ABOUT
Yarra Ranges Kindergartens Inc. is a DET-recognised Early Years Manager.
We’re dedicated to providing quality early childhood access and giving every family the best educational start possible.
Early Years Management (EYM) organisations are local government or community-based organisations that provide professional leadership and centralised management of kindergarten services.
The EYM structure provides a range of benefits, including:
Children benefit from high quality, inclusive services provided by professionals who are supported to adopt contemporary, evidence-based practices.
Parents can focus their involvement on supporting their children's learning free of the compliance, industrial, financial and operational obligations required of approved early childhood service providers.
Staff benefit from organisational structures and processes that support them in their day to day work, but also have a view to the future creating career pathways and professional development opportunities that align with their aspirations.
Board
Richard Williams
Chairperson
Richard has over 25 years' experience in a broad range of leadership and management roles.
Richard is currently a State Manager with PPG Industries the largest Paint and Coatings company in the world and a Fortune 500 member is the US. In this role he manages the Taubmans and White Knight Architectural Coatings brands and a field team in the Bunnings network for Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
Richard is a current member of the Audit & Risk Committee and member of the Remuneration Committee. He has previously Chaired the Audit & Risk committee as the YR Kinders Treasurer and recently held the role of Board Secretary.
Matt Dailey
Company Secretary
Matt has a unique and broad background with experience and transferable skills across multiple sectors.
Matt works in the research sector as the Chief Operating Officer of a National Research Infrastructure organisation. Prior to working in the research sector Matt has worked in a variety of leadership roles across tertiary education, retail and manufacturing.
He has broad experience in managing and leading change with a strong focus on people. He has strong stakeholder management and relationship skills and has experience in advocacy both at government and non-government levels.
Matt brings a wealth of experience to YRK across the areas of governance, strategy and leadership.
Michael Ensil
Treasurer
Michael holds a Bachelor's degree in Business, Accounting and Economics from Swinburne University of Technology. He has a career spanning over 20 years in Finance and Human Resources.
Initially, Michael worked in Finance before moving into Human Resources at BHP, where he has been developing his experience for the past 12 years.
Currently, he serves as the Principal Employee Relations and is skilled in policy formulation, interpretation of agreements and awards, and complex problem-solving.
Michael is a trusted remuneration business partner with extensive experience in engaging with Senior Leaders. He currently holds the position of Treasurer on the YRK Board and also serves as the Chair of the Audit & Risk Subcommittee.
Carolyn Smart
Non-Executive Director
Carolyn has spent the last 35 years working in various roles in the Early Childhood Sector. She has worked as an assistant educator, kindergarten teacher, service director, trainer and assessor, and national quality and compliance manager across many different settings such as long day care, sessional, TAFE, for-profit, and non-profit organisations.
Carolyn is a dedicated and passionate advocate for providing high-quality education and care to children. She firmly believes that children should be at the heart of all operational decision making. In order to achieve this, she advocates for a well-trained, supportive, and respectful teaching team that is open to change and embraces continuous improvement and innovation.
Carolyn is particularly interested in Educational Leadership and is currently pursuing a Master of Education degree at Deakin University. Her focus is on leadership and learning, which will further equip her to support, develop, and motivate existing and future early childhood education and care professionals.
Carolyn is currently Chair of the Quality and Compliance Subcommittee and her involvement in YRK is driven by her desire to give back to the community where she raised her family. She is a strong advocate for high-quality care and education for all children attending Kindergarten in Yarra Ranges.
Brendan Wilson
Non-Executive Director
Brendan is a local from Yarra Ranges. He grew up in Monbulk and now lives in Montrose with his family. He is a new dad and a strong supporter of organisations like Yarra Ranges Kinders that play a vital role in promoting the health and well-being of our community.
Brendan joined the board because he believes that quality Early Childhood Education is one of the most important services that any society can offer. He hopes to contribute to the well-being of children and their families in the local community.
Brendan is a social worker by profession and has worked in various roles with the Department of Human Services, Family Safety Victoria, and currently with the Department of Health. His focus has been on child and family programs, policies, and projects.
Brendan has also worked closely with Yarra Ranges Kinders and other local early years services as part of the family and children's services team at Yarra Ranges Council.
Natalie Robertson
Non-Executive Director
Natalie Robertson is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Deakin University.
Natalie has an overarching interest in teacher practice and professionalism of early childhood education. This interest, alongside her passion for children's play contributes to her teaching and learning at Deakin University as the Unit Chair and lecturer in units delivering curriculum and pedagogy, professional practice and teacher inquiry.
Through her research into teacher practice, Natalie has developed a strong interest in early childhood workforce issues, including the attraction, preperation and retention of teachers. Her work in this area is visible in her current projects with the Victorian Department of Education and Training that deliver the Early Childhood Professional Practice Partnerships (ECPPP) project and the Innovate ITE program: Accelerated Bachelor of Early Childhood Education. Natalie's has worked on projects nationally and internationally that are focussed on play-based learning in early childhood education.
Board
Matt Dailey
Board Chair
Matt has a unique and broad background with experience and transferable skills across multiple sectors.
Matt works in the research sector as the Chief Operating Officer of a National Research Infrastructure organisation. Prior to working in the research sector Matt has worked in a variety of leadership roles across tertiary education, retail and manufacturing.
He has broad experience in managing and leading change with a strong focus on people. He has strong stakeholder management and relationship skills and has experience in advocacy both at government and non-government levels.
Matt brings a wealth of experience to YRKI across the areas of governance, strategy and leadership.
Michael Ensil
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Brendan Wilson
Brendan is a Yarra Ranges local having grown up in Monbulk and now living in Montrose, a new dad and passionate supporter of the vital role organisations like Yarra Ranges Kinders play in the health and wellbeing of our community.
Brendan joined the Yarra Ranges Kinders board because he believes quality Early Childhood Education is one of the most important services that any society can offer. He hopes to play his part in helping local children and their families be happy, healthy and thriving.
Brendan is a social worker by trade and has worked across various roles with the Department of Human Services, Family Safety Victoria and currently the Department of Health, with a focus on child and family programs, policy and projects. He’s also worked closely with Yarra Ranges Kinders and other local early years services as part of the family and children's services team at Yarra Ranges Council.
Brendan feels privileged to be able to offer his skills and expertise to Yarra Ranges Kinders and to share in the wonderful work that our staff are doing each and every day
Carolyn Smart
Carolyn has worked in the Early Childhood Sector for the past 35 years in a variety of different capacities, including assistant educator, kindergarten teacher, service director, trainer and assessor and national quality and compliance manager. This has been across many settings, long day care, sessional, TAFE, for profit and non for profit.
Carolyn is dedicated and passionate about providing quality education and care to children and ensuring they are at the heart of all operational decision making. She believes to ensure this occurs we need a well-trained, supported, respectful teaching team, who are open minded, accepting of change and who embrace continuous improvement and the ‘what’s next’.
Carolyn has a strong interest in Educational Leadership and is studying a Master of Education at Deakin University, focusing on leadership and learning to further equip her to support, develop and motivate existing and future in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector.
Her involvement in YRKI stemmed from the desire to give back to the community that she raised her family in and to advocate for high quality care and education for all children attending Kindergarten in Yarra Ranges.
Executive Team
Gaby Thomson
CEO
Carolyn has worked in the Early Childhood Sector for the past 35 years in a variety of different capacities, including assistant educator, kindergarten teacher, service director, trainer and assessor and national quality and compliance manager. This has been across many settings, long day care, sessional, TAFE, for profit and non for profit.
Carolyn is dedicated and passionate about providing quality education and care to children and ensuring they are at the heart of all operational decision making. She believes to ensure this occurs we need a well-trained, supported, respectful teaching team, who are open minded, accepting of change and who embrace continuous improvement and the ‘what’s next’.
Carolyn has a strong interest in Educational Leadership and is studying a Master of Education at Deakin University, focusing on leadership and learning to further equip her to support, develop and motivate existing and future in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector.
Her involvement in YRKI stemmed from the desire to give back to the community that she raised her family in and to advocate for high quality care and education for all children attending Kindergarten in Yarra Ranges.
Marta Pegoiani
Senior Operations Manager
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Ben Thomson
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