Staff |
Brisbane Office
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Julie Price Project Manager |
Julie has worked in children's services-related positions all her working life. The variety of organisations in which she has worked includes long day care, family day care, Office for Children Department of Communities, Community Child Care Cooperative (NSW) and The Gowrie QLD Training and Consultancy. Julie is proud of the PSCQ team she has gathered, excited about all the professional development and support activities they are bringing to fruition and impressed with the commitment and enthusiasm of child care professionals in helping to plan and attend these activities. |
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Tara Franks Project Officer |
Tara has spent most of her life living in Queensland working on a range of projects within early childhood education, human services and employment/ workforce development. She has designed and implemented many innovative approaches in these settings to foster holistic development. Tara adopts a social justice approach in practice and for over 15 years has been a strong advocate for children, young people and their families. To weave her professional and personal experiences together she is currently studying a Masters in Indigenous Studies. |
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Melalie Collie Project Officer |
Melalie has been working in Children's services in Queensland and overseas for a number of years. These roles have mostly been in long day care as a group leader but have also involved work in preschool and the early years of primary school. More recently Melalie has been working with Tara, another PSCQ project officer on the childcare skills formation strategy, a project that has been examining how the child care sector can attract, develop, train and best utilise a skilled workforce. |
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Lee Gane Project Officer |
Lee comes to PSCQ with twenty years' experience in the children’s services sector, fourteen of these as a Children’s Services Director. For over Five years Lee also worked as both a peer and staff Validator for the National Child Care Accreditation Council. Lee holds a Diploma in Children’s Services (Centre Based Care) from the North Coast Institute of TAFE and a Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood) from the University of New England. Lee is currently studying a Masters in Training and Development incorporating courses from the Master of Education (Early Childhood Education) at Griffith University. Lee is very passionate about the importance of ongoing Professional Development for all Early Childhood Educators. She knows firsthand the positive impact of ongoing Professional Development on the provision of quality care for children and families while also contributing to staff morale and raising the professional status of the workforce. |
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Isla Swan Project Officer |
Isla joined the PSCQ team from a background in Community Development and, more recently, sector development. After completing a degree in Cultural Anthropology in 2001, she worked on several Early Years projects. Her passions include universal prevention and working with community to create best possible outcomes for children and families. Isla's career has also involved the development of several community-based resources and consultation with children. She loves working with children because they haven’t forgotten the importance of play. |
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Kelly Kerwitz Administration Coordinator |
Kelly comes to PSCQ with a wealth of knowledge from various administration backgrounds stretching over 11 years, during which time Kelly completed a Certificate IV in Business Frontline Managment. Kelly has a very busy lifestyle juggling a full time job and a robust young family. |
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Stacey De Calmer Administration Officer |
After adventures overseas working as nanny in London, and in an administration role within an optical practice in Rockhampton, Stacey came to Brisbane and joined PSCQ in 2007. She is currently studying a Certificate IV in Business Administration. Stacey enjoys PSCQ’s team spirit and the team’s commitment to helping build a sustainable, valued childcare sector. Stacey is happily married and resides in South Brisbane with her dashing husband and her young Jack Russell Terrier. |
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Karen Coombs Administration Officer |
Originally from the UK, Karen and her family settled in Brisbane in 2005. Karen has been working for over 20 years in banking, finance and other administration roles. She is a mum to three children. |
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Kaitlyn Sandona Administration Officer |
Kaitlyn joined PSCQin 2008, bringing experience in customer service and events management. She loves to travel, and is embarking on a trip to Bali in 2010 to participate in a volunteer program assisting school-aged children to learn English. |
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June Lefebvre Contracts Manager |
June traded in a senior position in the Federal public service in Canberra, where she lived for 14 years, to return to her home state of Queensland with her husband. She brings to PSCQ a wealth of experience in administration, finance and contracts management, both from her public service role and her Bachelor of Business in Human Resource Management and Organisational Psychology, as well as her former career in banking. June works part time in the Brisbane office as PSCQ Contracts Officer, and spends the rest of her week living on the bayside, resisting the urge to quote Daryl Kerrigan: |
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Josephine Jefed Juarez Contracts Officer |
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Sommer Tothill Communications Officer |
Sommer joined PSCQ in 2008, with a background in communications with the National Health Service in Scotland, and having provided sole marketing support for a high-profile construction company in Australia. Alongside working at PSCQ, Sommer is studying a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Literature. She also freelances as a writer, graphic designer, and jewellery maker. Sommer has no children and no pets. She wishes she owned a cat. |
Townsville Office
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Jasmine Jones Team Leader |
Jasmine holds a Bachelor of Education (Primary) and has been working in the early childhood field for 13 years. Jasmine has worked with a variety of services, in varying capacities, all based in rural and remote locations. These include mobile early childhood education, innovative child care options, playgroups, in-home care and family day care. Her motivation to join the PSCQ team is to contribute to the development and education of all children through the promotion of valued and respected child care professionals, along with the opportunity to extend her own learning. Jasmine is based in Townsville with her husband and three children. |
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Peter Demopoulos Project Officer |
Peter has 17 years' experience in the child care industry. He was a director for 7 of these years and is a qualified pre-school teacher with a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood from QUT. |
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Bernadine Bennett Administration Officer |
Bernadine works in the Townsville office part time and has over 20 years' experience in a variety of administrative positions from Banking and Finance to managing a Not-for-Profit organisation. Bernadine has two small children, a mischievous young boy and his energetic older sister. Bernadine also has a passion for running and competing in marathons. |
