Adult and Community Education Victoria Inc.

Sue Geals

Felicity Williams – Deputy

With a passion for increasing educational opportunities in regional communities, Sue has become a strong advocate for taking a student-centred approach and proactively overcoming barriers to learning. The organisation delivers a dynamic combination of pre-accredited, accredited and secondary school programs.      

Sue has extensive skills, knowledge and experience in the vocational education and training (VET) sector, with over 10 years at CCG in a number of executive leadership roles. Sue has also delivered vocational training, with previous roles as a trainer and assessor in the areas of business, TAE, and children’s services.

Prior to working in the VET sector, Sue owned and managed early childhood education facilities within the City of Casey for a period of ten years. She has also worked in real estate and spent two years in the United Kingdom working in tourism marketing.

Sue’s qualifications include Graduate Certificate of Management, Diploma in Business (Front Line Management), Certificate IV Business (Governance), Diploma of Children’s Services, Certificate IV Training and Assessment, Certificate III in Active Volunteering. She is also a graduate of the 2013 Gippsland Community Leadership program and is currently completing a Master of Business Administration.    

Felicity completed her Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne University and started her career as a junior editor, eventually working as an editor for Penguin Books. Following this she commenced her career in public relations and marketing within several organisations. While raising two daughters, Felicity set up a successful marketing and business consultancy in North East Victoria and worked closely with businesses and various organisations, including Aboriginal Corporations, in the North East and Southern NSW. During this time, Felicity was a member of the Albury Wodonga Area Consultative Committee where her passion for building links between education, industry and regional development grew.

In 2007, Felicity began her association with the vocational education sector as Marketing Manager of Wodonga TAFE. Followed by a senior executive position at Bendigo TAFE, and a business management role at a Catholic Secondary College.

Felicity deepened her skills and knowledge of business concepts and practices when she achieved her Master of Business Administration. She has lectured in marketing for a regional University and is committed to the practice of life-long learning. Felicity is Deputy Chair of the ACEVic board and a Board member of Gateway Health and NE TRACKS LLEN

Janet Claringbold – Treasurer

Cliff Rundle

Janet has qualifications in both Community Development and Community Organisational Management and values the strong connection between community development and education in supporting people in our community to reach their full potential.

MDLC has a focus on providing alternative Secondary Education, English Language, Adult Literacy and Independent Living programs and is a member of the Knox Learning Alliance which is a group of five Neighbourhood Houses in the City of Knox.

Janet is currently representing Learn Locals on the Board of the Outer Eastern Local Learning and Employment Network (OELLEN) and is a member of the Key Leader’s Group for Knox Communities That Care.

Cliff came to NMLL as a locum manager for 2 months. He particularly liked that NMLL strived to integrate adult education and community development, so decided to stay.  Three years in he considers he is still on a learning curve and is constantly amazed at what NMLL students and his peers have achieved through individual and collective toil.

Prior to ACE Cliff worked for many years in VET, originally in TAFE as a teacher of community development, then in various management roles in TAFE, a private provider and a peak body.

With an abiding interest in adult education as a means to improve individual circumstances and effect social change he sees lots of potential in the ACE sector.  “The ACE sector can be a creative space where people can work together to innovate and create opportunities, where problems can be addressed, and lives can be changed. It’s also a place from which the social and political dimensions of issues can be articulated to decision makers.

For that reason alone, “I see lots of value in joining ACEVic. We are stronger together and I urge every LLO to join. “

Melissa Gifford

Michael Pernar

Working in education has been a lifelong passion for Meliisa, working within a wide range of educational institutions both here and overseas. Starting with secondary teaching in the west of Melbourne, followed by a three-year stint as a primary teacher in North London, Melissa returned to Australia and commenced a distinguished career within the TAFE system.

Working for both Western Metropolitan and Northern Institute of TAFE in teaching and then senior management positions, Melissa also delivered training in Chinese universities.  Melissa particularly enjoyed the experience of living and working in small provincial cities across China.

After twenty-one years in TAFE, Melissa left Melbourne to work at The Centre for Continuing Education in Wangaratta, as the Education Manager. She has found the adult and community education sector to be most rewarding and inspiring and has found the quality of education with LLOs to be outstanding.

Now back in Melbourne Melissa is currently the Education Manager at Yarraville Community Centre. “I love working in this environment, not least because I get to work with and watch some fantastic teachers and staff, who demonstrate real commitment to their students every single day!”

Michael has worked locally as the CEO of the Laverton Community Integrated Services Inc. since November 1995. The Service operates under the Community Development model offering the community Adult Further Education, Community Childcare and Community Service type programs from three separate sites. The Centre advocates on behalf of local residents and the community as a whole.

Michael is an inaugural Director [2000] and the Company Secretary of the local Bendigo Community Bank network [Laverton, Altona and Point Cook branches]. In the past has sat on the State Consultative Committee for Emergency Relief provision by the Commonwealth government; is on the Board of Adult Community Education Victoria ACEVic and has been the Hobsons Bay community representative on many local committees and projects, he has worked within all three tiers of government.

In 2002 Julia Gillard MP presented Michael with the Centenary of Federation medal with the citation reading “…for outstanding service to the community of Laverton”.

Alison Percy

Anna-Louise Allen

Alison has 10 years’ experience working in Early Childhood Education and over 10 years’ experience in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Sector. Alison has held many positions including Program Leader, RTO Manager, Senior Manager Education and Family Services and RTO & VET Coordinator.

Alison’s main areas of expertise include training delivery and assessment, training package development, instructional design, strategic and business planning, management and compliance. Alison has been a board member for ACEVic since 2016.

Alison’s passion for education has motivated her to continue with her own study throughout her adulthood. Alison’s qualifications include the TAE40110 Certificate IV Training and Assessment, CHC60312 Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management, BSB51107 Diploma of Management, CHC60208 Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services and CHC50902 Diploma of Children’s Services. Alison holds a 2012 Teaching Fellowship Graduate.

Alison enjoys being a part of a growing organisation which places people before profit and which values the unique differences and skills of the people within it.

Anna-Louise joined Skills Plus and Brace in October 2019 as the Program Manager based at Dandenong.  Anna-Louise was previously the Executive Manager Education and Training at Cire Services where she oversaw the re-invigoration of their RTO and \pre-accredited programs. Cire Training was nominated for 3 Learn Local Awards and was named Community Training Provider of the \year at the Victorian Training Awards.

At Skills Plus and Brace Anna-Louise has oversight of Youth Programs, including VCAL, ACFE programs and the SEE and EAL programs. Anna-Louise has been a strong advocate for Learn Locals in the VET Sector for many years, along with also being an Auditor and Consultant.

Pauline Wilson

Nina Bekker

Pauline Wilson has worked at Yarrawonga Education & Training for 13 years in a range of roles, the last five serving as Executive Officer.  She has extensive experience in the delivery of quality education and training as a Trainer/Assessor and Learning Designer. 

Pauline is an advocate for online and blended learning and is focused on the need to increase digital literacy skills in our communities. 

Nina Bekker’s previous role with Cire Training was as Manager of Pre-accredited Training. Nina has been with Cire since 2014 and brings much to her role with a 20 years experience in educational leadership in the adult learning field. She has two degrees in education and furthers her qualifications through professional development events focusing on strategic leadership within educational settings.

Early in 2019, Nina moved into the position of Business Development Manager, Education and Training, continuing her work in the pre-accredited space and adding further support and new opportunities across the entire education and training department.

Committed to adult education and its future, Nina is constantly developing partnerships with both small and large organisations to strengthen the adult training sector.

“Working for Cire Services gives me the opportunity to make connections with people and local organisations to help strengthen the community as a whole.”