Our staff
VicSRC's staff team is made up of dedicated individuals working hard to make the vision of the Executive Committee come true. They support students involved with VicSRC to raise their voices and take care of the day-to-day operations of VicSRC while working with the Executive Committee and the Board to set the strategic direction of the organisation.
If you'd like to be part of the work that VicSRC does check out our Careers page for any current opportunities and sign up for our Stakeholder Update to make sure you never miss a chance to get involved.
Julia Baron
she/her
CEO
Julia brings a long and successful career of working with youth to her role as VicSRC’s CEO. From humble beginnings as a swim teacher & lifeguard to keep herself afloat through uni, Julia continued her passion for working with young people with a range of youth organisations, eventually landing her ideal role as a youth worker. After doing years of service delivery, she moved into the policy space focusing on advocating for the rights of young people across a range of areas. With an immense passion and drive for social justice, Julia brings a thirst for knowledge and a lightning-quick wit to the VicSRC team. When she’s not amplifying student voice at the office, you’ll find Julia enjoying time with her extended family, somewhere in the great outdoors, or partaking in what she deems to be the “greatest artistic invention on the planet” – musicals.
Ian Johnson
he/him
Finance Manager
Ian joined VicSRC in 2013 after an exciting life travelling the world and getting up to mischief. Now he ensures VicSRC is financially stable and remains that way. Apart from maths and spreadsheets Ian's other loves are going to live gigs, Leeds United Football Club and the British punk folk band New Model Army.
Jake Fehily
he/him
Community Development & Co-Design Lead
Jake is passionate about using co-design to create positive, inclusive change, with a particular focus on working alongside young people to develop solutions that reflect their needs and experiences. He has been actively involved in his community, collaborating with local youth organizations and community groups to design programs and services that are both relevant and empowering. With a strong commitment to cultural awareness, Jake works to ensure that diverse perspectives are included in every project, fostering environments where all young people feel respected, heard, and supported. His approach is grounded in a belief that community-driven solutions are key to supporting the wellbeing of young people, and he strives to create spaces where everyone feels safe and valued. Outside of work, Jake enjoys spending as much time as possible with his dog and listening to his backlog of podcasts.
Georgia Cutajar
she/her
Executive Officer
Georgia comes to us with a passion for empowering young people through open conversations to make lasting change. With a background and degree in youth work, Georgia's passion has always been supporting young people to express their real (and too often, unheard) ideas about how to do things better. Georgia has worked for leading organisations in the youth space, from Policy Intern at YACVic, to Program Director at Youth Parliament. When she isn't advocating for the rights of young people across the state, you'll find her lost in the pages of fantasy worlds, playing games with her partner and friends, or dabbling in jazz and tap dancing!
Nastashjia Katu
she/her
Policy and Advocacy Manager
Tash comes to VicSRC with a wealth of experience in social justice centered communications, marketing and media work, having studied international development before working in womens's health empowerment for a number of years. Tash is excited to take on a new challenge by working in the youth advocacy space, and is energised by working with young people who demonstrate the notion that change is possible. When she is not working hard on our policy, advocacy and communications projects, Tash enjoys doing physically hard things like hiking and half-marathons, as well as spending time with her young family.
Riya Rajesh
she/her
Policy & Research Officer
Riya (she/her) is VicSRC's Policy and Research Officer. She comes to VicSRC with a background in youth participation at the Youth Affairs Council Victoria, where she worked as a Facilitator and Project Officer. She is passionate about ensuring that the voices of children and young people are included in decision-making processes, especially in mental health and family violence prevention. As young person herself, Riya sees the immense value in combining lived experience expertise with other research. Riya also loves to write, check out spoken word nights and share tea on the balcony with her (dead and dying) plants.
Natalie Paffard
she/her
Programs Officer
With a background in program delivery and a strong sense of justice, Natalie is passionate about creating inclusive and meaningful opportunities for young people to shape their education. She recently completed a Bachelor of Development Studies at ANU and brings curiosity, positivity, and a commitment to student voice into everything she does. Outside the office, Natalie is a lover of camping, longform YouTube content, and (most of all) her KitchenAid.