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Lifelong learning for
a fairer Australia

Lifelong learning for
a fairer Australia

Who we are

Our Board

Kathleen Priestly
President (TAS)
Kathleen is the manager of 8 libraries in the NW & West of Tasmania. She has worked with government at all levels to develop policy for learning and to secure funding for opportunities. Her areas of interest are collaborative impact work, building learning communities, technology and helping individuals to see learning as a vehicle to improve their life circumstances. Kathleen has qualifications in General Education, Adult & Vocational Education, Adult Literacy & Library Services. She regularly advocates for learning & presents at conferences. She loves learning herself, being challenged & working collaboratively.
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Professor Annette Foley
Vice President (VIC)
Annette is a Professor of Adult and Vocational Education at Federation University Australia. She has worked for over 30 years as an adult educator in TAFE, higher education, adult community education, and the private training sector. Before Annette commenced her academic role at FedUni she had first-hand experience as a TAFE manager and CEO in a VET/ACE and youth services organisation, where she worked in a regional community and liaised with industry, community and local government agencies to develop education and training programs for youth and older learners.
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Dr Ron Wilson
Treasurer (VIC)
Ron has over 40 years experience in education and training as a teacher, principal and TAFE general manager. He has held Board roles including deputy chair, Adult Community and Further Education Board and president, Australasian Corrections Education Assoc. He has received an Australia Day Honour and Public Service medal for introducing VET to Victoria’s prison system. He recently released a book 'Joseph Akeroyd: Rediscovering a prison reformer'. He has a PhD in Mgt, MEd (Leadership and Mgt) and (Educational Research); BA (Social Sciences), BEd (PE), PG Dip Spec. Ed and Dip Teaching (Primary).
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Kirrily Loveday
Secretary (TAS)
Kirrily has worked in urban and regional communities through Tasmania’s library literacy service, managing volunteer tutors, English language classes and non-accredited group learning. She is currently with TasTAFE managing the Foundations teaching team to provide state-wide accredited LLN learning for the community. She is on the Management Committee of the Tasmanian Council for Adult Literacy, the Steering Committee of the Reading Writing Hotline, works closely with 26TEN and is responsible for services within Tasmania’s Adult Learning Strategy.
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Chris McCall
Board member (VIC)
Chris is the manager of Yarraville Community Centre, an NFP delivering a range of programs and services in Melbourne’s inner west. Chris came to education as an adult learner, leading to a Grad. Dip in Community Education and Cert IV in TAA. She has over 20 years experience in the community sector o community organisation boards, neighbourhood house management, RTO establishment and managing adult education programs including youth and Work for the Dole programs. She was involved in establishing a Local Learning and Employment Network, and has experience sourcing grants for programs and services.
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Ros Bauer
Board member (NSW)
Ros has extensive experience in adult education and leadership as a LLN practitioner and is currently Head of Department Career Pathways, Aboriginal Languages & Employability Skills at TAFE NSW. She was the winner of the 2013 Australian Training Awards Excellence in Adult LLN Practice and a recipient of an Executive Fellowship through the Australian Endeavour Awards; which included a professional learning experience in Scandinavia. She was part of the NT LLN Network Group and an educational consultant to the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation.
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Sally Brennan
Board member (VIC)
Sally has a long history in the ACE sector in both strategic and operational roles, including representing sector peak bodies with government at both state and national levels. She is an experienced board member, including the Adult Community and Further Education Board Board, and has post graduate qualifications in adult education. Sally currently works as an education consultant. Skilled in NFP organisations and working with government at all levels. Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
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Dr Robyn Ober
Board member (NT)
Dr. Robyn Ober is a Mamu/Djirribal woman from North Queensland and a respected researcher in Indigenous educational leadership and both-ways teaching and learning. Her doctoral work investigated identity and culture expressed in and through Aboriginal English. Dr Ober’s expertise has been called upon in numerous consultancies on education delivery, both-ways education, Indigenous research methodologies in the Northern Territory, national and international indigenous educational contexts.
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Isabel Osuna-Gatty
Board member (SA)
Isabel is the recipient of the 2016 Australian Training Awards' Excellence in Language, Literacy, and Numeracy Practice. She has developed and implemented several local, state, and commonwealth-funded projects to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, people with disabilities, and individuals from multicultural backgrounds. Additionally, she worked as an external assessor and trainer for the SenaiNT English Language Centre in Timor Leste. Isabel has presented as a keynote speaker at various national and international conferences and webinars. Her community work was selected for exhibition at the 2019 Northern Territory Human Rights Awards. With Master's Degrees in Analytical Psychology and Social Work, a Graduate Diploma in Counselling, a Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language, a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and the Foundation Skills in Vocational Practice Skill Set, her expertise extends to instructional design, writing specialized training resources, and developing assessment tools. Isabel also focuses on creating accessible and inclusive resources and spaces. Currently, Isabel works as a Mental Health Practitioner in private practice and is involved in various community-based projects aimed at improving lifelong learning, mental health, and wellbeing in multicultural and Aboriginal communities, as well as for people with disabilities. Additionally, she participates in literacy projects with RaPAL (Research and Practice in Adult Literacies), the only UK-wide organization that focuses on the role of literacies in adult life. She also serves as a Board Member of the South Australian Social Workers' Association and the SA Royal Life Saving Society.
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Our staff

Jenny Macaffer
Chief Executive Officer
Jenny has an extensive background in community development, social justice and social policy and planning. She has previously worked in local and state government and the not for profit sector. Jenny has been recognised for her commitment to health & wellbeing, human rights, and community place making through national and local awards such as the inaugural LGPRO award for community development. She holds qualifications in community cultural development, social sciences and the arts. Jenny believes that the creative arts and lifelong learning have a key role to play in engaging communities of all persuasions in self-determination and social change, and that a positive connection to nature is critical to our individual and collective wellbeing.
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Gina Perry
Communications Coordinator
Gina has a background in psychology, adult education and writing. She has worked as a freelance journalist and communications professional in the not for profit and public sectors. Her adult education experience includes teaching professional communication, writing and editing for digital media and journalism at Victoria University and the University of Melbourne where she is an Associate in the Faculty of Arts. Gina is an award winning author and her postgraduate qualifications include a Masters and PhD in Creative Writing.
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Georgia Firth
Membership Officer
Georgia comes from a long history of customer service and membership management in the events and film industry. Her interest in further education was sparked by her Psychology and Art History degree. Since settling in to this position, Georgia has found great reward in supporting individual learners, as well as educational organisations.
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Henrik Steenberg
Project Officer
Educator with more than 20 years of experience in teaching, coaching, online media, digital marketing.
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Dr Trace Ollis
Editor AJAL
Dr Trace Ollis is an Associate Professor of Adult Education has been the Principal Editor of the Australian Journal of Adult Learning since 2017. Tracey commenced her career in education as a teacher of community development in TAFE. Tracey’s research focuses on Adult Education in workplaces and lifelong learning in Adult & Community Education (ACE) and community settings. Tracey has held several leadership positions at Deakin University and is currently on the School of Education Executive as the Higher Degree by Research Coordinator, a position which oversees 160 PhD & Masters by research students. Her research is involved with epistemological, ontological and ethical understandings of practice and how this relates to adult learners. She has deployed case study and multiple case study methodologies in a range of adult learning, vocational learning, and professional learning contexts including her book on adult learning in the human rights industry, A Critical Pedagogy of Embodied Education: Learning to Become an Activist (Palgrave, 2012.) Tracey is currently a Co-chief Investigator (CI) with Associate Professor Annette Foley (FEDU) on a DET grant reviewing the pre-accredited training system in Victoria. She is CI on several research projects on lifelong learning in Neighbourhood Houses and transition pathways to higher education and an evaluation of the NHVIC learning & development project. She has published both nationally and internationally in the area of second chance learners, disengaged learners, adult community education and professional learning.
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Wendy Barnes
Finance Officer
Wendy is an experienced bookkeeper who has been employed in diverse fields of work over her working life. She is also a proud mother of her adult children and nanny to her young grandson. She considers herself very fortunate.
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Sharmy Ramachandran
Projects manager
Sharimllah (Sharmy) Devi Ramachandran has nearly 30 years of experience in teaching and learning in tertiary settings. Sharmy has held supervisory positions in various public, private, and not-for-profit educational institutions in Malaysia and Australia. Sharmy has a Bachelor’s and a Masters in Education, and a PhD in Knowledge management and Organisational culture in Higher Education, and she has published in international journals. She has a keen interest in lifelong learning and supporting learners achieve their educational outcomes.
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Adult Learning Australia
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Adult Learning Australia