. Caroline has been a local of the Macedon Ranges all her life and is married with two teenage boys. “You don’t have to look very far to know of someone who has been affected by mental health – it is positive to be part of something that can help our youth navigate this tough world in a preventative way.”

Pauline Neil
Board Member

Pauline Neil has extensive experience in the youth sector, primarily in local government where she has held senior management positions. Pauline has coordinated youth services for the City of Springvale and Greater Dandenong and is currently the Coordinator of Youth Development for Macedon Ranges Shire Council in regional Victoria. Early in Pauline’s career her work was centered around direct support for young refugees, crisis support, youth housing and alcohol and other drugs. Pauline’s current role seeks to develop the community’s capacity to better understand and support young people in regional Victoria, requiring a different focus to that of metro Melbourne. Pauline is a cofounder of Live4Life. Pauline has recently been awarded Master Instructor by Mental Health First Aid Australia.

Taylor Johnstone
Board Member

Taylor Johnstone is a young person who is passionate about mental wellbeing education. He has extensive lived experience with mental illness, having experienced suicidal thoughts himself for a number of years. Now Taylor is looking at utilising this experience to enact change and educate and prevent other people experiencing what he has.

Originally from Warrnambool in country Victoria, Taylor is currently living in Melbourne where he is completing a bachelor’s degree in Science, majoring In Osteopathy. Taylor’s experience in mental health includes as a member of Orygen’s Youth Research Council and receiving a 2018 Australian Mental Health Leaders Fellowship.

Robyn Hunter
Board Member

Robyn Hunter was appointed Chief Executive Officer at Mind Australia in June 2018. Robyn has 25 years’ experience spanning senior roles in corporate strategy and planning, operational management, project management and delivery, and management and purchasing of health care in the private sector. Robyn was formerly the CEO of Multiple Sclerosis Limited, a position she held since March 2013. Previously, Robyn was Chief Operating Officer at MSL and held senior roles at Medibank Private for a decade.  Her earlier career encompassed management of rehabilitation service delivery in the public and private sector and ten years clinical experience as a physiotherapist in Australia and Canada.