DIRECTOR & CHAIR

Dr Katherine Bussey, is a passionate infant and toddler specialist and activist originally from New Zealand living in Melbourne. She has spent the last 22 years actively learning about, and developing practice in, early childhood education based on the Pikler® approach and is now a Pikler Pedagogue. Katherine works at universities and as a consultant where she mentors and provides professional learning and development to educators, engaging in inspiring critical reflection, learning and growth in infant and toddler teams.

DIRECTOR & VICE CHAIR

Emily McDonald is a parent educator at Childhood Wonder facilitating Parent & Baby Classes and workshops on infant & toddler care, influenced by Magda Gerber's Educaring® Approach. She has been a passionate Early Childhood Teacher in Perth, WA for ten years, studied the Reggio Emilia Approach to Education in Italy in 2013, completed her RIE® Foundations™ Course in LA in 2015 with RIE® Associate Patricia Ryan, in 2016 completed her RIE® Practicum under the mentorship of both Patty and RIE® Associate Sharon Smith, and in 2022 Emily became a RIE® Associate.

Emily has two young sons and a daughter who inspired her journey into respectful care of infants & toddlers.

DIRECTOR & TREASURER

Fiona Veld owned, directed, and taught in her own centre for ten years and has been in ECEC since 2004. Following this, Fiona has been the Centre Director for a not for profit organisation where her interest in and understanding of Magda Gerber's Educaring approach and the Pikler approach developed. Most recently, she is the Learning and Development Manager for an early childhood organisation where she leads learning nationally for a network of services. She is an Early Childhood Teacher, and graduate of the RIE®️ Foundations Theory and Observation Course. Fiona has completed the three Pikler®️ basic modules. Currently she is completing a Master of Education in Leadership and Learning. Fiona is passionate about making a difference to the lives of children, families and educators in communities, driven by relationships and respect.

DIRECTOR & BOARD MEMBER

Nellie Hodda is a RIE® Associate and an Early Childhood Teacher with ten years experience working with infants and toddlers in long day care settings and as a nanny. Through her work with children, Nellie has grown in her understanding of Magda Gerber’s Educaring® Approach and has worked to adapt the Educaring® principles to guide centre practice in an Australian context. Nellie completed her RIE® Practicum™ under the mentorship of RIE® Associate Sharon Smith in 2018. In 2022 Nellie completed her RIE® Internship™ under the guidance of Associates Anita Cooper Ebright, Melissa Coyne and Sharon Smith.

SOCIAL MEDIA & BOARD MEMBER

Suzi Rea is a passionate Early Childhood Consultant and committed infant and toddler advocate from Aotearoa New Zealand. Suzi's journey in early childhood education and care started 20 years ago with a BA/BTeach degree in Early Childhood. Her Master of Education researched the importance of free play for children under three years. Suzi has experience leading centres in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, providing professional development and mentoring to students and qualified teachers and facilitating parent education. Suzi is deeply inspired by the peaceful Pikler® and Educaring® approaches to infant and toddler care and has attended Pikler® courses in Budapest, Hungary in 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

DIRECTOR & SECRETARY

Sara Betts has been working in early childhood education and care for ten years, and is currently undertaking her Bachelor of Education, Early Years. Sara has been affecting change, advocating and collaborating with stakeholders across various services with a focus on embedding RIE® and Pikler® inspired principles into pedagogy and practice within infant and toddler spaces. Sara is deeply inspired by the Pikler® Approach and Magda Gerber’s Educaring ® Approach, completing the RIE® Foundations Course in 2019.

BOARD MEMBER

Judit (Jutka) began working at the Pikler® Institute in the summer of 1985. After 7 years as a caregiver, she went on to work in a state daycare centre before having her own children. As a mother, she benefited greatly from her earlier experience at the Pikler® Institute. Following her maternity leave, she worked at the National Methodological Institute for Daycare Centres for a few years, before coming back to the Pikler® House in 2006, to become one of the first caregivers in the newly established Pikler® Daycare Centre. She is the lead caregiver of one of the three groups as well as a lecturer in the Pikler® courses.

BOARD MEMBER

Roma Job is a professional whose background in business and furniture design has been enriched by a personal journey into the principles of Dr. Emmi Pikler. Initially discovering Pikler's work through parenthood, she embraced it as a guiding philosophy for her own children. Motivated by this experience, Roma committed herself to bridging theory and practice by undertaking professional training across continents, including South America, the USA, France, and the UK. Actively contributing as a Steiner community member in Western Australia, Roma also owns a family business specializing in handmade open-ended toys and play equipment inspired by the Pikler, Montessori, and Waldorf approaches. Her dedication extends to promoting parent-child education and facilitating free play activities.

BOARD MEMBER

Andrea Szőke began working at the Pikler House in 1985, first as a caregiver taking care of older children. While working as a group-leader caregiver, she had the opportunity to start with a newborn group.

During her maternity leave she continued her studies and completed a degree in social pedagogy. She returned to the Pikler House to assist the caregivers in the Infants’ Home as a pedagogue, taking children on their all-important outside-walks, and for a short period she held the role of head nurse. She joined the Parent-Child groups right at the start, and continues to work with them today. Andrea worked on the Pikler Daycare Centre from the beginning in 2006, initially as a pedagogue, and now as the manager.