Gina Dougall

Gina Dougall is the Manager at Banksia Gardens Community Centre and has been for the past 6 years. Gina is a mother of three children and lives in Pascoe Vale. She enjoys exercise, playing tennis, watching her beloved Saints (AFL), reading books and travelling. Gina enjoys organising new programs and working in partnership with other community organisations. She loves her position and loves the staff at Banksia Gardens.

Carmel Barberio

Carmel Barberio has been involved at Banksia Gardens for the past seven years. Originally she was coordinating the childcare courses at the Centre. Carmel lives in Meadow Heights and is married with one daughter Laura. Carmel currently holds the position of Hume Playgroup Coordinator with Communities for Children. She has recently accepted to study the Bachelor of Early Childhood 4th year with the University of New England. Carmel is passionate about children and families, particularly children safety. Her dream is to travel and explore the world with her family. Carmel is a well respected member of the Banksia Gardens family and we all love her.

Samantha Donaldson

Samantha Donaldson is 25 and has been part of the Banksia Gardens family for seven years. Samantha is currently the Administration Manager and Enrolment Officer and coordinates everything in the office. She was recently married in March 2008 and lives in Glenroy with her husband and her family. She has completed Certificates III and IV in Business Administration and intends to continue her studies with a Diploma of Business Administration in the coming years. Outside of Banksia Gardens, Samantha has been an Associate Teacher of Dance for over 10 years and was invited to LA where she performed in a showcase at Disneyland at the end of 2007.

Nathalie Nehma

Nathalie Nehma is 37 and has been teaching at Banksia Gardens Community Centre and Victoria University for the past 2 years. Nathalie is currently Coordinator of the Introduction to Child Studies program at Banksia Gardens. Nathalie studied at Banksia gardens and completed her Diploma in Children Services, and later completed her Bachelor of Education at RMIT. Nathalie is a mother of two primary school aged children. She currently works four days a week at Victoria University and her goal is to commence her Masters and travel the world with her family.

Sitki Esenyel

Sitki Esenyel is 30 and has been a teacher for four years, including the past 1.5 years at Banksia Gardens. Sitki enjoys bushwalking, boogie boarding and reading, particularly books about religion and philosophy. He describes his teaching style as dynamic and flexible. He is currently teaching eight young people at Banksia Gardens. Sitki was married this year and lives in Maribyrnong. He would love to see the VCAL program at Banksia Gardens grow even bigger.

Gulnihal Kiymazaslan

Gulnihal Kiymazaslan came to Australia in 1990. Nihal has two children aged 16 and 10, and lives in Pascoe Vale South with her family. Her goal is to eventually study Childcare in the future and work further with children. Nihal currently works very closely with Carmel Barberio and facilitates all playgroups at Banksia Gardens. Her dream is to travel to Turkey to visit her parents who she has seen only twice in 17 years.

Miriam Johnson

Miriam Johnson has been training students in computers for almost 10 years, with the past 5 years at Banksia Gardens Community Centre. She started her working life as a nurse and has extensive experience in the community sector. As a nurse Miriam had little knowledge of computers. She trained as a programmer and was opened to the amazing potential of computers through working in the community on a number of projects. Miriam strongly believes her two fields are not so disparate as good health is about connectedness and computers are a way for people to connect. She looks forward to meeting many more new people and introducing them to computers and easing their transition into the cyber world.