Kalandra employs a team of professionals with backgrounds in health, business and cumulatively more than 60 years’ experience in tertiary education.
Management & Administration Team
Chief Executive: Dr. Christine Clark
As well as Chief Executive Christine is also the Founder of Kalandra. Christine is a Registered Nurse and achieved her Doctoral Studies in Aged Care. She is a past board member and Chair of Neuro Connection, a foundation assisting in the rehabilitation of people with neurological conditions. She also lecturers in Health Management Studies for an MBA programme. Christine is responsible for the vision and strategic leadership of the organisation especially developing the relationships to enable the direction of Kalandra. Christine is also part of the Kalandra Governance Board.
Contact: christine@kalandra.ac.nz
General Manager: Alexandra Clark
Alex has several years’ experience in independent provision of education including development of resources. Alex is a Registered Nurse (Emergency Pediatrics specialty) and is undertaking her Master’s in Health Science to bring more validity to the organisation. She is a member of the Governance Board (ex chair) and a member of the Academic Board.
Contact: alex@kalandra.ac.nz
Chief Operating Officer: Kelly Clark (Storey)
Kelly has 20 years’ experience in all aspects of administration and managing an independent training organisation. She has a Masters in Tertiary Management. Kelly is responsible for overseeing students’ enrolments, implementing projects and interfacing with government agencies. Kelly is also part of the Kalandra Governance Board.
Contact: kelly@kalandra.ac.nz
Academic Manager: Virginia Archer
Virginia brings 27 years of experience managing and supporting teams to deliver high quality results cross all areas within the domestic tertiary sector. She is qualified as a Team Management Systems Facilitator and brings her skills in team building and managing a Category One Education Provider. Virginia has a passion for Tikanga Maori and Te Reo. Her Kaupapa is to develop strong and high performing teams through coaching and striving for excellence in all aspects of education delivery.
Contact: virginia@kalandra.ac.nz
Student Engagement and Operations Manager: April Protacio
April's employment background includes extensive customer service experience in Airline, Banking and the Telecommunications industry in the Philippines. Her love for travel and adventure brought her here to New Zealand where she pursued a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration. She successfully gained employment on completion and has gained extensive skills and knowledge of the Tertiary Education Sector.
Contact: training@kalandra.ac.nz
Learning and Development Lead: Joanna Kilgour
Joanna has a background in health, as a student midwife and as a support person in the mental health sector, however as she is now a mother to eight children her studies were put on hold. Jo began working with Kalandra in 2017 as a resource writer and is the learning and development lead including quality assurance, being lead on integrating new learning opportunities and teaching for neurodiverse learners and being an integral part of the development of the Embalming Diploma.
Contact: joanna@kalandra.ac.nz
Registrar: Abby Knight
Prior to becoming a mother, Abby embarked on a Bachelor of Education (Primary) before deciding to take a break, working in a variety of roles which have provided the basis for the skills needed to draw upon when she started working with Kalandra. In more recent years her focus has been on raising her three children in the Waikato region and gaining experience working on her parent’s boutique vineyard and olive grove which produces small quantities of wine and olive oil. Abby is family-orientated and passionate about supporting her children’s sporting and creative endeavours. A keen fisherwoman and lover of camping and the great outdoors, Abby likes to venture off the beaten track and get lost in the wonders of nature where she can.
Contact: online@kalandra.ac.nz
Accounts and Administration Support: Elaine Weir
Elaine comes to us with many years experience in tertiary educations in administration and accounting working in New Zealand, Sydney and London. Elaine volunteer for Riding for the Disabled in her spare time and love to fit some gardening in as well.
Contact:accounts@kalandra.ac.nz
Academic Faculty
Jemy Tomy - Lead Lecturer
Jemy is a Registered Nurse in New Zealand, with Master's in nursing. She is also a Registered Nurse & Midwife in India. She has great passion for patient care, teaching and an interest in professional development. Jemy has more than 10 years of experience in teaching different health courses and several years of experience working has a Registered nurse. She has also conducted individual research in nursing and worked as a nurse educator and clinical supervisor for adult nurses.
During her career as an Educator she has taught: Bachelor of Nursing programme, Pregnancy and parenting courses, Health and Wellbeing level 3 and 4 courses, Disability and mental health programme, Diversional therapy courses. As as Registered Nurse she has worked across different areas like, Neurological ICU, Medical & Surgical Wards, Obstetrics & Gynecology Wards, Labour Room and Aged care facility.
Jemy strongly believe that caring for people who are in need is human, especially when they are most vulnerable. She is very happy and proud when teaching and mentoring students, because she is able to share her knowledge with them, allowing her students to develop good healthcare skills and provide quality care to people.
"I always try to keep a good smile in my face and spread happiness to others, a smile doesn’t cost anything to me, but it will be a medicine to those in need”.
Contact: jemy@kalandra.ac.nz
Jeremiah Buenafe - Lecturer
Jeremiah holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master in Nursing and is a registered nurse from the Philippines. Jeremiah started his career as a nurse in the emergency department for a year at Dr. Garcia Medical Centre (Angeles City, Philippines) then spent the next 8 years as a Nurse Educator/Clinical Instructor at Angeles University Foundation, Philippines. The highlight of his tenure as a nurse educator was his preceptorship at National Centre for Mental Health (Philippines). Jeremiah moved to New Zealand in 2014 and worked in the aged and disability sector (Geneva Health, Royal District Nursing Service, and Spectrum Care) - the last 5 years being a Team Leader in one of the Residential/Disability facilities of Spectrum Care.
His passion is making a difference in the lives of the elderly and disabled people.
Contact: jeremiah@kalandra.ac.nz
Sue Rosewarne - Lecturer
Sue has spent many years working in the healthcare system in NZ and Queensland Australia, as a registered nurse and trainer/assessor in healthcare.
Sue has worked in many different areas of nursing – Hospital Care, Community Care, Disability Care, Aged Care. Dementia and Palliative Care. Dementia and Palliative care are the areas of care that she am most passionate about.
Sue is also passionate about supporting students on their learning journey to go out and deliver quality care to our vulnerable people.
Contact: sue@kalandra.ac.nz
Maxine Habraken - Lecturer
Maxine is a lecturer for levels 3 and 4 and joins Kalandra with a wealth of experience in teaching and supporting the adult learner in a multitude of topics, especially healthcare. Maxine has extensive experience in management, customer service, administration, logistics and, of course, care. As a lecturer Maxine encourages growth in her students and will help them in anyway she can. The mother of three and grandmother of two Maxine takes great delight in family, and with her husband John, enjoys exploring New Zealand in their bus when they can.
Contact: maxine@kalandra.ac.nz
José Balarezo Galarreta - Lecturer
José will be teaching our Level 4 and Level 5 students. José comes to us with a Bachelor of Psychology (Peru) and years of hands-on healthcare experience with our most vulnerable both in New Zealand and overseas.
José has extensive knowledge in Dementia, Diversional Therapy, Palliative Care and Rehabilitation.
Before coming to New Zealand José worked in schools in Peru creating and facilitating workshops, providing support, guidance and counselling to teachers, students and families .
José will be undertaking his Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science at Massey University in 2024.
Contact: jose@kalandra.ac.nz
Mike Wolffram - Lecturer
Mike has been involved with NZ Funeral Service since 1973. His career includes a background in Social Work and time spent as a Bookseller, but his time as an Embalmer and Funeral Director with a focus on professional development and education led him to Tutorial roles with the Wellington Institute of Technology lecturing in Funeral Directing, Embalming and Ceremony and Celebration studies.
Mike has been actively involved in Industry Associations serving as President with the NZ Embalmers Association and the NZ Funeral Directors Association and a Trustee on the NZ Funeral Service Training Trust. Mike was recently given the distinction of ‘Life Membership’ of the NZ Embalmers Association.
He has two adult children, two teenage grandchildren and he lives in the Wairarapa, close to the mountains, rivers and quiet ngahere in which he and his wife Anna find peace and refreshment. Motorcycling, surfcasting, poetry and the family greyhounds, Socrates and Himawari fill up his spare time.
Contact: mike@kalandra.ac.nz
Nika Manuera - Lecturer
Nika is a Registered Diversional Therapist with education in Dementia, Psychology, Palliative Care and Māori Well Being. With a primary focus on Aged Care, Nika has expanded her practice to meet the needs of each individual and support community and family involvement. She has held roles as a recreational team leader and been appointed as a national advisor for Diversional Therapy In Dementia care as well as head Māori and Pasifika equity initiatives. Through gateway programs, secondary school career expos and TEC endorsed healthcare promotions, Nika has taught and recruited students and staff to enjoy the privilege of working in healthcare.
Contact: Nika@kalandra.ac.nz
Samu De Silva - Lecturer
Samu De Silva is a qualified medical doctor from Sri Lanka, she has a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and has also gained her MBA in Health and Health Care Administration and Management from Edinburgh Napier University United Kingdom and has also completed a Bachelor of Science from the University of Waikato. Samu brings her skills and experience into the classroom, teaching international students health and wellbeing so that they can gain employment in New Zealand. Samu’s passion is about making a positive impact with the healthcare industry through education and training.
Contact: Samu@kalandra.ac.nz
Last updated: 9 April 2024
