Meet the NABS Team
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Keri Gilbert Keri has had the exciting job of managing NABS services since it's beginning in 2005. Keri is a professional level Interpreter and is qualified in Community Services Management. Her background in working in the Deaf community stretches over the last 26 years firstly as an interpreter and then also as manager of various services to the Deaf community. Apart from her extensive work in Queensland Keri also worked at the Tasmanian Deaf Society for 5 years. Keri continues to enjoy her work at NABS looking after the development of services both to Deaf people and interpreters. In her spare time she enjoys camping and playing music. |
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Ray Hilsdon Ray has a background in Deaf education, counselling, community development and interpreting. Ray is currently interpreting in the education and medical fields. His interests include permaculture, philosophy, fishing and community volunteering. |
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Emily Robbins Emily started at NABS 2006 and is now the Senior Bookings Officer at the Call Centre. She was born and raised in Brisbane, QLD. Emily has a Deaf brother. She says she still has fond memories of attending a Deaf preschool as the only hearing child. Emily has an 8 year old daughter, Indi. She and her partner are excited about building their home. Emily is also a Para Professional Interpreter. |
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Lesley Tweedie Lesley is a country girl born in Taroom and raised in Goondiwindi, QLD. She went to high school and university in Toowoomba. Lesley moved to Redcliffe in 2001. Her work background includes many Administrative roles including Trust Account Manager at a Psychiatric Hospital. Lesley later turned her passion for photography into a profession, enjoying in particular photographing babies and children. Lesley says of NABS, “I love the diversity of roles within NABS and the challenges it can present”. She learnt basic Auslan 10 years ago and is on a steep refresher course to enhance her communication skills with her Deaf colleagues at NABS. She loves travelling, reading mind numbing novels, and playing with her gorgeous nieces. Lesley returned from a month long African Safari adventure at the end of 2009 with her wonderful husband Garry and took thousands of photos of the wild animals. One of the highlights included walking amongst a family of giraffe! |
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Deborah Howcroft-Miles Deb commenced work for NABS in the call centre in 2008. With her skills in administration and experience in training, Deb began assisting with coordination of the Diploma of Interpreting course and other Interpreter training. Deb's role is very diverse, keeping her busy every day. She enjoys working with the Deaf Community and the Interpreting Industry. Every day presents a new exciting challenge, says Deb. Outside of work Deb enjoys Instructing in Yoga and hopes to one day offer a Deaf Yoga class. Running is another past time Deb enjoys in her spare time. Deb is also studying a business degree which she will complete in 2012. |
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Helen Cignoli Helen is one of the longest serving call centre staff members having commencing work for NABS in June 2005. She says she has evolved with NABS as an organisation, enjoys the daily challenges, the busy work environment and most of all assisting the deaf community with their Interpreter bookings for their private medical appointments. Her career background was in retail management and fitness. In her spare time Helen loves spending time not only with her own, but also with her large extended family. She also enjoys travelling and canoeing. |
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Jenni Webb Jenni was born and raised in Adelaide, South Australia. Jenni is Deaf and is a native user of Auslan. She and her husband, John, moved to Queensland 12 years ago. Before joining NABS, some of the organisations Jenni worked for include, Rowntree Hoadleys, Clipsal, Telstra, DEET, Community Living Projects, in SA, and in Queensland, for Westpac, Qld Deaf Society, and DSRQ. Jenni works as one of the Booking Officers for NABS. Jenni says, “I love my job because it’s great to see Deaf people have the right to choose their own interpreter for their Private Medical appointments. We have a great team here!” She commenced working for NABS in October 2006 first as an Administration Assistant and Payroll (processed interpreters pays). In 2008, Jenni moved to the role of Booking Officer. She enjoys dining out, reading books, gardening, walking with dogs, going out with friends, and travelling. She and her husband have travelled to Hawaii, Bali, India, Thailand, Canada, Alaska, Malaysia, all of South Pacific Islands and New Zealand. |
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Lindsay Perry Lindsay is a CODA with both parents being Deaf. His Qualifications include Para –professional interpreter, Disability Support Worker and Baker/Pastry cook. Lindsay commenced work with NABS in 2007. His main duties include processing bookings and interpreter job sheets. Before NABS, Lindsay worked with Deaf Services Qld for 3 Years in Toowoomba as Community Worker/Interpreter. He also worked for 26 years as a Pastry cook in Melbourne and throughout Queensland. Lindsay enjoys fishing, watching sports, movies, and travel. |
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Kym Edwards Kim has a work history in the travel industry and also worked with Qld Ambulance for some years. She has been with NABS since 2008, and loves her work as she enjoys supporting the Deaf community and keeping busy. Kim loves to travel, and lived in France and England for a number of years. Kim is also an advocate for animal rights and the environment. |
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Kathy Styles Kathy commenced work as a NABS Bookings Officer in 2008. She says “NABS is so busy I find the working day flies and before I know it – it is Friday yet again!”. Kathy comes from a financial background and worked in Customer Service. Kathy says “I enjoy working for NABS as it is a dedicated team with a very high focus on Customer Service - to clients, interpreters and Practices”. Kathy has family in Queensland and Victoria, and her passion is fast and loud motorcycles, music, reading, wine and laughter. |
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Joel Lynn Joel is one of the newest members of NABS commencing in 2009. After spending 12 years in the country (Goondiwindi), he has finally moved to the “big smoke” to enjoy the city life. My previous jobs mainly centred on retail. NABS is a great place to work, and I enjoy the fast work pace of the job as well as the satisfaction of assisting the deaf community. In my spare time I enjoy the arts painting & drawing when I get the chance. I also enjoy indoor rock climbing and hiking in my spare time. |
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Aimee Mammone Aimee was born in Shepparton, a country town inland from Melbourne but Aimee describes herself as “half Italian half Kiwi”. Her mother was born in New Zealand, and her dad is Italian. Aimee grew up in Shepparton and moved to Brisbane to be near the water. She loves doing things with my baby girl Dasavia seeing everything through her eyes. Aimee says it is awesome for her daughter experiencing things for the first time, such as theme parks, including Movie World, Sea World and Wet N Wild. Aimee says she will take her daughter as many places as she can and over to New Zealand next year as Aimee’s mother was born there and her daughters dad is Maori so I can show her some of their culture. Aimee has worked as a Cafe Manager, Pool Company Manager, and also in Beauty, Fruit Packer, and as a Supermarket assistant. Aimee said she enjoyed waitressing, as she got to meet new people and making them smile. Aimee started at NABS in 2009, and says she “loves working at NABS!” especially communicating the clients and Interpreters. Aimee says, “Even though I can’t see them face to face I still make sure I give my all to my work so that everyone smiles”. |
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Karen Lake Karen was born and raised in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in England. She moved to Brisbane in 2009 with her husband and two children. Karen commenced work with NABS in 2010 bringing with her a background in community service. She describes her role working as a NABS Bookings Officer as very rewarding. "The positive feedback from the clients and the great atmosphere in the office makes working at NABS an enjoyable place" says Karen. In her free time Karen enjoys spending time with her family and friends. |
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Clinton Avenell Clinton commenced work for NABS as a booking officer in 2010. Clinton says that working at NABS has been a great career change for him. "The diversity of work in the call centre makes it very interesting to come to work and I enjoy working with all the clients and interpreters" he said. Clinton lives on the Northside of Brisbane with his partner and children. Clinton is a Karate coach and through his sport has the opportunity to travel overseas. |
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Ali Dowl Ali is a full-time Interpreter working for NABS & covers bookings across the whole state. She is a Professional level Interpreter. Ali trained and worked in Melbourne for many years before returning to her childhood home of Hobart. Ali's studies have included a Bachelor of Arts degree (majoring in History & Political Science), Diploma of Auslan (Barton/Chisholm TAFE), Diploma of Interpreting (RMIT), and Certificate IV in Workplace Training & Assessment (Kangan Batman TAFE). When not interpreting or doing community development work for NABS, Ali loves to visit Tassie's beautiful beaches, practice yoga, and sample the odd drop of the local Pinot Noir! |
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Elizabeth Temple Liz works in a full time capacity in the Northern Territory for NABS. Liz is based in Darwin and is always busy interpreting and finding ways to increase awareness around access issues and the provision of interpreters for Deaf people. She is very happy in the tropics and enjoys the variety of work her position allows. Liz has working as an interpreter professionally for more than 10 years. Liz previously lived in Cairns and Melbourne and enjoys art, the outdoors, and spending time with friends. |
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Marcel Leneham Marcel has almost twenty years’ experience in Auslan/English interpreting, has NAATI Professional Interpreter accreditation. Based in Sydney, Marcel is the Lead Trainer for the NABS Diploma of Interpreting. Marcel is a graduate of the Master of Arts programme in Translation and Interpreting at Macquarie University in 2004 and is currently completing his PhD at the same institution. Marcel is a lecturer at Macquarie University, teaching students in the Auslan and spoken language streams. Marcel was the lead translator for the award-winning Deaf community TV programme, “SignPost”. He has previously been a school teacher, working with deaf and hearing children in schools in Queensland and New South Wales. |