Our Team
Professional - Skilled - Diverse - Focused - Community Minded
Anessha Jayshankar
Manager
Anessha is the manager at employable, with a background in HR, holistic life and wellness coaching. She leads a team of consultants, ensuring board and stakeholder requirements are met, operations run smoothly, and client outcomes are meaningful and sustainable. Anessha prioritises her team’s wellbeing, believing that a happy, valued team delivers the best results. She works directly with clients to help them build confidence, align with their values, and achieve personal and career goals. Inspired by seeing people grow and succeed, she enjoys finding creative ways to support both clients and her team. Outside of work, Anessha enjoys Latin dancing, cooking, and travelling, bringing energy, perspective, and an international outlook to her coaching and leadership.
Elmarie Karg
Assistant Manager & ACC Contract Lead
Elmarie is the assistant manager and ACC Contract lead at employable. With a background as a career’s advisor and employment consultant, she helps clients uncover their strengths, gain clarity around their career direction and build practical pathways to meaningful work. She is passionate about empowering people to move from self-doubt to confidence and is driven by the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive in work and life. Outside of work, she loves a good laugh, being outdoors and spending time with close family and friends, places where joy, connection and resilience matter just as much as they do in her role.
Kelly Rozier
Senior Employment Specialist
Kelly is a Senior Employment Specialist with expertise in digital optimisation, personal branding, and strategy. He helps clients stand out and presents them in the best possible light by utilising technology to streamline processes and tools, making things easier for clients. Kelly enjoys supporting clients to develop their skills, navigate career challenges, and maximize their potential. He is inspired by innovation and loves finding new ways to improve outcomes for those he works with. Outside of work, Kelly is passionate about sports, including rugby, basketball, and combat sports, and is known for being full of fun, quirky facts that make him approachable and relatable.
Lee Green
Employment Consultant
Lee has come onboard as a Junior Consultant in Employment Services after being an intern and getting work experience with employable. Lee helps clients find their place in employment with interview tips and training, he also does job search and cover letters for clients. Lee has lead workshops in schools about CVs, cover letters, job search, interviews and AI in the employment space. Lee enjoys seeing the growth of his clients and the difference the right job can make. His great love of baking is matched only by his love for his pets and pond.
Joy Ciminiello
Finance Officer
Joy is responsible for managing the accounts, processing payroll and financial reports, looking after the day to day finances of the Trust and ensuring we stay aligned with our budget. She prepares regular payroll for the staff and present monthly financial reports to the Board to support insight and sound decision-making.
She enjoys learning new things and is always ready to take on new challenges, whether in finance or other practical areas. She loves meeting people and serving the Communities whenever she can.
Outside of work, Joy enjoys singing, gardening and spending time with her family. If her body cooperates, you'll find her in the next half marathon.
Kate Savchuk
Administrator
Kate is an Administrator at Employable. Her responsibilities include providing administrative and operational support to the Manager, Financial Officer and Employment Consultants, as well as maintaining office systems and equipment.
She works to create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere in the office so our clients feel comfortable, confident and supported. With extensive experience in customer service, Kate applies her skills to assist clients effectively.
Originally from Russia, Kate enjoys discovering New Zealand, exploring new places and meeting new people.
Our Board
Our Board of Trustees provides leadership, oversight, and strategic guidance for Employable. They ensure that we remain true to our mission, uphold strong governance practices, and make responsible decisions about resources and programs. The board exists to support the organisation’s long-term vision, maintain accountability to our donors and community, and help us achieve meaningful, lasting impact.
Nathan Chicken
Chair
Tēnā koutou katoa
Ko Port Hills toku maunga
Ko Avon toku awa I tupu ake ahau i Aoteoroa
Kei Ōtautahi ahau noho ana
Ko Nathan ahau Tēnā koutou katoa
My passion is about helping people and supporting them to not only grow but to help them to help others grow.
I believe in sharing knowledge but also believe that learning is always occurring, and it is important that I also continue learning. I am a firm believer that culture, people and community are the foundations for building a strong and effective business and for being effective within the workplace.
My work sits across governance, education and community organisations. I currently serve on several boards in health, disability and social services, and I also bring a long background in tertiary education, programme leadership and business advisory work.
I care about the work organisations do in health, education and community spaces, and I enjoy contributing in ways that are organised, steady and useful. I’m always happy to connect with others working in governance, public sector, education and community-based roles.
Clyde Monteiro
Trustee
Clyde Monteiro CA brings strong financial governance and oversight to The Village Community Trust (Employable). Based in Wellington, he joined the Board in 2025 and was appointed for a three-year term.
With over ten years’ experience across the public sector and not-for-profit organisations, Clyde is passionate about people advocacy and social impact. He is committed to leveraging his expertise to support Employable’s mission of empowering and supporting marginalised communities into sustainable employment.
Currently, Clyde is the Finance Manager at Downtown Community Ministry and is a Chartered Accountant (Chartered Accountants ANZ). He is also pursuing education and membership with the New Zealand Institute of Company Directors.
Previously, Clyde was a committee member of the Chartered Accountants ANZ Public Sector Lower-North Island Committee and a committee member of the NZ Treasury Governance Finance Development Programme.
Karen Bailey
Trustee
Originally from the UK, Karen has called Whakatū Nelson home for the past 16 years. Growing up with a disabled family member, Karen understands the challenges faced by disabled people and their families. Karen has worked in the disability support sector for over 30 years as a Support Worker, Social Worker and Manager. Karen is an experienced people leader in assessment and provider services, serving on the National Executive of the NZ Need Assessment Service Coordination Association between 2012 and 2018. Karen is the current Regional Network Facilitator for the NZ Disability Support Network. Karen champions lifelong learning focused on person centred thinking and disability rights.
Phil Ivamy
Trustee
Phil Ivamy is Nelson born and bred; having worked briefly overseas in Vanuatu and the UK he returned to his turangawaewae to put down roots as there is ‘no place like home’! He is accounting trained and works in the software industry specialising in accounting software support – having worked all his 40-year career in these fields; as such he brings an accounting mind to the board.
Being in his late 60’s he is trialing possible retirement pursuits such as listening to blues and 1980s music; drinking craft beer and single malt whisky and following football from the comfort of his armchair. He has spent many years volunteering for a number of community organisations such as Lifeline, The Male Room, Life Education along with creating annual accounts for innumerable other volunteer groups. He loves being a member of a well run and positive board and feels it is a privilege.
Rebekah Smith
Trustee
Originally from Wellington, Rebekah, often known as Becks—has called Nelson home for the past 26 years.
As a wheelchair user, she brings valuable lived experience and insight into the challenges faced by the disabled community. Becks is deeply grateful for the opportunities made possible by the employable board and is honoured to contribute to its work.