family comes first
Our Industry Partner Centres
Meet some of our team
Michael French
Managing Director
Michael has thirty years’ experience in managing operations and teams with fourteen years’ experience as the Managing Director of his family owned Jawbem Group supporting education and care of the youngest in our community. After working as a Commissioned Officer of The Australian Regular Army, Michael worked with Spotless Services and Westpac Group before taking on the challenge of his own business. Michael has a passion for the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education and care, and with his wife Jo, have had the fortune to undertake several study tours to Reggio Emilia and have the benefits of those tours influence thinking back home in Adelaide. He holds an MBA and in his spare time Michael enjoys cycling, playing golf and spending time with his family.
Amelia French
Executive Director, Trainer & Assessor
Amelia has worked in Early Childhood and Education for a number of years, beginning as an educator in an ELC before stepping up to support the training and development of new staff in both ELC and In-Home Care settings. After spending five years as an Educator, Amelia moved into the administration/management space working as Business Services Co-Ordinator for The Ranges ELC and Adelaide Family In-Home Care and then as Operations Manager for ELC Training. Adding to her professional skills, Amelia recently became a Trainer & Assessor. Additionally, Amelia has spent the past five years as a private primary, secondary and tertiary music teacher. Amelia has completed her Cert III and Diploma in Early Childhood Education, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Certificate in digital Marketing, Certificate in Implementing digital Marketing Strategies, Cert IV in Training and Assessment and is a member of The Australian Institute of Company Directors. Amelia also works as a professional musician and enjoys attending dance classes and playing with her cat.
Demelza sayers
Compliance manager
Demelza has worked in Early Childhood for her entire professional career. You name it in the industry and I’m sure she has done it. Demelza began her career as a student at The Ranges ELC in 2003 almost 18 years ago when her passion for educating children first began. Demelza spent the next few years working in conjunction with studying her Diploma and became an Educational Leader in a nursery setting, igniting her passion for infants and their voice to be heard. Not only did she care for these children, but was very passionate about education starting from birth. This lead her to continue studying her Batchelor of Early Childhood Education and becoming one of the first Registered Teachers to work with an infant age group within the industry. Demelza moved into an Assistant Director space along with a managerial space spending 3 years as Director of Quality and Compliance and a further three years as a compliance manager. Demelza is very passionate about early childhood and networking within the industry to produce future leaders that are passionate about educating our youngest citizens.
Ebony Lawson
Trainer and Assessor / Office Manager
Stephanie watson
Trainer & Assessor manager
Stephanie started her journey as a university student studying her Bachelor of Early Childhood. Upon completing her first year, she confirmed that this was the pathway and sector that she was truly passionate about but wanted to spend more time with the children. As a result, Stephanie deferred university and started to pursue a Certificate III and Diploma in Childrens Services.
Stephanie worked at our Partner Site Gawler Riverside ELC for 7 years, notably as the Educational Leader in the Nursery. She believes in a holistic approach to teaching and creating equal opportunities for children to explore and engage with their world through play. Stephanie has a love for learning and values growth, development, and success for children and educators. This is where Stephanie found a passion for coaching and mentoring colleagues and students on their practical placement at the service and went on to complete her studies in training and assessment and pursue full time employment as a Trainer/Assessor.
Stephanie has worked as a Trainer/Assessor for the past four years, acquiring experience in training both external and face to face classroom delivery. She has recently worked as a VETIS Coordinator; developing and implementing programs for school-based students to study Certificate III in Early Childhood as part of SACE completion.
Stephanie is a dedicated soccer and gymnastics mum to her two beautiful children and also playing soccer herself. In her spare time her family heads down to the Murray River to relax at their family shack.
Christine Bennett
Trainer & Assessor
Christine’s interest in Early Childhood Education began when she was studying a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Sub major in Counselling and Interpersonal skills), as she found Developmental Psychology fascinating. From there, Christine completed a Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) and completed her placements and worked in Reggio Emilia inspired Early Learning Centres and Schools. Her studies and ongoing professional development, has led Christine through multiple leadership positions at The Ranges Infant Toddler Centre for nearly 10 years as being a Teacher for varying age groups and as an Educational Leader. Christine has a strong understanding of the importance of children’s developmental stages and interlinking it into children’s joy of learning through play.
Christine has now turned her attention to being a Trainer and Assessor in order to help students through the completion of their studies with ELC Training.
Christine also has an interest in Agriculture and livestock which comes from her childhood of growing up and working on the family farm on the Yorke Peninsula. Christine enjoys going over there with her husband and two young daughters, as well as spending time catching up with friends.
Vicki Cooper
Trainer & Assessor
With over 25 years of experience in early childhood education and care, Vicki brings a wealth of knowledge, leadership, and passion to the sector. Her journey began in 2000 after completing her Diploma in Children’s Services, leading her to a Kindy Team Leader role in Adelaide. Since then, she has worked across a wide range of services—from private and community-based settings to integrated services and crèches—always with a strong commitment to quality education and care.
In 2013, Vicki took on the role of OSHC Director, where she spent more than a decade supporting school-aged children and building inclusive, engaging environments. She has a particular passion for working with children with additional needs, especially neurodiverse children, and is dedicated to helping every child thrive and grow into their fullest potential.
In 2016, Vicki completed her Advanced Diploma in Community Sector Management, further strengthening her leadership capabilities and deepening her impact within the sector.
A proud country girl, Vicki grew up in the Adelaide Hills and has lived in various rural communities across Victoria and South Australia. After 13 years on the Fleurieu Peninsula, she now calls the beautiful Yorke Peninsula home.
Today, Vicki shares her extensive industry experience as a trainer and assessor, mentoring the next generation of educators. She is committed to supporting students to become confident, caring, and capable professionals who will shape the future of early childhood education.
Kat Mundy
Trainer & Assessor / Administration
Kat began her journey in early childhood education after completing her Diploma of Early Years Education in 2017, knowing from the start that her passion was helping children grow and develop new skills. Over the years, she gained experience across a variety of early learning settings, where she discovered a special interest in supporting neurodiverse children.
This passion led Kat into special education, where she spent 10 years supporting children with diverse abilities from nonverbal children with significant disabilities to those experiencing developmental delays. During this time, she also supported an Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) program, working closely with both children with additional needs and their typically developing peers. In this small OSHC setting, Kat played an active role in inclusive programming, ensuring all children felt supported, engaged, and connected.
Throughout her career in special education, Kat progressed from classroom roles into administration, gaining deep insight into both the educational and operational sides of inclusive learning environments.
After relocating to a regional area with her family, Kat joined the local long day care service. Her dedication and leadership quickly saw her move into a team leader position, where she mentored colleagues undertaking their Diploma and Certificate III studies. Encouraged by their growth and achievements, Kat has now embarked on her own journey into training and assessment, aiming to inspire and support the next generation of educators.
Outside of work, Kat is a proud footy mum who loves spending time with her children and helping to manage her family’s property.