Committee

Ann Marie Chemello

President

Ann Marie Chemello has over 33 years’ experience in the Early Education and Care Sector. Ann Marie is a Service Provider with Long Day Care and Outside School Hours Care. Ann Marie is currently the Secretary of the National ACA Body.

Ann Marie firmly believes that the first 5 years of a child’s life are fundamental to all areas of their development. With this in mind, she involves herself in the areas where children and Educators can benefit. Her passion is in training Educators to deliver a caring and nurturing environment that involve opportunities to enrich the child’s development.

Ann Marie holds a Diploma in Teaching, Diploma in Social Science and a Cert IV in Training and Assessment.
As President on the ACA WA board Ann Marie would like to use her experience and knowledge of the sector to empower members of the association, with the view to assist other board members in areas where needed.

Brett Thomson

Vice President

Brett Thomson has 7 years’ experience in the Early Education and Care Sector and is the Commercial Director for the Schools of Early Learning.

Although relatively new to the industry Brett brings a wide range of management and financial skills to the private childcare sector. Brett is passionate about providing beautiful, progressive environments and programs for children and their families: a place where children can get back to being children, exploring and learning whilst being important participants in community life.

Brett has a PhD in Agricultural Science.

As a committee member on ACA WA Brett would like to ensure the voice of the Western Australian childcare sector is heard at a national level. He also welcomes the opportunity to have input into federal and state policy on childcare.

Frits Grader

Treasurer

Frits Grader has over 20 years’ experience in the Early Education and Care Sector. Frits is the owner of Ready Set Grow Group.

Frits has successfully owned, managed and operated in excess of 30 Long Day Care and Outside School Hour Care services in WA. Frits has owned and operated childcare/OSHC services in the metro and rural and remote areas of WA. Frits is also the Managing Director of a Registered Training Organisation, who specialise in providing high quality customised workplace training and professional development to the early education and care industry.

Frits holds a Cert IV in Training and Assessment and is also completing a Master’s in Business Leadership.
As a committee member of ACA WA board Frits would like to see the standard of training provided to early childhood educators raised through better understanding the needs within the early education and care industry. More relevant training as opposed to simply more training is the key to achieving high quality care.

Shelley Prendergast

Secretary

Shelley Prendergast has over 23 years’ experience in the Early Education and Care Sector.

Shelley is passionate about training and development for the sectors Educators, believing this approach the key to best outcomes for children. Well- trained and skilled Educators provide amazing learning opportunities and environments for children, laying foundations for genuine opportunity for optimal child development and learning.

Shelley Holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences, updating her qualification with a Diploma of Community Services and complementing these with the achievement of the Certificate 4 in Training and Assessment.

As the Secretary of ACA WA, Shelley aims to support Childcare Operators to provide positive learning, educational and care environments and outcomes for Western Australian children raising the profile of the sector to promote early childhood education as an essential element for optimal child development.

Lisa Godwin

Committee

Service Provider to three Long Day Care services and one Outside School Hours Care service.

With over 24 year’s personal experience in caring for children and having a family of her own, Lisa understands the challenge of balancing a career with family life. Lisa takes great pride in her centres and has never lost sight of the great privilege it is that families trust in us to take care of and educate their children.

Lisa has become a leader and advocate in the childcare industry for staff, children and families. Lisa’s vision is to provide quality learning for all children and to lift the training standards and offer children an environment to become confident learners. Her personal strength lies in training and motivating and she recognises the importance of her role in inspiring Educators to strive for excellence.

Lisa holds a Diploma in Childrens Services.

As former President of ACA WA, Lisa raised the profile of the Early Education and Care Industry. Lisa aims to instill her passion and knowledge for educating children in their early years, and to change the way that Educators and society, view our industry.

David Lyons

Committee

David Lyons has over 15 years’ experience in the Early Education and Care sector.

As a committee member of ACA WA David believes very strongly that a balanced view must be taken in what is an extremely important industry in Australia.

The provision of high quality education and care for children prior to their commencement in formalised schooling provides children with a solid foundation on which they can build their lives with the hope that one day they too will play an active and informed role in our community.

Adrian Grundy

Committee

Adrian Grundy is the owner of Murdock Early Education Schools - Morley Campus and Murdock Education Recruitment a recruitment agency that specialises only in the Early Years Education Sector.

Adrian has over 7 years experience in the Early Years Sector working alongside local WA childcare business owners to assist them in all facets of recruiting local top talent. More recently Adrian purchased his first Long Day Care in Morley WA where he has had the ability to entrench himself further into a sector that he loves and has aligned himself with.

Adrian is dedicated to providing excellence in early learning and care and has a deep understanding of the challenges the sector faces and is passionate about using his strong presence in the community to address these challenges and assist in building a sector driven by quality and excellence.

Kristin McPhail

Committee

Kristen McPhail is co-founder of Pachamama Early Education and Childcare. Created in 2012, Pachamama is known as a special place where nature and nurture intersect with early education and childcare. Underpinned with focal points of cultural diversity and respect for Mother Earth, Pachamama features creativity in ways only dreamt about in our industry. Passionate about play-based learning, Kristen believes that every child’s unique characteristics and interests should be developed in a safe and supportive environment that encourages their connection with nature, each other and themselves.

With a foundation of business and marketing experience in both public and private companies, Kristen’s Bachelor of Economics is supplemented by her Master of Teaching studies with University of Notre Dame Australia. This experience and education constructs a unique skill set that has resulted in Pachamama - an ‘out of the box’ early education creation for the local Perth Hills community. Having lived in Perth for more than 30 years, Kristen’s fond childhood memories of playing in the deep woods and lakes of Minnesota motivated the initial creation of Pachamama - which has becoming a prototype for change in the childcare industry worldwide. One of Kristen’s favourite saying is, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” (Steve Jobs, 2005).

Nesha ONeil

Committee

Nesha has over 40 years of experience in long day care centres. Formerly the Treasurer of the ACA National Executive Committee, Nesha is also former President of the ACA NSW Executive Committee.

Nesha currently owns and operates 3 services in North Western Sydney, with more in development. She is passionate about working collaboratively across the sector to bring about positive outcomes for children, families and operators in the areas of funding, planning, inclusive support and policy.

Nesha takes a hands-on approach to centre operation, and is acutely aware of the issues facing operators, families and our children. She has won a host of awards for her business management from the Australian Family Awards, Child Care Week Awards, National Work Life Balance Awards, Small Business Awards and Telstra Business Women's Awards.

Nesha holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and English, a Masters in Psychology, a Post Graduate Certificate in Counselling, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Special Education - Inclusive Support and a Diploma in Children's Services. Nesha is a registered senior supervising psychologist, a long-standing Member of the Australian Psychological Society, and a Justice of the Peace. She also has a Cert IV in Training and Assessment.