Our Professional Community

Michelle Hamilton is a proud Wiradjuri woman, whose people are from the Central West to Far Southwest NSW. She gained her Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching at Macquarie University and currently works for Gowrie NSW. Michelle has been in the early childhood sector for over 30 years and has goals that will ensure culturally safe and inclusive early childhood environments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and to support early childhood educators with the integration of First Nations perspectives across their teaching environments.   

Workshops:  Michelle hosts many workshops for Gowrie NSW Education Hubs PD workshops, most recently a highly popular 6-part series titled “Yanhagagi Yamanha – A Walk – To go together (6-part series)” - Michelle has exciting workshops with Gowrie NSW planned for 2026 which will be announced soon!

Anna Banas is an education and consultant, providing training and coaching for parents and teachers. The focus of her work is building responsive, respectful relationships and supportive teams and families. She has worked as a teacher and lecturer in ECE at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ. Her research on conflict and peace-making in ECE settings has been published extensively. Her work is informed by Pikler pedagogy, relational-developmental approach of Dr Neufeld and Nonviolent Communication.

Dr Sue Elliott is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the University of New England (UNE), New South Wales, Armidale and a visiting scholar at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Sue is a long-term early childhood education for sustainability advocate, researcher and author and internationally co-convenes the TransNational Dialogues in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability research group. She is co-editor of Young Children and the Environment (3rd ed.) (Davis & Elliott, 2024) and co-author of Early Childhood Australia Essentials: Sustainability in early childhood (Elliott & Davis, 2023). In 2023, Sue was acknowledged as a Fellow of the Australian Association of Environmental Education. Healthy sustainable futures for young children drive her work across the early childhood education sector.

Dr Katherine Bussey is an infant and toddler specialist, lecturer, and Pikler® Pedagogue originally from Aotearoa New Zealand, living in Melbourne, Australia. Katherine is a strong advocate for infants and toddlers, having spent the last 24 years actively engaging in international infant and toddler professional learning and developing practice in early childhood education based on the Pikler® approach. 

Katherine mentors, consults and provides professional learning and development to educators and infant and toddler teams by helping them engage in inspiring critical reflection, learning and growth.

Dr Saurubh Malviya is passionate about understanding children’s perceptions and behaviours, delivering workshops across Australia and internationally. With a diverse background as a classroom teacher, ECEC coordinator, university lecturer, and educational consultant, he brings a wealth of experience to his sessions. Through We Belong Education, he has worked with over 500 organisations, providing service-relevant professional development that empowers educators with real-life examples and practical insights. He has been honoured to speak at national and international conferences, sharing his expertise and passion for fostering meaningful connections between educators, children, and the wider community. His unique blend of academic knowledge and hands-on experience makes his approach highly relevant for professional development in the education sector. As organisations collaborate with Dr Malviya, our goal is to build a culture of connection and belonging, ensuring that both educators and children feel valued and heard.

Elena Marouchos is a RIE® Associate inspired by Magda Gerber’s Educaring® approach. Her journey towards becoming a RIE® Associate has been a foray in trying to understand what the Approach might look like in different contexts.  She is passionate about working alongside teachers, parents and whānau who are interested in layering their knowledge in ways that are authentic and leave lasting impressions on children.  
Elena is an ECE consultant offering mentorship and professional development within early childhood centres in New Zealand and abroad.  The privilege of home visits with parents and seeing the confidence it instils when practice is articulated have helped her further embrace the Approach as more than a philosophy but a way of life.

Jennifer Ribarovski is the Managing Director of JR Education Consulting Services Pty. Ltd, providing support, guidance, professional development and presentations to the education and care sector nationally and internationally. She has over 40 years’ experience, including extensive teaching in a range of settings, and in executive roles with the NSW Regulatory Authority, ACECQA, peak organisations and providers. Jen has taught at and provided consultancy services to the University of Western Sydney and Sydney University. She holds a Bachelor of ECE and a Master of Educational Leadership and Management with Distinction. Jen co-authored Professional Communication for Early Childhood Educators, published by Oxford University Press. In 2024, she won the Australian Childcare Alliance State of the Sector award for the most significant contribution to teachers and educators. Jen is renowned for making theory and research accessible and practical, and for building educator’s confidence so that they are in the driver’s seat!

Kelly Goodsir is a pedagogical leader who walks alongside educators, leaders, and organisations—empowering them to pause, reflect, and reimagine the way they teach, learn, and lead. With over two decades of experience across New Zealand and Australia,  Kelly’s work is launched from a deep sense of listening, intentional inquiry, and a steadfast belief in the power of purpose-filled practice. She gently challenges teams to explore the “why” behind their decisions, transforming everyday pedagogical interactions into rich opportunities for teaching and learning. Through her writing, speaking, and professional development offerings, Kelly brings clarity to complexity and helps shape pedagogical systems that honour both the child and the educator.

Kelly is widely known for her unwavering dedication to the rights of children and educators, her creative spirit, and her ability to inspire change from the inside out. Kelly blends the theory into practice in ways that  bring about new possibilities for pedagogical practice.

Nicole Talarico is the founding Director of Talarico Consulting and Medical Action Bag. Nicole has most recently written a book about Asserting a Culture of Child Safety to guide education and care services to create and maintain physical, emotional, spiritual and culturally safe environments. Best known as an advocate for professionalism and Children's rights with a social justice lens always present. Nicole is a Reconciliation Ambassador and member of council for the Association of Graduates of Early Childhood Studies, a committee member of Early Childhood Australia Victorian Branch and sits on the Early Childhood Australia National Reconciliation Advisory Group, as well as a member of Social Justice in Early Childhood.  Nicole is personable and knowledgeable, assisting services with governance for systemic change to align with professional and ethical standards, helping teams to create and maintain a positive workplace culture and     community engagement. Nicole's mentoring strategies have been outlined in a range of early childhood sector publications, with her insight being shared at conferences both nationwide and overseas. Nicole is a valued and respected member of many network groups and has a prominent presence on social medical and virtual communication platforms. With a long-term commitment to supporting sector growth, Nicole has a strong focus on the prevention of child abuse neglect. 

Rod Soper is deeply committed to increasing the wellbeing of every child. Rod is a veteran educator, having served as a teacher and principal for more than thirty-five years. Rod is also a writer, coach and speaker. He is also the co-founder of Thinkers.inq, a long day preschool and Personhood360, an online platform serving educators to capture their children's wellbeing through stories to create exceptional futures.

Ruth Thompson is an award-winning early childhood music specialist and educator. Music education has been at the heart of Ruth’s teaching career for over 30 years now. Initially trained as an Early Childhood Teacher, her natural love of music and singing meant offering developmental and sequential musical experiences in all her classrooms. Her career has led her into early childhood settings, infants and primary school and private colleges, as well as being called upon regularly to deliver music education to teachers. Taking up full time work as a Classroom Music Specialist in Qld in the early 1990s led her into further studies with University of Qld and Kodàly Music Education Institute of Australia. The philosophy of Kodàly, “music for children, music for life”, has inspired her own practice and led her to design her own dynamic syllabus in use at Early Years Music School, using a developmental and sequential framework. “Specialisation in early childhood and music education, has enabled me to deepen my understanding of the value of music development in children as young as babies, and the immense impact it has on their learning, language development, socialisation, physical and emotional well-being, identity and self-expression.” Ruth’s research-based syllabus is aligned to the Early Years Learning Framework and is woven together with her own passion, dedication, creativity and love of her job.

Susan MacDonald is the founder of Inspiring New Perspectives, a consultancy dedicated to empowering educational leaders to create programs that deeply respect and nurture the potential within every child, parent, and educator. A passionate lifelong learner, Susan integrates the latest research with real-world insights to provide leaders and educators with practical strategies, reflective tools, and renewed inspiration to create meaningful, lasting change.
She holds a master’s degree in Instructional Design and multiple professional coaching certifications. Over the past 30 years, Susan has developed and facilitated dynamic, research-informed courses, keynote presentations, retreats, and workshops across the United States, Canada, Italy, Jamaica, Wales, and Ireland. Her virtual presentations reach and inspire early childhood professionals around the globe, fostering impactful and collaborative learning communities. Susan’s professional background includes serving as the director of a Reggio-inspired preschool, an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University, and a licensing supervisor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is also the author of three books—Inspiring Early Childhood Leadership, Inspiring Professional Growth, and Supercharge Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators—each offering fresh perspectives and actionable strategies for enhancing professional practice

Dr Amanda Niland is a Senior Lecturer in early childhood at the University of Sydney and Programme Director of the Master of Teaching Early Childhood. Amanda has extensive experience as an early childhood teacher, music specialist and early childhood intervention teacher. Amanda is passionate about the arts and children’s literature, and the value of music, stories and books for supporting positive relationships and a sense of belonging for all children. Amanda’s research focuses on creativity, the arts and inclusion, and children’s literature. She has published peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, monographs and books for educators as well as two picture books.  

Associate Professor Kate Highfield is an experienced teacher, teacher educator and researcher, currently an Associate Professor in Early Childhood Education at the University of Canberra. Kate’s work explores effective technology integration and use, with a focus on potential impacts on learning (for adults and children), pedagogy and play. Kate's current research (supported by a range of grants and linkage projects) explores the impact of technology as a tool with young children, parents and educators. This work specifically focusses on the use of technology in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM), with a focus on digital technologies, including AI, Interactive Screens, Tablets, iPads and smartphones; robotics and techno-toys. This work examines digital play, technology integration and how healthy media use can be used as a tool to enhance learning.

Dr Kay Ayre is a lecturer in Early childhood studies in the School of Education at Edith Cowan University Western Australia. She has a background in early years teaching and behaviour support. She has worked extensively with disengaged and disruptive children, their teachers and schools. Kay has a passion for helping build the capacity of educators to develop and maintain positive, inclusive classrooms with a focus on supporting children impacted by trauma. Her research interests are in challenging-behaviour of children, trauma-informed behaviour support, trauma-informed practice and childhood wellbeing.

Dr Govind Krishnamoorthy is a clinical psychologist and senior lecturer in the School of Psychology and Wellbeing at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Dr. Krishnamoorthy’s research and clinical practice focuses on improving mental health and educational outcomes for children and adolescents from marginalised backgrounds. For over 15 years, he has worked extensively with children and families exposed to abuse and neglect in both public and private sector. Dr. Krishnamoorthy has collaborated with health services, schools and community services in implementing practices and systems approaches for trauma informed care and recovery-orientated practices. 

Leigha Dark is a Speech Pathologist and Key Word Sign Presenter with 25 years’ experience working with individuals who use multimodal communication to understand information and communicate. Leigha has held roles a clinician, academic, researcher, manager and consultant. She is currently the National Coordinator of Key Word Sign Australia. Leigha is passionate about sharing multimodal communication strategies, including key word sign, with individuals, families, educators, and allied health and medical professionals.

Kylie Keane is an experienced Playworker, advocate, and founder of Keen About, dedicated to championing children and young people’s rights. Her OSHC journey began as a child attending a service in Sydney, one she later returned to as an educator. After moving to Canberra, Kylie stepped into the role of Educational Leader, where OSHC became her passion and profession, and she was part of a team that achieved ‘Exceeding’ and ‘Excellent’ ratings three times. Kylie also serves as the ECA ACT State Chair and NOSHSA ACT Representative, bringing deep sector insight and strong advocacy connections to everything she does.

Marina Bailey is a fully registered Psychologist and Member of the Australian Psychological Society. She is a Board Approved Supervisor and currently works with many early childhood and school-based educators to reduce inclusion barriers and develop reflective practice skills. Marina has worked across Australia as well as internationally and is passionate about creating environments which support the needs of those who think and learn differently. She is a strong advocate for person & family centred practice and consults to a variety of organisations. Marina has worked with hundreds of families and professionals over the last 35 years and is a passionate advocate for creating a 'team' around the child to achieve authentic inclusion.

Nellie Hodda is a RIE® Associate based in Wollongong, NSW, Australia. With over 15 years experience in early childhood education and care, Nellie integrates principles from Magda Gerber’s Educaring® approach into her work, specialising in nurturing and responsive care for infants and toddlers. As a Pedagogical Consultant at Storypark, Nellie supports ECEC services and educators in effective use of the platform. Nellie also contributes to the early childhood community through her volunteer role on the ITANA (Infant and Toddler Advocacy Network Australia) board, and by facilitating RIE-certified training, workshops, and online network meetings for ECEC professionals interested in pedagogy and practice for infants and toddlers. Through all her work, Nellie helps educators foster positive, nurturing relationships, making a meaningful difference in early childhood education.

Stefanie Overton has been teaching and learning for over 20 years. She has been an educator, educational leader, and centre director in both long day care settings and preschool. She is extremely passionate about supporting the inclusion of neuro diverse learners and is of course a fierce advocate for play.

Tania Moloney is the playful heart and soul behind Nurture in Nature Australia. She's an award-winning children's book author, storyteller, and champion of playful nature adventures. Whether she's inspiring kids to become Nature Ninjas or guiding educators and families to connect with nature in meaningful ways, Tania's mission is simple: to spark joy, wonder, and action for our natural world. In 2012, Tania founded Nurture in Nature and has since been empowering educators, parents, and others who care deeply about connecting kids with nature. Through her engaging professional development workshops, innovative resources, and hands-on support, she helps them grow their knowledge and skills so they feel confident and supported in their nature-inspired teaching and learning practices. Her award-winning debut book, "Nature Ninja Saves the Natural World," is a vibrant call to action for kids to protect the planet, one small but mighty action at a time. Fun fact? She's been training to be a Nature Ninja since she was six years old—and now she's living that dream, complete with her trusty Nature Bus and an unstoppable love for the outdoors. When she's not inspiring others through her unique blend of creativity, storytelling, and real-world nature adventures, you'll find her exploring, dreaming up new ideas, and finding joy in the natural world around her.

Wilma Murdoch is a passionate Early Childhood Teacher with over30 years of experience working with children and families across diverse service types in Australia and overseas. After transitioning from working directly with children, she has led professional learning and development programs for educators, with a strong focus on supporting qualification pathways. Since 2017, Wilma has taught pre-service teachers at the University of Sydney, sharing her expertise in curriculum design and implementation—particularly in early language, literacy, and mathematics—and inspiring a love for picture books in early learning. She is currently completing a PhD exploring place-based early literacy pedagogies in Broken Hill.