Trainer Biographies
When you study with Open Colleges (formerly Cengage Education), you're never alone.
Our trainers are all qualified professionals with years of practical experience in their chosen fields. They'll be able to provide you with valuable feedback on your assignments and the necessary guidance to help you succeed in your studies... it makes a world of difference.
View trainers from the following faculties:
Accounting & Finance
Beauty
Business, Management & Business Administration
Community Services
Design & Photography
Health & Fitness
Information Technology
General Interest
Tourism & Hospitality
Writing & Communication
Accounting & Finance
Nilima Paul
Nilima is a passionate trainer and an academic, and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as an Open Colleges trainer. She has amassed more than 21 years' experience teaching accounting, finance, business and statistics subjects around the world at institutions including the University of New England, James Cook University, The Holmes Institute, Global College and the University of Chittagong.
She has numerous qualifications to her credit, including a PhD in Accounting, a Master of Commerce (Accounting), Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Accounting, as well as a Diploma of Business (Accounting). Her main areas of academic training and expertise are accounting, finance and computerised accounting.
Nilima has also written numerous accounting courses and modules. She thrives on a challenge and enjoys helping others to achieve their best. Nilima's career goal is to impart knowledge to students in a manner that continually inspires them to learn.
Lorraine Danos
Lorraine Danos is an experienced bookkeeper who has been working as a trainer with Open Colleges since 2004.
She has worked across many industries, including manufacturing, community services, hospitality and property management, and has particular experience with the transfer of records from manual to computerised systems.
Lorraine has also written a Certified Bookkeeping course which has been certified by the former NSW Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board (VETAB).
Doug Gourlay
Doug Gourlay has been helping others to learn for more than 25 years, lecturing in financial management, management accounting, computerised accounting and a range of other computer applications subjects.
He is a published author with a range of textbooks to his credit, including several self-paced guides covering MYOB business software products, and has extensive experience with learning in an off-campus or on-line mode.
Doug holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Diploma in Education from the University of Melbourne, as well as a Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training.
Stephen Blacktop
A Certified Practising Accountant with extensive practical experience as an accountant and trainer, Stephen Blacktop brings a wealth of knowledge to his role as trainer.
During his years in accounting, Stephen held senior positions for a number of small businesses as well as publicly-listed companies and multi-national corporations across various industries.
Stephen has numerous qualifications, including a Bachelor of Commerce, and is a member of CPA Australia. Since 1998, he has managed his own consulting company, offering MYOB accounting and training services to small business, as well as key performance analysis. He has also developed a range of accounting courses and has conducted classroom training for adult learners and small business owners.
A dedicated trainer, Stephen provides a supportive learning environment for his students and is committed to guiding them successfully through their studies.
Business, Management & Business Administration
David De Santis
David has been a trainer for Open Colleges since 1992. He brings a wealth of knowledge from the business world, as well as experience in the educational ernvironment, having lectured and prepared educational materials for various universities and TAFEs.
He has been a senior manager in the NSW public sector for a number of years, including a role as Director of Human Resources in a large law enforcement agency. He also has experience in property, supply chain and motor vehicle fleet management, and has been directly responsible for budgets of up to $50m.
As well as training for Open Colleges, David has ongoing business interests and is the Managing Director of the De Santis Management Agency, which specialises in HR, training, recruitment and workplace restructuring consultancy services.
In 1992, David was admitted as a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management (FAIM), and is a Certified Professional of the Australian Human Resources Institute (CAHRI).
Venise Damaskos
Venise has gained a vast amount of experience in the retail, business administration and teaching fields over the past 20 years.
She has worked for high profile retailers including Grace Bros, Norman Ross and World 4 Kids, and developed her teaching skills as a TAFE teacher and a workplace trainer and assessor for the Macarthur Retail & Business Training Service.
She holds a Certificate IV in Business Administration, as well as a Certificate IV in Retail Management and a Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training.
Megan Funston
With a deep commitment to the online learning environment, Megan Funston is the ideal personal to train other trainers.
Megan was living on a sheep station in the middle of nowhere when she first developed a passion for distance education, courtesy of her children's experiences with the Kalgoorlie School of the Air. She subsequently received her Bachelor of Arts (Education Studies) through Murdoch University.
A position as flexible learning coordinator with Curtin University of Technology was the start of a career that encompassed varied roles. These included e-learning, AQTF compliance, projects for remote Aboriginal communities and a memorable two years designing and delivering e-resources for the African Virtual University to students in Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Most recently, Megan has delivered the Certificate IV in Training & Assessment to clients in mining and other industries, and the Diploma of Business to international students attending the Sarawak, Borneo campus of Curtin University.
Eva Veronika
Eva has over 50 years' experience in the pharmaceutical industry, and has worked in pharmacies around the world, including Australia, the UK and Switzerland.
She also worked for a period as a budget controller for the United Nations World Health Organisation in Geneva. As a pharmaceutical representative, she was responsible for providing product information and training to doctors and nurses.
As well as training students in our Retail Pharmacy Assistant course, Eva still works part time as a locum pharmacist.
Roshan Alli
A solicitor for five years, Roshan Alli has the ideal combination of legal and training experience for her role with Open Colleges.
During her legal career, Roshan specialised in property and family law, commercial litigation, and wills and probate. Over the past four years, she has gained considerable experience in teaching, developing and assessing legal services courses.
Roshan's experience is supported by a range of qualifications. In addition to a Bachelor of Law, she has a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism).
Teaching and interacting with students brings Roshan immense satisfaction.
Community Services
Kathy Gregan
Kathy has been a trainer for Open Colleges' Aged Care and Disability courses since 2006, and for the Certificates III and IV in Home & Community Care since 2011. She has been a registered nurse for over 30 years and an educator for 20 years in both Australia and Europe. As a clinical nurse, Kathy has worked in many specialty areas including aged care and disability/mental health, and has amassed a broad set of nursing skills.
As an educator, Kathy has taught undergraduate and postgraduate nurses in general nursing and critical care in both hospital-based and tertiary courses. Kathy taught Aged Care at TAFE and other training organisations for many years.
Her qualifications include a BA, MA, DipEd and qualifications in nursing, vocational education, art therapy and creativity coaching. She also has experience in writing and developing distance education courses in community services.
Diana Penson
Diana started her teaching career as a graduate of Sydney Day Nursery Teacher's College and Mitchell College of Advanced Education. She taught in a number of preschools, infant and primary schools whilst completing her Bachelor's degree.
In recognition of her work operating a mobile preschool for isolated regions, the NSW Department of School Education awarded Diana a full-time scholarship to undertake post-graduate studies in Early Childhood Special Education.
On completion, Diana was commissioned to develop a pilot scheme to identify and set up programs for young children requiring specialist assistance. The program flourished and grew from 1 location to 8 within a major NSW regional area. This experience led Diana into the training of adults and workplace assessment.
In addition to training students in our Certificate III in Children's Services and Diploma of Children's Services courses since 2005, Diana has also lectured at universities and written content for a range of vocational courses.
Sandra Petts
An Open Colleges trainer and assessor for more than four years, Sandra Petts is dedicated to passing on her knowledge and experience. She hopes that all her students will come to share her passion for providing quality care to children across Australia.
Sandra has more than 20 years' experience in the childcare. She has taught in classrooms, conducted practical assessments in childcare centres, and worked with additional needs children. For 11 years, Sandra was the director of a childcare centre, and has been employed as a play therapist, child development officer and as a home-based carer in family day care.
Sandra holds a Diploma of Children's Services and Certificate IV in Training & Assessment – as well as the Open Colleges Tutor of the Year Award for 2008. She is also a student of Open Colleges, having completed our Professional Children's Writing course.
Rhonda Wilson
Having worked in the area of early childhood care and education for nearly 30 years, Rhonda is a genuine expert in her discipline.
She has been a preschool teacher and TAFE lecturer, and has extensive experience of working with disadvantaged communities. To support her practical experience, Rhonda has a Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood) and both Bachelor and Master of Education degrees. She is also a qualified workplace trainer and assessor and workplace health and safety officer.
Rhonda currently works as a prep teacher in addition to being a trainer and workplace assessor for Open Colleges where she was named Tutor of the Year in 2007.
Sunbal Aamir
Having worked in the education sector since completing her own education, Sunbal Aamir enjoys guiding students through their learning experiences.
Sunbal is passionate about children and young adults. One of her most recent endeavours has been teaching English as a second language, and she is currently working on staff at a private college.
Sunbal herself has experienced being a distance education student while completing part of her Bachelor degree through the Universities of London and Cambridge.
Luke Barrett
Luke Barrett has extensive experience within the tertiary education sector, having worked as a tutor at Sydney University and at TAFE NSW.
A trainer with Open Colleges since 2006 and a workplace assessor since 2010, Luke has also studied a number of courses with us, which gives him first-hand knowledge of what it is like to be a distance education student.
Luke is well qualified to train others, having achieved a Graduate Diploma in Education, Diploma of Management and Certificate IV in Workplace Training & Assessment. Luke continues to embrace opportunities for both professional and personal development through education.
John Loty
A qualified, experienced mediator, John Loty has an extensive background in industrial relations, workplace conciliation and dispute resolution.
For a number of years, John practised as a barrister, acting for employers, trade unions and government in industrial relations matters, and has experience as a court-appointed arbitrator. After leaving the legal field, John became interested in adult education and training, and managed and delivered training for an RTO (Registered Training Organisation) that he founded. He even developed and delivered a negotiating course, entitled Winning Negotiating Techniques.
John's qualifications include a Diploma of Training & Assessment. He has also completed a number of short courses. In addition, John has been actively involved with the Australian Institute of Training & Development and the Sydney Chapter of the International Society of Performance Improvement. He also trained as a school teacher in order to teach indigenous children in Papua New Guinea.
John continues to be committed to personal development – his own and others'. Over the past seven years, he has been integrating a strengths-based approach into the resolution of workplace issues and productivity improvement, and plans to incorporate some elements of this into the learning content for the Certificate IV in Mediation. He is enthusiastic about training Open Colleges students in the complex skills of mediation, which he believes are valuable for anyone whose work involves interaction with others.
Leonie Schilling
A qualified counsellor, trainer, mediator and early childhood educator, Leonie Schilling brings both academic rigour and her hands-on experiential background in youth work training to her role with Open Colleges.
She has worked with young people in both the public and private education sector for some 10 years, while also counselling and delivering the Youth Pathways Program. Leonie worked for many years in behaviours support units and special education centres, and has committed a large portion of her career to facilitating learning for young people facing various challenges.
A published author, Leonie has written a weekly column in Moreton Bay's The Messenger magazine for the past six years. She runs a successful private practice providing personal counselling, life coaching, couples and family therapy, workplace dispute resolution, employment/career counselling, and grief and loss counselling. Leonie also trains Centrelink clients in job-hunting techniques and runs workshops on healthy work life balance, self esteem and handling workplace confrontation.
Prior to working in a therapeutic capacity, Leonie spent eight years as a qualified group leader helping children grow across all the developmental domains in all age groups, while assisting students gain competencies towards childcare qualifications. Leonie is delighted to be associated with distance education leader Open Colleges and shares our commitment to achieving great outcomes for students.
Marcus Watson
Extensive experience in youth work makes Marcus Watson the ideal trainer for this course.
Currently the industry link manager with Youth Connections, Marcus has also been a residential youth worker, an employment placement worker and adolescent support worker.
In addition to his considerable experience and commitment to young people, Marcus is well qualified to train others. He has a Certificate IV in Training & Assessing, a Diploma of Community Services (Youth Work) and is currently studying for his Bachelor of Management.
Tourism & Hospitality
Julie Hayes
Julie is one of our senior trainers, and has been helping our students embark on careers in travel and tourism since 1992. She developed her knowledge of the travel industry during more than 17 years of practical experience, working as a travel consultant, corporate travel agent and agency manager for agencies including Jetset, Traveland and Axis Travel Management. She has also travelled extensively throughout the US, Europe and Asia, and has led tour groups on domestic trips to Central Australia, North Queensland and Tasmania and overseas in Europe.
In addition to her tourism qualifications, Julie is a qualified teacher of English as a foreign language and holds a Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment & Training and Sales & Marketing
Glenn Forman
Starting out as a ground engineer and ticketing officer for Qantas, Glenn Forman has been involved in the industry for nearly 40 years. Since then, he has served as managing director for a travel company and worked as a management consultant for a boutique travel agency before deciding to share his industry knowledge with others.
In addition to his training role with Open Colleges, Glenn also has his own business developing and promoting travel and hospitality courses for private providers.
Beauty
Petrina Jones
Petrina has had a long and successful career in the beauty industry, starting out as a receptionist at a beauty product distributor before moving on to work at the Ella Bache counter at David Jones. After that, she worked in a number of beauty salons and held several management and training roles before moving on to run her own salon for 11 years.
Since 2004, Petrina has been sharing her valuable knowledge with Open Colleges students, as a trainer in Beauty Therapy and our nationally recognised Certificate II in Make-up Services.
General Interest
Madeleine Lindsell
Madeleine Lindsell is passionate about animal care, which is why we have signed her up as a trainer for our pet care courses.
Madeleine is highly qualified, and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Equine Studies) from Charles Sturt University as well as a Certificates in Domestic Animal Care, Horse Husbandry and Zookeeping. During her career she spent four years working for the Blue Ribbon Riding School providing care for their horses, and also spent some time as an animal carer on a private estate in the UK.
Peter Crabbe
Peter has been sharing his knowledge with others for over 30 years. He has taught fitting and machining for the Department of Technical Education in Papua New Guinea, worked as a high school industrial arts teacher and more recently has taught a range of metalwork and mechanics courses. One of his hobbies is the restoration and preservation of classic cars, such as his 1956 FJ Holden and a Replica Lotus 7.
He is a member of the NSW Board of Studies Industry Curriculum Committee and holds a Master of Education, a Diploma of Teaching and a Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training.
Julie Miller
As a trainer in our Certificate II in Horticulture and Home Gardener course, Julie will share her green thumb, knowledge of plants and her extensive nursery experience with you.
She currently runs a wholesale nursery and also maintains the grounds for an historic property. Julie has also taught horticulture previously for Richmond TAFE, and her qualifications include a Bachelor of Horticultural Science from UWS, an Advanced Certificate in Urban Horticulture and a Graduate Diploma in Adult Vocational Education.
Information Technology
Michele Hargrove
Michele has a broad range of experience in training and IT. Her list of qualifications includes a Master of Education, Diploma in Training & Assessment Systems, Certificate IV in PC Support and a Certificate III in IT. Michele is currently working as a trainer in our Certificate II in IT course. She also teaches IT at a private higher education college and at university.
Health & Fitness
Donna Ellerton
An experienced, high profile trainer of fitness instructors in Australia and overseas, Donna Ellerton is also an established international presenter.
In Europe she has lectured at fitness colleges and universities, and developed training programs for fitness instructors. After creating four nationally certified indoor cycling training programs, Donna currently educates instructors in Australia, America and Asia.
Donna is also fitness guru Donna Aston's cycling expert for the Fitness to Go series, has represented the Schwinn cycling team in both Australia and Greece, and has starred in a range of fitness DVDs.
Denise Spanswick
Denise has been involved in the fitness industry for more than 17 years, and has gained experience working as a gym instructor, personal trainer and activities coordinator, as well as teaching fitness qualifications to others.
In addition to her many fitness industry credentials, Denise also holds a Master of Education specialising in Adult Education & Training, and a Bachelor of Education (Physical Education/Health/Personal Development). Her experience as a teacher includes primary school PE classes, face-to-face TAFE courses and now as a distance education trainer with Open Colleges.
Writing & Communication
Tony Bosworth
Tony Bosworth is a newspaper and magazine journalist who has also spent time working in radio. He has had his work published in UK newspapers including The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, Daily Star and The Observer, as well as a raft of specialist magazines. At the age of 21 he launched Which Car? magazine for Haymarket Publishing in London.
Tony moved to Australia 13 years ago and has launched or relaunched numerous magazines in that time, including Business Asia, The Chief, Australian Telecom, Australian Classic Car, Electrical World, Connoisseurs Gallery and Voice&Data. He was also a freelance writer for The Bulletin, contributing articles on subjects as diverse as robotics, GM foods, immortality and flu pandemics. He has also had five non-fiction books published.
Tony also has a history in teaching, having taught numerous media and journalism courses back in the UK. Now, as well as being a trainer for the Australian College of Journalism (part of Open Colleges), Tony also teaches media training to senior management in major corporations, as well as writing for a range of Australian and international publications.
Carolyn Beaumont
Carolyn Beaumont is a freelance editor and proofreader, working for publishing houses and government departments. She began her career as a newspaper and broadcast journalist.
Moving from newspapers to book publishing, she has edited books for R.M. Williams, Di Morrissey, Dave Warner and many more Australian novelists. She also edits and proofreads non-fiction and documents for medical, legal, financial and academic publications.
More recently, Carolyn has restructured and edited a major website for the ACT Government. She has been a teacher in the fields of journalism, editing and proofreading for more than 20 years.
Robert Stephenson
Robert is an accomplished author, editor, agent and publisher, and shares his passion for writing with students in our Creative Writing course. Robert has published over 40 pieces across genres including crime, science fiction, fantasy and horror. His work completing a novel started by the deceased author George Turner won the Harper Collins prize in 1999. In addition to his fiction work, Robert is also a prolific poet.
For the past 12 years, Robert has been running his own editing business and literary agency, which has edited best-seller novels for clients in Australia as well as Hong Kong.
Ann Harth
With trainer Ann Harth on the case, students of Open Colleges' Crime, Mystery & Suspense Writing, Non-fiction Writing & Publishing, Professional Children's Writing and Romance Writing courses are in experienced hands.
Ann writes her own adult fiction and spent more than five years working with contemporary authors on their short stories as the assistant fiction editor of the online magazine at moondance.org. She is also a contributor to Reader’s Digest and has also ghost-written a number of non-fiction books on diverse subjects. Her non-fiction articles and columns can be found on a number of online publications and e-zines, including the www.writing4successclub.com website. Ann is also a highly accomplished, award-winning children’s fiction writer.
As a dual citizen of Australia and the US with more than 20 years’ residency in each, Ann is comfortable writing for the international community. Her diverse background and Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) supply her with an endless array of characters, experiences and settings on which to draw.
Ann enjoys sharing her experience and expertise with students and is always available for questions. She is committed to helping her students achieve their writing goals. To learn more about Ann’s published work, please visit www.annharth.com.
Design & Photography
Paula Hanigan
Paula started out studying to be a nurse before realising that her future lay in the creative world of interiors. Today, Paula has over 15 years experience in interior design. She worked for a number of large design firms and had teams of designers reporting to her before she decided to branch out on her own.
She set up her own company in Sydney dealing with corporate projects and large residential developments. Some of her clients include Calyon Australia Limited, Symphony Australia and Wizard Home Loans. Paula is also a member and keen supporter of the DIA (Design Institute of Australia).
David Karonidis
David is a freelance photographer with experience spanning more than 30 years. His work is widely published and represented in numerous film libraries. He has also won several awards for his photographic images.
David has built an impressive reputation specialising in corporate and industrial photography, both locally and internationally. His assignments are diverse in nature and include horticultural studies, action shots of RAAF and other air forces' fighter planes, travel library images, portraiture and industrial facilities.
His impressive client list includes corporations, government departments, publishing houses and industry associations such as Telstra, Hilton Hotel Group, Qantas Airways, NRMA, Agence France-Presse, Shell and more.
The insights David has gained through running his own business help him to provide relevant advice for the next generation of aspiring photographers in our photography courses.
Tracey Warren
Tracey has been a trainer with Open Colleges for the past four years, and is the author of our Illustration & Drawing Made Easy course
Always enthusiastic about her craft as an artist, Tracey passes on this passion in her feedback to students, encouraging their creativity to bringing out the "inner artist" in everyone. In 2008, Tracey's commitment to her work was rewarded when she was named Open Colleges' most outstanding trainer.
Ignatia Efstathiadis
Upon leaving school, Ignatia Efstathiadis immediately signed up to study for her Diploma of Fashion Design – and she hasn't looked back since.
Graduating in 1994, she soon put her new skills to work, finding employment at a fabric store. There, she honed her skills in laying out patterns, fabric cutting and sewing, before moving into a role as seamstress with a sportswear manufacturer. Ignatia continued to build her skills in fusing, studding and machine embroidery, while acquiring an additional qualification in dressmaking and dress-cutting.
During her career, Ignatia has also gained extensive experience in clothing retail, both storefront and online. She continues to manage a wholesale website while sharing her passion for dressmaking and pattern-cutting with her students at Open Colleges.
Meredith Raines
Meredith Raines is creative, passionate about education and has a fundamental belief in the importance of providing our community with a well-rounded education.
Meredith has taught VET fashion design, textiles, art, ceramics and visual communication in a number of secondary schools, and has an extensive knowledge of garment construction, having honed her skills since she was an adolescent.
Tracy Ingaldo
A consummate professional, Tracy Ingaldo is the owner of Bella Interiors, a design business with clients across the Western Sydney and Blue Mountains regions of New South Wales.
Tracy’s creative career was sparked more than 20 years ago with a course in computer-aided design (CAD) and flourished after she completed her Diploma of Interior Decorating and gained experience working in the window dressings industry.
In addition to Tracy’s client work − which includes a recent project in for a cafe in Vietnam − she is a serial home renovator. Remodelling a number of homes in the past decade has provided hands−on experience, and enabled her to stay abreast of the latest styles, materials and products.
Tracy is also an experienced educator, having worked as an assessor for an interior decorating college. She has completed a workplace training and assessment qualification, and is enthusiastic about sharing her passion for colour and design with Open Colleges' interior decoration students.