Our People

Hayden Hogan

CUC Mallee Centre Manager

Hayden is the founding Centre Manager of CUC Mallee and knows the Mallee very well, having lived and worked in the region for over 50 years. Hayden was born in the Mallee town of Birchip and has spent over 30 years teaching in secondary schools in Lorne, Sea Lake and Swan Hill.

Hayden travelled from the Mallee to Melbourne to complete his tertiary studies, and his daughter has done likewise. It is these experiences that allow him to understand the pressures of juggling studies, work, family, and remote living.

While the age group may have changed from secondary to tertiary, Hayden’s goal of providing students with the best possible opportunity for success in their learning journey hasn’t changed. He is available for registration and course enrolment assistance, academic resources, study support, scholarship advice, and technical assistance.

Contact Hayden

Sarah Steel

CUC Mallee Centre Administrator

Sarah is CUC Mallee's Centre Administrator and has lived and worked in the Mallee area for the past 11 years.

After completing High School she took a few years away from study before choosing to study a Diploma of Health Science online. This experience allowed Sarah to gain an understanding of the barriers facing rural and regional students undertaking tertiary study.

In this role Sarah's aim is to provide students with a functional study space, administrative support and technical assistance to enable students to achieve their study goals.

Chelsea Brooks

CUC Mallee Student Services Coordinator

Chelsea is CUC Mallee's Student Services Coordinator and is currently in Swan Hill as part of her Doctor of Medicine which she is undertaking through Charles Sturt University.

Chelsea's previous educational experience includes completing a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Adelaide, graduating with a Dean's Commendation, and she draws on 6 years of broad tertiary education to bring a wealth of academic knowledge and experience to the student services role.

Originally from rural South Australia, Chelsea appreciates the barriers to higher education that students may face in regional settings and thus is passionate about helping students to achieve their full potential in whichever area of study they choose.

Stacy Selleck

CUC Mallee Engagement Coordinator

Stacy is CUC Mallee's Engagement Coordinator and is a Swan Hill local who completed most of her educational studies in the Mallee, which is where she started her journey in community services when she completed a Diploma of Community Services in Swan Hill through SuniTAFE.

Stacy has worked in the community service field the last 7 years where she has worked in mental health, disability and youth work. Over the last 5 years she has worked at AXIS Employment as a DES consultant and TtW consultant where she supported the Swan Hill Shire, Loddon Shire and Gannawarra Shire. As a consultant part of Stacy’s role was to support individuals with their own study routines, spaces and challenges.

In 2021 Stacy is began studying a Bachelor of Teaching and a Bachelor of Community and Health as an online student through Federation University with the future goal of becoming a teacher in the Swan Hill area, which has given her an understanding of the challenges that juggling working full time, study and everyday life can bring.

In this role Stacy is passionate about engaging with students and the community to support them in reaching their goals and making the most of opportunities.

Michelle Haeusler

Director

Michelle has worked in the field of education for over 20 years, with the majority of that time teaching at St Mary MacKillop College. During her years at St Mary MacKillop College, Michelle has held the positions of Timetabler, Pathways Coordinator, Pastoral Care Coordinator, Daily Organiser and Deputy Principal. Michelle began her role as Principal of St Mary MacKillop College in 2014.

Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical and Computing Science (Victoria University), a Graduate Diploma of Education (ACU) and a Masters in Education Policy (International) (Melbourne University). As part of her Masters of Education, Michelle travelled to Europe to study the educational systems of other countries, including Denmark, Germany and England.

Michelle has also been afforded the honour of travelling to Canada with the Catholic Education Office to be exposed to the Self-Paced Learning style of teaching, as well as the Teacher Advisor Program, which has been adopted at St Mary MacKillop College.

Stephanie Hartshorn

Director

Stephanie Hartshorn is a Swan Hill local and recent graduate with a Bachelor of Psychology who is currently working as the Youth Support Officer at Swan Hill Youth Inc.

Her focus over the last couple of years has been to create opportunities for young people in rural areas, particularly through her work with Youthrive Victoria.

Having personally experienced the challenges of finding suitable study spaces during her bachelor's degree, she appreciates the significance of a purpose-built space for students. Beyond the practical benefits, Steph sees the Centre as a hub for fostering social connections among rural students.

Chloe Keogh

Director

Chloe is the Executive Director of Clinical Care and System Improvement at Swan Hill District Health. She has been a nurse, a midwife, and a maternal and child health nurse over her 30 year career. She has previously worked as a Director of Nursing, and in various clinical roles throughout country Victoria. She has a Bachelor of Nursing (Deakin), a Graduate Diploma of Midwifery (Victoria Uni), a Graduate Diploma of Child and Family Health (Deakin), and a Masters of Health Service Management (Charles Sturt Uni).

In her current role at the hospital Chloe oversees the portfolio of Clinical Staff Development. Her focus is on supporting undergraduate students complete their studies, gain clinical placement, commence paid employment, and continue their education into post graduate studies. In addition to this role, Chloe is a member of the SuniTAFE Industrial and Community Engagement Board Subcommittee.

Chris Ronan, CUC CEO

Director

Chris leads CUC as CEO, he has worked in the higher education and not-for-profit sectors across the United States, New Zealand, and Australia with a focus on Regional, Rural and Remote higher education policy, student equity, widening participation and rural student transitions.

He holds a master’s degree from the LH Martin Institute for Tertiary Education Leadership and Management at the University of Melbourne with a focus on Regional, Rural and Remote higher education policy and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). Chris is the National President of the Society for the Provision in Education in Rural Australia (SPERA) and an Executive Member of Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Australasia (EPHEA).

Troy Thamm

Director

Troy is a CPA Accountant and Partner with Pooles Accountants & Tax Specialists based in Swan Hill. Troy has taken a lead role in the development of Farm Businesses – a Pooles initiative that provides a comprehensive farm management service linking agronomic and production advice with whole farm profitability.

He enjoys working with farming businesses in providing business and taxation advice as well as partnering with them to assist in the development of their strategic direction. In addition to working with farming clients, Troy also works closely with a range of commercial clients in industries including building and construction, retail, manufacturing, hospitality and not for profit organisations.

Troy and the team at Pooles are acutely aware of the need for access to higher education in our region and pride themselves on providing an opportunity for staff to develop their career in an environment that offers continual learning. In line with this, Pooles play an active role in the annual Set Your Heart on a Career in Accounting Work Experience Program.

Joelle Whiting

Director

Joelle is a registered teacher and has worked in education for the last 14 years. For most of her career, Joelle has worked alongside the community to establish programs with long-term outcomes for children and families. Joelle developed an interest in innovative teaching practices and has implemented educational pilot programs in Swan Hill and the Mallee. These include, the Total Learning Centre (TLC) at the Swan Hill North Primary School, the smalltalk program, the LOOKOUT Education Support Centre (Early Childhood) and most recently, the Access to Early Learning (AEL) program. During that time, Joelle also taught at a local kindergarten and worked at the Department of Education as an Educational Advisor.

Joelle was raised in Mauritius and moved to Australia in 2000 as an international student. Joelle is passionate about her Mauritian heritage that she shares with the community during the annual Swan Hill Harmony Day festival. Joelle is also the Chair of the Swan Hill Harmony Committee and has developed strong relationships with the multicultural community, essential for engagement and participation. The aim of the event is to create cultural awareness and acceptance, bring people together and provide opportunities for people to share and celebrate their culture.

Katie Fox

Director

Katie is a Primary School Teacher of 10 years, having held various roles at Swan Hill Primary, and schools in Ballarat. She completed her Bachelor of Education at Federation University and has recently completed postgraduate studies online via Flinders University.

Katie is passionate about living and working in our region. She is enthusiastic about creating equity of access to education and recognizes the potential that the CUC hub provides to our community. Katie is passionate about creating opportunities for skilled, qualified professionals to enjoy the lifestyle on offer in our region and is enthusiastic about upskilling our local workforce.