Our Board

Eve Hawkes

Chair

Eve is experienced in a wide range of service delivery models including early intervention itinerant support, long day care, community-based preschools, and campus-based care. She has been the Director at Engadine Preschool Kindergarten since 1994 and is a founding member of the Sutherland Shire Preschool Alliance.

Holding an Advanced Diploma in Community Sector Management and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, she is a strong advocate for early childhood education. Eve regularly meets with local and state ministers to address issues faced by the sector.

Her leadership roles, including her directorship on the board of CELA since June 2022 and her position as CELA Chair since July 2023, demonstrate her ability to drive change and make a significant impact in the early childhood education sector.

Eve is committed to leading the CELA board and implementing exemplary board governance. Her vast experience within the sector supports her work on the board and gives her valuable insight into the day-to-day issues faced by Early Childhood Educators across the sector.

Arthur Wang

Director

Arthur brings over a decade of experience in Management Consulting and Financial Advisory. He has worked with clients across private, public and NFP sectors on business strategy, transformation, financial and risk management. Arthur is passionate about the early childhood and education sector and have led numerous pro-bono engagements and fundraising initiatives for community organisations.

As a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Arthur previously served as a Board Observer for Good Return and was the National Coordinator of Australia’s largest financial literacy competitions, reaching over 300 schools and 10,000 students. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Laws degree from UNSW and has represented Australia as a delegate to international forums, including the OECD in France, the Stanford Summit in the USA, and the Peace Conference of Youth in Japan. Arthur is a strong advocate for youth and education and committed to fostering growth and excellence in the early learning sector.

Fiona Black

Board Member

Beginning her career in private and community-based long day care services, Fiona has journeyed through a variety of roles within council ECEC environments. Her path has included Cert III and diploma positions, teacher roles, and ultimately, her ascension to the position of a director.

As the director of Koala Child Care Centre at Sutherland Hospital, Fiona showcases her expertise across multiple areas. She is directly involved with children aged birth to 6 years, leads as an educational leader, and adeptly handles the comprehensive responsibilities of a director.

Fiona is passionately committed to building a sustainable and fulfilling career centred on the holistic development of children from birth to six years. In her dual role as a director and an early childhood professional, she focuses on fostering children's self-awareness, promoting their growth, and establishing meaningful bonds with families to create a lasting impact.

Michele Schiller

Board Member

Michele Schiller is a passionate advocate for early childhood education and a seasoned financial expert. An experienced CPA accountant with a diverse background in business ownership and banking, she brings a unique perspective to the ECEC sector. 

Michele is the Founder and Approved Provider of Little Possums Preschool and Early Learning Centre in the NSW far western town of Warren. She established the long day care service over 12 years ago to fill a gap in the community for quality early learning. This included the design of the space, developing the business strategy, and overseeing all aspects of business operations.  

An accomplished finance, risk management and governance professional with a long career in tax accounting, banking and management consulting, Michele has held strategic roles for numerous businesses. She is currently the Head of Country for Conservis, an agriculture-technology company. Her impressive business acumen and understanding of regional early childhood education is an enormous asset to CELA and our member-base. 

Rob Shwetz

Board Member

With over 25 years of experience in marketing communications, sustainability management, and creative leadership, Rob has a proven track record of delivering results that align with the values and vision of purpose-driven organisations. Rob is also a trained B Consultant, certified by B Lab Australia and New Zealand, and a former partner and strategist at The Growth Activists, a consultancy that activates courageous organisations for a sustainable future.

His personal mission is champion positive systemic change and provide a voice to those that are not empowered to speak for themselves. Rob has been a board director across various not-for-profits since 2018. He is Deputy Chair and board member of Results Australia, a non-partisan international aid and development organisation funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and board member of Shaun Parker and Company. He has completed the AICD Company Directors course, Governance for Social Impact through the Centre of Social Impact, and GRI Standards. He has an MBA from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, Steinbeis University.

Professor Caroline Cohrssen

Board Member

Professor Caroline Cohrssen is Deputy Head, School of Education at the University of New England and a member of the ACER Preschool Outcomes Measure Technical Experts Group.

Caroline’s work prioritises the translation of research to practice and has focused on the STEM disciplines in early childhood education, the home learning environment, and transitions to school. She works in cross-disciplinary teams and has enjoyed appointments as a key advisor on multiple curriculum and pedagogy projects across the states and territories since completing her doctoral research in 2013. These have included the Northern Territory Preschool STEM Games, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s Planning Cycle Resources, the Australian Education Research Organisation’s Early Childhood Learning Trajectories. She is very interested in the influence of culture and context on teaching and learning, and spent three years working in Hong Kong. Holding teacher registration in Victoria and New South Wales, Caroline is currently contributing to a project that includes 10 universities and will develop, trial and refine an early childhood teaching performance assessment.

Caroline serves on editorial boards, has authored and co-authored many academic papers, book chapters and blogs, and is particularly acknowledged for her expertise in early childhood mathematics teaching and learning. Her research is currently investigating both early childhood educators’ and kindergarten children’s use of generative artificial intelligence.