Chapter 1
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Leigh Chadban
MANAGER
Leigh is the driving force behind NERPSA, serving as our Manager and overseeing all aspects of the Early Years Management organisation. Reporting directly to the Board, Leigh provides strategic leadership and ensures the smooth and effective operation of NERPSA. In addition to her overarching management responsibilities, Leigh plays a vital role in day-to-day operations, including staffing, relief coordination, and payroll management, ensuring our services are consistently supported by a dedicated and capable team.
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Jodi O'Keeffe
EDUCATION MANAGER
Jodi is an experienced early childhood teacher and one of the Education Managers at NERPSA, supporting early childhood services and staff. Jodi brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. Previously, she taught at Wangaratta West Kindergarten, where she developed a deep understanding of child development and effective teaching practices. As an Education Manager, Jodi provides valuable guidance to staff and services in areas such as pedagogy, staff wellbeing, professional development, and compliance.
Jodi currently supports the following early childhood services:
Appin Park Kindergarten, Bernard Briggs Kindergarten, Christopher Robin Kindergarten, Moyhu & District Kindergarten & Occasional Care, Munro Ave Preschool, Whitfield Long Day Care.
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Susie Furlan
EDUCATION MANAGER
Susie Furlan is one of our dedicated Education Managers at NERPSA. With over 30 years of experience in the early childhood sector, Susie brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. Her background in running early childhood services makes her a valuable resource for our staff and services. Susie's focus is on supporting our teams with pedagogy, staff wellbeing, professional development, and compliance. You might even find her occasionally on the relief roster, helping to ensure our services are always adequately staffed.
Susie directly supports the following early childhood services:
Chiltern Kindergarten, Chiltern Long Day Care, Coronation Kindergarten, Glenrowan Kindergarten, James Tilson Kindergarten, The Hub Kindergarten, Wangaratta West Kindergarten, Whorouly & District Kindergarten.
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Rebecca Lowe
ADMINISTRATION & ENROLMENT OFFICER
Bek is our Administration and Enrolments Officer, and often the first point of contact for families at NERPSA. When you call NERPSA HQ, Bek is the friendly voice on the other end of the line. She’s essentially a one-woman welcoming parade for new families joining our community or relocating to the area. With her extensive experience in administration and office management, Bek expertly handles enrolments and keeps our office running smoothly. Her positive outlook is infectious and we honestly don’t know what we’d do without her!
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Angelina Cimino
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
Angelina is our Human Resources Manager. You’ve most likely already crossed paths with Angelina during your recruitment process (she’s the one who’s always asking for paperwork). Angelina oversees a wide range of HR functions at NERPSA, including policies and procedures, recruitment, onboarding, induction, probation, and our professional development system. Before moving into HR, Angelina was an Early Childhood Teacher with experience in diverse settings such as long day care, occasional care, sessional kindergarten, and integrated services. Angelina is passionate about continued learning and welcomes feedback at any time as she strives to better her practice and in doing so the systems you use in your day to day employment at NERPSA.
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Sharon Shelley
FINANCE OFFICER
Sharon is one of our Finance Officers. Sharon works part-time and is the person who makes sure you get paid. So, if you have any payroll queries, Sharon’s your go-to. You might even recognise her from around town—she's been a familiar face in the local business community for years, having owned several small businesses, including the much-loved Shelley's Country Bakehouse!
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Maria Shultz
FINANCE OFFICER
Maria is one of our Finance Officers. While you might not see her in the office, as she works remotely, Maria plays a crucial role behind the scenes. Maria works closely with Leigh, assisting in managing the financial aspects of the business. So although she's not physically present, she's an important part of the NERPSA team.
