Jan has extensive experience in community development and management of youth, sporting and special events; tourism marketing and volunteer recruitment and training.
She has served on numerous education and community committees and boards, including four years as Chair of Alliance Housing Inc. She held local, regional and State roles with the YWCA and served as a Councillor with the City of South Barwon (Victoria), chairing several standing committees.
Jan led the Life. Be in it. healthy lifestyle campaign in 3 Victorian regional towns and delivered the long-term unemployed program Every Day is Opening Night, later relocating to WA to replicate its outstanding success.
In WA’s South West, she worked in tourism development and marketing in Busselton and Bunbury, supported a federally funded tourism research project with Murdoch University and the CSIRO CRC (Sustainable Tourism), and later worked as a SW Partnership Broker with the Great Southern Employment Committee, focused on secondary student education and training.
As a Project Officer with the SW Area Consultative Committee, she helped secure Federal funding for infrastructure initiatives across 12 South West LGAs.
Jan founded HANDS UP 4 KIDS, a volunteer reading program currently including some 165 dedicated volunteers helping young struggling students in 25 South West WA Primary Schools.
She also founded the SMART 2 ASK for help and information Community Expo (connecting struggling residents with 50+ human services agencies) and the SMART 2 SHARE Info Exchange, enabling South West human services staff to keep abreast of the focus of others. In 2023 she was awarded the City of Bunbury Citizen of the Year in recognition of her extensive community service.
Most recently, Jan directed the Eaton Family Centre, encouraging local community involvement in various activities and is currently embarking on an aged care support program for those wishing to remain independent at home,which incorporates a range of employment opportunities for local residents.
