Meet the team of learning difficulties professionals | SPELD NSW

Supporting children and adults with specific learning difficulties

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Who We Are

We are parents, teachers, tutors and professionals with a shared commitment to early identification, effective intervention and support for individuals with specific learning difficulties.

SPELD NSW Board of Directors

Rhonda Filmer

BA GradDipEd, COGE M. EdAdmin (UNSW)
SPELD NSW Chair

Gifted Education Consultant and Teacher, Rhonda is the Principal Consultant at Twice Exceptional Educational Consultancy and an experienced executive function coach to support students with ADHD. Rhonda joined the SPELD NSW Board in 2014.

“It is patently clear from science that by ensuring that all students have access to a quality education and are as literate as we can make them then employment, productivity, mental health, self-esteem and well-being are all positively impacted. This is my vision for all students.” Rhonda Filmer Chair SPELD NSW

Rhonda is an advocate for the early identification of students’ learning profiles and for the reform of Initial Teacher Education so that teachers better understand the developmental needs of students and how to differentiate programs to teach for those differences.  Rhonda’s professional practice offers individual tutoring programs, school liaison, advocacy and consulting to gifted education co-ordinators.

 

Charlotte Sefton

Bachelor or Arts

SPELD NSW Board Member

Charlie has extensive experience in sales, management & leadership, at both a regional and global level; and will bring this technology experience to SPELD NSW. She also has dyslexia and has focused on neurodiversity in the HR space.
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Greg McLachlan

Master of Educational Administration (UNSW), Bachelor of Arts, Diploma In Teaching

SPELD NSW Board Member

Greg joined the board in late 2020. He has had an extensive career in education holding leadership roles at a range of levels including twenty years as a principal in the public system. As a teacher and an educational leader, supporting children to maximise their abilities is at the centre of his beliefs.
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Ingrid King

LLM (Hons) (Casework) (UTS), BA/LLB (ANU)

SPELD NSW Board Member

Ingrid is a barrister at the NSW Bar and has family member with complex learning difficulties so has observed the frustrations of a person with learning difficulties within an education system that is not always responsive to their needs.
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Michelle Neil

HR Diploma, Business Management AIM, Company Director accreditation AICD, a Justice of the Peace

SPELD NSW Board Member

An experienced Human Resources and Operations Director in early learning, has a special interest in teaching methods especially with specific learning disabilities.
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David Kinnane

B.Bus, LLB (Hons.), MSLP, CPSP

SPELD NSW Board Member

David Kinnane joined the SPELD NSW Board in 2019. David runs an independent speech, language and reading clinic Banter Speech & Language based in Sydney.
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Jackie Connor

MAICD | Dip Teach

SPELD NSW Board Member

Trained as an Early Childhood Educator Jackie moved into the printing industry. As a business owner Jackie brings a wealth of governance and strategic business skills to SPELD NSW.
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David Rowlinson

B.Arch (Hons), MMktg, MBA

SPELD NSW Treasurer

David joined the board in November 2015. As Campaign Manager for Planet Ark David brings not-for-profit management experience to his role as SPELD NSW Treasurer.
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SPELD NSW Team

Georgina Perry

BA/LLB (Hons)
SPELD NSW Executive Officer

“Growing up with dyslexia, and seeing my son have many of the same experiences, has inspired me to provide support and assistance to children and adults with specific learning difficulties and their families and teachers.” George Perry

Georgina joined SPELD NSW in 2017. George brings strategy, management and corporate governance skills to SPELD NSW. George was previously a lawyer in the pro bono team at Ashurst and the funds management team at Allens and has also held positions on the Boards of Amnesty International Australia and Lou’s Place (The Marmalade Foundation).

As Executive Director, George works to strengthen partnerships with educators, parents and the community to deliver support to students and adults with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia across New South Wales.

George works with a staff team of passionate individuals to provide professional learning, membership, resources, assessments, and information and referral services.

Manjita Gurung

Finance & Office Coordinator

Manjita joined SPELD NSW in August 2021 as a Finance & Office Coordinator. She brings extensive experience in the not for profit sector including working with human rights organisations in Australia and overseas.
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Danielle Colenbrander

(BLibStud) University of Sydney, Master of Speech Language Pathology (MSLP), PhD Macquarie University

Educational Adviser

Danielle is an educational advisor for SPELD NSW and a researcher in the Macquarie University Centre for Reading.
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Veronica Alexander

BA (UNSW) MTeach Primary (CSU)

Professional Learning and Development Lead

Veronica is a passionate Professional Learning Manager specialising in language and literacy. Veronica implements a range of professional learning aimed at developing teachers’ abilities to target Specific Learning Difficulties.
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Dr Jennifer Lorenzo

BA(Psych), GradDip(Psych), MPsych(Ed & Dev), PhD(Med), FAPS

Educational and Developmental Psychologist

Jennifer is an educational and developmental psychologist with extensive training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive and learning disorders.
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Belinda Dekker

Information & Referral Officer

High school teacher, blogger, parent advocate and volunteer administrator for Dyslexia Support Australia, Belinda brings extensive knowledge to SPELD NSW to help answer parent and professional enquiries.
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Vanessa Maher

Information & Referral Officer, SPELD NSW Tutor

Vanessa has a Diploma in Education and a daughter with disabilities. As a parent advocate for children with disabilities and a teacher she is dedicated to supporting students and adults with learning difficulties.
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Melinda Matthews

Information & Referral Officer

Melinda is a specialist learning and attention tutor and has completed The Orton-Gillingham approach to Multisensory Structured Language Education and the SPELD NSW Teachers Certificate Course.
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Nick de Jongh

IT Services

Nick has a Cert IV in Information Technology and a varied background in database management, small business administration and freelance journalism.
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Kellie Lithgow

Bookstore and Office Administrator

Kellie joined the SPELD NSW team in 2019 as our Bookstore and Office Administrator. Kellie has non-profit experience and a daughter with learning difficulties.
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Chantale Dorrington

Professional Learning and Office Administrator

Chantale plays a key role organising the logistics for the SPELD NSW professional learning and parent workshops. Chantale joins SPELD NSW with both non-profit and events experience and is a great addition to our team. 
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Heather Hossack

Assessments and Office Administrator

Heather joined SPELD NSW in 2021 as the Assessments and Office Administrator.  Heather was first introduced to the work of SPELD NSW when she was a teacher and is looking forward to supporting families seeking assessments. 
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