Meet the Board
Prace is governed by a board comprised of local community members with strong representation in all key operational areas. Board members generously volunteer their time and expertise to the governance of Prace.
2026 Prace Board
Chair
Ann Haynes
Elected to the Prace board in 2014, Ann has 40 years’ experience in education. She has previously held positions in primary, secondary and special schools and prior to retirement was head of Melbourne Polytechnic’s Youth Unit and the Industry and Initiatives Unit in the Faculty of Further Education. Ann has long been involved in youth development and alternative education, participating on advisory and steering committees for Yarra Youth, Pavilion and Youthworx Media. She was also co-president of VALBEC (Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council) for a period of six years and a small business owner.
Deputy Chair
David Redfearn
Elected to the board in 2012, David lends Prace his expertise in local government and education. David shows a strong commitment to local issues, serving on a range of boards, committees and networks over the past 40 years. David was twice a Labor mayor and councillor for the City of Northcote for eleven years. He is a longstanding member of the Friends of Merri Creek and has chaired both the Merri Creek Management Committee and the Yarra Riverkeeper Association. His career in education spans from primary school teaching to career development, connecting students with employers. He was formerly a regional industry career advisor for the Australian Industry Group and an early director of Inner Northern Group Apprenticeships Ltd (now IntoWork Australia). He was also a director of the Inner North Community Foundation. David was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2012 for services to the conservation and environment, community and local government.
Members
Adele McBride
Elected to the Prace board in 2017, Adele brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the area of state and federal government. Currently, serving as an electorate officer for the Hon. Ged Kearney, Federal Member for Cooper, Adele has a keen understanding of our local area and its needs. She is also an advocate for Indigenous issues.
Jo Lampert
Jo is Professor of Teacher Education for Social Transformation in the Faculty of Education at Monash University and brings over 25 years of experience in teacher education to our board. Her research focuses on preparing teachers to address educational inequality in the hardest-to-staff schools across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote Australia. Jo collaborates closely with First Nations colleagues, community organisations, government and schools to support young people who face the greatest barriers to education. Having previously served on the board of other community organisations, Jo brings a strong understanding of Prace’s work and the community education sector to our governance team.
Angus Norman
Elected to the Board in 2025, Angus is a qualified social worker with a strong commitment to inclusive education and community development. He brings experience supporting young people with complex mental health needs, grounded in trauma-informed, youth-centred practice. Angus has also worked alongside First Nations communities to deliver culturally safe employment training and skills development programs. A socially conscious and purpose-driven professional, Angus is dedicated to contributing to organisations that foster meaningful local impact through inclusive education, values-aligned governance, and strategic leadership.
Liam Walsh
Elected to the board in 2021, Liam brings his skills in youth stakeholder engagement and relationships building to the role. He has 25 years of experience working with young people, and in that time, he has been involved in a range of health, wellbeing, education, and employment initiatives designed to support this cohort, particularly newly arrived young people. He is currently employed as the Youth Health and Wellbeing Coordinator at Merri-bek City Council Youth Services Unit.
Annual Reports
Our annual reports are a great way to learn more about who we are and what we do.
Rules of Association
Learn more about the guiding principles of Prace by exploring our Constitution. As a not-for-profit, community education provider, registered charity, and independent school, we are dedicated to changing lives through education.