Our Board
Our Board are passionate about fostering healthy, connected communities.
Their experience spans community based services, finance, law and business consultancy
Jane Hadjion, President
Jane joined CC board in January 2018. Jane brings expertise in business development, systems thinking and design thinking. Jane is particularly inspired by the benefits of community gardens as a tool to build well being and as a spring board for economic participation. She is currently self employed and supports business leaders who seek to align their business purpose and strategy.
Jazmin Poyser, Vice President, Chair of Governance
Jazmin (joined October 2022) is an investment manager working with Indigenous organisations across the country. She brings to Cultivating Community her experiences from various investment boards, coupled with 9 years in the property sector in valuations and financing. She balances social outcomes with financial growth.
She is a Startmate Women Fellow and is studying a Master of Applied Finance at Macquarie University. On the weekends you’ll find her tending to her balcony garden or baking with sourdough.
Haley Graydon, Secretary
Haley joined the board in October 2022. Haley is a senior solicitor with over 5 years of specialised experience in complex, multi-party construction and finance disputes in Victoria and Western Australia. Completing a double major in Law and Environmental Science at The University of Western Australia, Haley brings her expertise and passion to expand the harmonization of urban development and sustainable agriculture. Travelling extensively, Haley appreciates the cultural significance of food and the positive contributions it can make to mental health, community spirit and intergenerational learning. Haley enjoys getting her hands dirty (in the gardens!) and assisting to grow cultivating community's vision of inspiring a healthy and just world.
Gail Conman, General Member
Gail is an experienced senior executive joining in March 2024, having served for more than a decade as a CEO and Director. An authentic and pragmatic leader with people at the heart of decisions. Gail builds, empowers and leads high performance teams. Gail has experience across a wide variety of stakeholders including Ministers, Community and stakeholders. Gail is a llife long learning with a progressive mindset.
Diana Baker, General Member
Diana served for several years with the United Nations in countries emerging from conflict, working alongside political and community leaders to rebuild institutions and social cohesion. Diana currently provides advisory services to international and national clients seeking to review, evaluate or design programs and organisational systems that bring about social change in communities. She loves to support programs and organisations that have an integrated social, economic and environmental purpose.
Dheepa Jeyapalan, General Member
Dheepa joined the Board in March 2024 and is currently the Food Systems Lead with Regen Melbourne. Dheepa has a vast experience of food systems oversight having been at Victorian Health Promotion a Program Advisor to Save the Children Australia and experiences in Australia and the UK. A qualified public health professional with a passion for addressing health inequities and working in a way that centres self determination for communities.
Kylie Taylor, General Member
Kylie is a veteran of strategic communications having lived and worked across Australia and Asia Pacific for more than 30 years. She helps clients to articulate purpose, values and future focussed narrative whislt sharing their commitments to ESG. Kylie has served on Board of a Melbourne Girls School a sustainability non profit and founded a social enterprise in Cambodia. When not working Kylie is learning the science of regenerative farming and permaculture.
Margare Buitendag, Treasurer
Margare joined the board in November 2024. With extensive experience in finance, oversight and assurance, she brings a proven track record of overseeing financial operations and ensuring effective risk management and reporting. Margare has held key oversight roles, including managing financial assurance and compliance in public accounting and audit practice, leading operational improvements in a wide range of businesses and sectors, and driving sustainability initiatives as an ESG lead.
Her hands-on experience with budgeting, cash flow management, and performance monitoring underpins her ability to deliver sound financial guidance and strategic direction.
Margare is passionate about empowering organisations to align their purpose with measurable impact, fostering sustainable and resilient communities. She is committed to applying her skills to support Cultivating Community's mission of creating lasting change.