ABOUT BERNADENE VOSS

Mayor of the City of Port Phillip

I have lived in Port Melbourne for 18 years with my husband Warren. We recognised this is the perfect place to raise our family – our three children Lachlan 11, Caitlin 10, and Eliza 8, and our Labradors Bronte and Paris. We are all actively involved in community life and love living here.

I have had a lifelong appreciation for family, community, education and sport.

I was born in 1969 and grew up on a farm in Winnedoo, Gippsland, with my mother Kaylene who was a teacher and my father Ernie Hug, a footballer who played for Collingwood and South Melbourne. I was the eldest of 7 children so my skills of organisation and negotiation developed very early!

My life changed at the age of 8 when my father was tragically killed in a farming accident. We moved to Sale for primary and secondary school. I then moved to boarding school in Melbourne to finish my secondary education which was a wonderfully exciting opportunity.

I completed an Arts degree at Monash University in 1991, majoring in English and Politics. I have many post graduate qualifications including a Master of Virtual Communication. It was during this time I met my husband Warren.

I am the former founder, owner and executive director of a successful loyalty, marketing and IT company which operated in Australia and the USA. I grew the business from a start up to raising venture capital and then sold it to a NASDAQ listed company in 2007. This business won several great awards, including a personal award of which I am very proud - the runner up of the Telstra Business Women’s Award.

Since having children, I have been an advocate and activist for fixing the issues our constantly changing community faces, commencing when I was the director of the Port Melbourne Family and Children’s Hub for 6 years. The awareness I gained in this role gave me the drive to grow our community in all respects to make it an even better place to live.

I was elected in 2012 for Sandridge Ward and am the current Mayor of the City of Port Phillip. I actively participate in several committees, sporting clubs and non-executive positions on company boards in the City of Port Phillip.

I am committed to passionately serving my community and bring a wealth of skill, experience and knowledge to the role of Mayor.