Meet the team of learning difficulties professionals | SPELD NSW

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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.

In 2018, SPELD NSW celebrated our 50th anniversary year. Since our inception we’ve grown into a statewide organisation with strong connections across Australia to deliver support, resources and professional learning.

Thanks to our dedicated team, each year thousands of parents and teachers have gained the knowledge and skills to help children with specific learning difficulties.

 

SPELD NSW team

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.

 

Matt Eastman

BA (Psych), MTeach (Prim), M.Ed (Spec Ed), M.Ed (Ed Lead), M.Ed (Ed Psych)

SPELD NSW Board Member

Matt Eastman joined the SPELD NSW board in 2025, he is a proud public school Deputy Principal (Inclusion & Support) who is committed ensuring all children receive to succeed. He brings strengths in educational leadership, strategy, risk, compliance, and stakeholder engagement, with postgraduate qualifications across educational leadership, psychology and special education, and is currently completing an MBA. 
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Kate Minogue

Bachelor of Arts Macquarie University, Master of Teaching (Secondary) UTS

SPELD NSW Board Member

Kate is a communications specialist with 30 years working as a journalist and as media manager for the NSW government and not-for-profit organisations.
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Mohua Mukherjee

MAICD, FGIA, FCG

SPELD NSW Board Member

Mohua has held senior leadership roles in several organisations and is an experienced non-executive director.
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Professor Saskia Kohnen

SPELD NSW Board Member

Saskia Kohnen joined the SPELD NSW board in late 2022. Saskia has a long history of supporting people with literacy difficulties, their teachers, tutors and clinicians.  A Professor at ACU’s Australian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy, Saskia conducts research on how children learn to read and spell, what can complicate this process and how to assess and intervene for reading and spelling difficulties. Her work has resulted in many peer-reviewed publications as well as tests used by teachers, clinicians, tutors and researchers.
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Troy Verey

SPELD NSW Board Member

Troy is a deputy principal at Marsden Road Public School (Liverpool NSW) and has over 10 years of teaching and leadership experience in English and Australian schools. His professional interests focus on shifting the culture of education from one based on ideologies to one based on science, and his current projects include developing teacher curriculum content knowledge, cultivating evidence-based pedagogy and improving assessment practices for literacy and numeracy.
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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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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

Veronica Alexander

BA (UNSW) MTeach Primary (CSU)
Acting CEO

Veronica is an experienced educator and a passionate advocate for explicit reading and spelling instruction. She has worked as a classroom teacher, in learning support and in tertiary education for over 15 years. Veronica is SPELD NSW’s Acting CEO, a role she moved into after serving for more than 6 years as the Professional Learning and Development Lead.  Veronica shares her love for the English language and all things reading, spelling and learning with teachers and school leaders. She has also worked as an interventionist with struggling readers and writers. Veronica is passionate about supporting all learners to achieve success, and empowering teachers and school leaders to implement evidence-informed instruction.

Carina McSweeney

BA, BEd (Primary), Grad Cert Special Ed. (Learning Difficulties)

Professional Learning Educator

With 20 years of teaching experience, including 10 years as a Learning Support Teacher/Coordinator across two schools, Carina has passionately advocated for more effective instruction for all children, in particular, to support those with learning difficulties and neurodivergence.
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Kerrie Daley

Bachelor of Education

Clinician

Kerrie loves all aspects of learning, problem solving, and client advocacy and has completed specialist training in Learning Difficulties (ECU).
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Lee Doyle

B.Teach, B.Ed,M.Ed

Professional Learning Officer

As a SPELD NSW Professional Learning Officer, Lee provides personalised support to children and their families and valuable information to teachers and school executives.
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Amanda Nguyen

BA/LLB Bachelor of Arts and Law

Receptionist

Amanda joined SPELD NSW in August 2022. She has a BA/LLB from the University of Sydney is interested in expanding her experience within the education sector.
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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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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

BEc (Macquarie), Dip Ed (Newcastle)

Information & Referral Officer

Belinda brings extensive knowledge to SPELD NSW to help answer parent and professional enquiries. Belinda has experience as a high school teacher and has completed extensive professional development in learning difficulties.
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Vanessa Maher

Information & Referral Officer

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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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 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 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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Contact Us

If you are looking for support for your family, yourself, your student or your school contact us.

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