Our Team

Coordinating Team

Brad was appointed as the CEO of the Fit to Drive Foundation Inc on 11 May 2021. Prior to this Brad served as a senior policy maker with both the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments including in executive and ministerial advisory roles. Brad has a Bachelor of Economics (first class honours) from the University of Queensland, holds a Certificate of Foundations in Trustee Governance with the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST), and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

When Melissa isn’t being our resident Queen of Excel, you will most likely find her on the edge of her seat cheering on Chris Goulding at Melbourne United games. She is also the person who will get you over the line at any F.R.I.E.N.D.S trivia night, with one of her proudest achievements being teaching her (at the time 1-year-old) daughter the iconic theme song clap sequence.

Melissa has seen a lot of change at the Foundation as one of our longest serving team members. Her favourite memories over that time revolve around the very team she’s had such a big impact on. In her own words they are ‘brilliant, kind and caring’ and share her passion for keeping young people safe on our roads.

When Alena is not debating social justice issues or flinging sassy comebacks at her co-workers, family and friends, she is knee-deep in one of hundreds of half-completed projects; writing a book, drawing a calendar series, refashioning op-shop clothes or training for a dancing competition.

As most of the admin team, Alena started at Fit To Drive as a facilitator (whilst completing her Honours of Art History at the same time) before becoming an Area Coordinator. Working at Fit To Drive helped Alena realise her passion for helping young people navigate tricky conversations, inspiring her to undertake her current project; a Psychology degree.

Need a little pick-me-up? Meet the adventurous, uplifting and contagiously joyous, Laura! Extroverts appreciate their down time too, so when she’s not hanging out with her friends, her dog or her loved ones, you’ll likely find Laura enjoying time outdoors, meditating or trying something new and creative.

Laura has a BA in Health Sciences (majoring in Health Promotion and Psychology) and a Masters of Teaching. At Fit to Drive, Laura loves collaborating with like-minded young people passionate about the safety and well-being of other young people. She plans on following this passion for the rest of her life!

Zoe is an enthusiastic lass who can turn a conversation to at least seven different topics in the span of minutes. A lover of all things communication, she has experience in presenting and working with teenagers, as well as qualifications in journalism and writing.

Zoe has a passion for building healthy communities and believes that safety is the foundation of this. She’s recently moved to Melbourne from warmer places, and has swiftly appointed herself the health and safety officer of her new digs. All she needs now is a hi-vis vest, a hard hat and a whistle. Her roommates will be thrilled.

Candice is a huge film nerd and a freelance Voice Actress with a double-degree in Education/Screen Studies. She’s passionate about Asian representation in the media and hopes to voice a Filipino-Australian character one day, and be in her favourite franchises such as Pokémon. You can catch her trying to slide Star Wars quotes in everyday conversation, laughing at really lame puns, or sharing silly memes with her friends. Ask her about her favourite cheese – there are so many brie-lliant kinds.

Candice loves that no day is the same at Fit to Drive – being able to travel around Victoria, work with a vibrant team, and meet new people, whilst sharing empowering messages of road safety to young people. She sees her work as fulfilling, fun, and valuable for developing skills as a presenter and educator.

Stemming from Vietnam, Samantha came to Melbourne driven by her passion to explore different cultures and grow her independence. She describes herself as an easy-going person who loves the beach, exploring the wilderness and trying different cuisines. At home, she finds herself obsessing over indoor plants, ceramics and other arts and crafts, and spending time with friends over a bonfire and homemade dinners.

Samantha is currently completing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Melbourne having discovered a passion for mental health and empowering people to make a difference. She feels fortunate to be part of the Fit To Drive team where she is able to elevate the voices of young people, empower them to make the right decisions and take responsibility for the safety of themselves and the community.

Lexi loves dressing up and going out with friends almost as much as she loves popping on a pair of trackies and chatting with mates over a cup of tea. As well as spending time with friends, Lexi enjoys talking to her dogs, op-shopping her way through Melbourne, and lecturing others about the importance of wearing sunscreen every day.

Lexi is currently completing a Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion after realising that it’s the perfect intersection between problem solving, helping others, and learning new things. Lexi has experience working across a number of organisations in the public health sector and she brings with her thoughtfulness, critical thinking, and a positive attitude to everything she undertakes.

Facilitator Team

Liam is passionate about travelling, exercise, the footy, outdoorsy activities and leadership. Liam’s friends would describe him as adventurous, challenge-oriented and optimistically realistic. One of the biggest part of Liam’s personality is his empathetic and compassionate nature.

Liam has a Bachelors degree in Global Studies and is looking to achieve a Masters in International Development Practice as he seeks to help uplift underpriviliged communities around the world out of poverty, and impact positive social change. Liam found his way to Fit to Drive through a friend who emphasised Fit to Drive’s friendly and supportive culture, as well as the opportunity it presents to improve Liam’s highly desired leadership, communication and group facilitation skills.

Having grown up on the mid-north coast of NSW, being surrounded by nature, beaches, and community has shaped Josh into who he is today. He can often be found on a bike, hike, or on the beach. Teaching, communication, and positive social and environmental change are all things that Josh is passionate about. His friends would describe him as empathetic, friendly, always happy to help, and sometimes a little weird.

Josh graduated with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Environmental Science following a lifelong passion for getting out into nature, and is part of his plan to become a science teacher. When not facilitating with Fit to Drive, Josh is studying for a Master of Teaching, volunteering in the community, being a scout leader, or out exploring nature!

Stasi’s friends would describe her as a super chatty and friendly person. She is often the person with the loudest voice in the room as she finds it a genuine struggle to whisper or turn on her “inside voice”. In her spare time, she likes to keep active with her mini trampoline workouts called ‘Ubound’.

Stasi is currently studying a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts. She is studying a Sociology major and loves how this area compliments her law studies in being able to better understand the different values, perceptions and people within a community. Stasi joined Fit To Drive from a recommendation of a close friend in the program and has loved her time here ever since.

Jack is a performer, writer, and professional Dungeon Master based in Melbourne. Jack is extremely passionate about connecting with people, be it through his creative work or through Fit To Drive.Jack’s work has taken him all over the country and the world, from performing Shakespeare in China, to sweating in 35 degree heat in a Cookie Monster outfit in the Sunshine Coast. Seriously, Jack’s motto is “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth OVERDOING!”

Danni is a big arts & culture nerd. Whether it be reading, listening to music, foreign languages, going to the cinema or gigs, Danni is on board!

Another passion of Danni’s is the health & well-being of young people. Through their volunteer and work experience in the not-for-profit sector, Danni has primarily worked with LGBTQIA+ youth elevating their voices via radio and media production.

Danni is very excited to now broaden their facilitation skills with Fit to Drive. What’s more, being able to target the health & well-being of young people within the confines of road safety is a meaningful new chapter!

Sarah’s friends have described her as energetic and warm. On her days off, she can be found playing the guitar, baking, practising yoga or binging a new Netflix show.

Sarah is currently studying Psychology at university and is particularly interested in human behaviour and health behaviour change. Before joining Fit to Drive, she worked primarily in hospitality which she enjoyed thoroughly.

Maddy was born at a very early age. They joined Fit to Drive in 2021 after many years in youth services, and they show up to workshops with an energy drink and (occasionally) fresh baked brownies. When not at work, Maddy loves playing D&D, working on an eternally in-progress novel, going to the gym, and befriending every animal they come across.

An eccentric little fireball with a love for bubble tea and video games, Dominique has a real passion for creative fields and imparting whatever knowledge she has in her head, usually something to do with pop culture or technology!

Dominique’s recently graduated from Deakin University with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Advertising and Drama, with a minor in Digital Media, and is a freelance Voice Actress working with a variety of clients around the globe. Being an actress gave Dominique the confidence and voice she needed to speak up for herself, and wants to inspire other young people to do the same in regards to youth issues, such as with her work with Fit to Drive.

Rui’s greatest passions in life are her three cats, followed closely by sustainability, food and spending time with her family and friends. Those who know her describe her as thoughtful, quiet and the responsible one in the group.

Curiosity about how things work drove Rui to pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering and Business Management. Along the journey, she gained interest in mentoring young people and inspiring their interest in STEM fields. This led naturally to her work with Fit to Drive, where it has been incredibly rewarding to empower young people to keep themselves and their community safe.

Connie is passionate about having a peaceful life. Thus, her daily activities include sleeping, resting, and zoning out. She’s described by her high school teachers as someone whose mind wanders around the universe, hence developing ideas that do not make sense on a daily basis. She enjoys gaming and listening to kpop.

Connie is currently a bachelor of science student at unimelb. She moved to Australia after graduating highschool in Hong Kong.

Debi’s ethnic background is French and Sri Lankan, and she was born in France! She loves to travel and explore new places far or near! As much as she loves people, she considers herself an introvert despite being a youth leader at her church. Her friends would describe her as creative, empathetic and faith-driven.

She writes poetry and has shared spoken word pieces publicly! When she’s not working, she’s passionate about creating visual art and has been a guest artist at a few exhibitions in the past. She hopes to have her very own exhibit one day. She’s in her final year of her Bachelor of International Studies at RMIT, majoring in Development. She’s driven to enhance the world and the way people experience life around her! She thinks life’s a journey and her ever-so-cheesy motto that she lives by is ‘everything happens for a reason’. (Debi: “it’s cringe, but it’s relevant!”)

Nellie loves food, cooking, day dates with friends, staycations, walking in the sunshine and during golden hour because she’s basically a house plant studying a Masters of Public Health – just slightly more complex. Friends would say she’s optimistic, and someone who lends an ear to people and gives well thought-out advice.

In her other life, she wanted to be a doctor because she wanted to save lives. But she felt that there are other meaningful and fun ways to help people before they get into hospital. F2D being one of them!

Will is a bookworm and a creative who can usually be found either making music, collage art or some sort of FODMAP friendly treat. When not making or noise or a mess with his creative pursuits he can be found enjoying a podcast on a long walk.

A passion for working with people lead Will to study youth work at RMIT where he has since worked in an alternative education space as a youth support worker, and now happily as a facilitator with the Fit to Drive team.

Michael is an enthusiastic and friendly individual. His favourite pastimes include playing sports and making music. He loves to take on all challenges, and always strives to be his best. He is currently finishing off his double degree in a Bachelor of Business, and a Bachelor of Education. He aspires to be a teacher and pursue entrepreneurship in the business world.

Our Team

Coordinating Team

Brad Crofts

Melissa Burns

Alena Bondarchuk-McLaughlin

Laura Kemp

Zoe Stewart

Candice Vitug

Samantha Lam

Lexi Cairns

Facilitator Team

Liam

Josh

Stasi

Jack

Danni

Sarah

Maddy

Dominique

Rui

Connie

Debi

Nellie

Will

Michael