College Board Members
Aitken College is a company limited by guarantee, whose members form the Aitken College Board.
They act as the Board of Directors of the Company and appoint the Principal who as CEO is responsible for the day to day management of the College. Aitken College is a not-for-profit organisation. Its accounts are independently audited. The Aitken College Board determines the policies by which the College will operate.
Marianne Stillwell
Marianne Stillwell specialises in three professional sectors; education excellence in independent schools, governance of family businesses, and prestige automotive retail. Marianne worked in corporate automotive finance for Ford Motor Company for 12 years, followed by a decade as a secondary school educator in multiple government and private schools.
She currently works in her family’s long established retail automotive business, Stillwell Motor Group. She current chairs the Operating Board of the group managing auto retail, associated property, and equity investments. In addition, Marianne is Chair of Independent Schools Victoria appointed in 2021. ISV is the peak body representing independent schools in the state. Marianne recently retired as Chair of Wesley College Melbourne. She was a member of the board of Wesley from 2006-2022 and served on a number of committees including Finance, Remuneration, and Ethics and Governance.
Marianne holds a BA(Hons) from Trinity College, CT, USA, an MBA from RMIT, and a Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Melbourne. She is passionate about the transformational role of education for young people. Her leisure interests include snow skiing, hiking and music.
Robert Evans
Robert Evans is a lawyer (retired). He practised general commercial law in Adelaide and then in energy and natural resources law and competition law in Australia, the UK and the EU for over 40 years. He had a significant role in the restructure of the electricity industry and the establishment of the National Electricity Market, managing the transition to a market-based system and the creation of the legal framework for the market. Following his retirement from this career, he joined the Board of Aitken College in 2014 to pursue his commitment to the ideals of a low-fee independent school and became Chair in 2019.
He holds BA and LLB degrees from the University of Adelaide and an MA in Public History from Monash University.
He is an Elder of his congregation in the Uniting Church in Australia and a member of the Yarra Yarra Presbytery. His leisure interests include travel, history, cooking and bushwalking.
Josie Crisara OAM
Josie Crisara is the current Principal at Aitken College. She has held leadership positions as Head of Science, Head of Senior School and Deputy Principal at the College. Previously she taught at Goulburn Valley Grammar School and Overnewton College. Josie has taught Chemistry, Science, Mathematics, Digital and Design Technology, Food Studies and Religion and Values Education, but mostly considers herself a teacher of young people. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree, a Graduate Diploma of Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Melbourne.
Josie has held positions on the Science Teachers Association of Victoria (STAV) Council, and on the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA) Board. She is currently the Deputy Chair of AHISA (Victoria), a National Board Director of AHISA Ltd., on the Board of Independent Schools Victoria (ISV) and on the ISV HALT Accreditation Board (Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers). She is also on the Victoria Institute of Teaching (VIT) Accreditation Committee, a Member of Greenvale Rotary and a Fellow and Life Member of STAV.
Josie was made a Member of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her services to professional associations in June 2020. She was awarded an ACEL (Australian Council for Education Leaders) National Fellowship in 2022.
Stephen Craven
Steve retired from Aitken College in 2016 having spent over 40 years as a high school teacher in both government and independent schools. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Melbourne, majoring in Biochemistry/Pharmacology and a Master of Education, which included research into teaching methods in Mathematics.
Steve held several positions of responsibility during his career, including Head of Faculty, Curriculum Coordinator and Director of Studies. He was a contributing author to a number of student texts in Mathematics and Science. Steve was involved in the foundation of Aitken College in 1998, and has served on the College Board since then. He was also employed as a teacher at the college and held the position of Director of Studies. Steve and his wife Lynne (who is also a retired Aitken College teacher) have two daughters and live on a small acreage on Bass Coast, where he is able to pursue his interests in surfing and growing fruit and vegetables.
Chris Trodden
Chris is passionate about branding, marketing, and organisational development. For over 17 years, he has helped organisations grow by creating and implementing brand and marketing strategies that resonate with their communities.
Chris highly values education and holds an MBA in Marketing Management, a Bachelor of Theology, and professional certificates in Brand Management, Digital Marketing, CX, and Agile Digital Delivery.
Previously, Chris was a lecturer for VET and Higher Ed seminary students was a director of fundraising for Melbourne School of Theology and was communications manager for The Salvation Army.
Chris is an active member of his local church and is a mentor for students and professionals in RMIT’s career mentoring program.
Justine Sales
Justine Sales is an experienced teacher who has worked within the Catholic and Independent systems for the past 11 years. Justine began her teaching career at Aitken College in 2012 as a primary school teacher and has since held roles as a classroom teacher, as well as specialised roles in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy Intervention, Learning Diversity, ICT and Digital and Design Technologies. She is currently working as a Literacy Intervention Specialist at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception School in Melbourne’s West.
Justine is a proud member of the Aitken College alumni. She graduated in 2002 with the College’s first group of Year 12s. She has a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Tourism Management, a Diploma of Education and a Postgraduate Certificate in Theology.
Justine has been a Board member since 2016 and is passionate about being involved in the Aitken College community. She is an avid traveller and has visited 53 countries around the world, in addition to studying and working in Sweden and The United States respectively. She has a passion for foreign languages and in addition to English, speaks fluent Portuguese with her husband and two young children.
Cameron Moroney
Cameron Moroney joined Aitken College Board in 2023 bringing broad business experience coupled with a strong connection to the beliefs and values of the lasting influence of education.
Cameron has held senior executive leadership positions at COO / CFO / CIO level across multi-site complex businesses in both K-12 and tertiary education (Wesley College Melbourne / RMIT University), healthcare (Epworth HealthCare), telecommunications (Ericsson) and heavy industrial (BHP – steel, mining, petroleum, transport). Executive responsibilities have encompassed strategy/business planning, market/business development, customer service delivery and support, financial and performance management, facilities management, information systems, supply/major contract negotiation, insurance and risk management.
Ben Moodie
Ben is a highly experienced Senior Executive who has a strong and extensive background in Finance and related areas including Administration and Information Technology. Most of his roles have been in senior management and have involved developing and mentoring high performing teams. Ben’s current role is the General Manager, Corporate Services at Alkira, a not-for-profit organisation that provides services and support to people with a disability. Ben has had board positions for several large community organisations and is a Fellow of CPA Australia.
Ben is a FCPA with a Bachelor of Business (Accounting). He joined the Aitken College Board in 2023 and also serves on the Board Finance Committee.
Vicki Steer
Vicki Steer joined the Aitken College Board in 2021. She has extensive experience of school leadership, having been Principal of three Uniting Church schools: Ravenswood School for Girls, Sydney, Cornish College and, in 2023, interim Principal of The Scots School Albury. Vicki has taught English and Social Sciences at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School (PEGS), Lowther Hall Anglican Girls Grammar School and in the government system. She has held leadership roles as Vice Principal, Head of English Department and Head of Senior School. She took a break from teaching for a number of years, working in the Victorian Public Service with roles in human resources and training. Since 2013 Vicki has worked as a professional companion to aspiring school leaders in the Flagship Program of the Association of Independent Schools NSW.
Vicki has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Politics, a Masters degree in English, Diploma in Education and a Graduate Diploma in Educational Leadership. She has held positions on the Executive of the Association of Independent Girls Schools, the Independent Girls Schools Sporting Association and the Board of the Association of Independent Schools NSW. She has served as a judge for the annual awards made by Learning Environments Australasia for outstanding school design.
Amanda Way
Amanda’s core competencies centre around corporate governance, law, risk management and compliance in the education and health sectors, following roles as a corporate secretary, lawyer, and director. She has experience in evaluating complex business challenges in regulated state and federal not-for-profit environments.
In addition to 10 years as corporate secretary of RMIT University, Amanda was a non-executive director of Australia’s largest community radio broadcaster Triple R Broadcasters Ltd (3RRR) for a decade. Her career as a corporate lawyer has provided a solid foundation for all her roles.
Aitken College seeks to improve educational opportunities for students by operating a low-fee school and developing and supporting a community of students, staff and families living in the northwest region of Melbourne. The public benefit element of the College’s mission aligns with Amanda’s values around doing work that makes people’s lives better, as is evidenced in other roles she has undertaken throughout her career.