Meet the Education Team

Who We Are

We are part of a diverse worldwide church! Our Adventist Education Department is part of the South Pacific Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is one of 13 divisions operated by the church’s General Conference.

Within our Education Department, there are two union conferences; the Australian Union Conference, and the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference; and two union missions, the Papua New Guinea Union Mission, and the Trans-Pacific Union Mission.

The four union conferences and missions are themselves divided into local conferences and missions. For more information on the four union conferences and missions and their education directors, please scroll down.

Dr Elisapesi Manson

Director of Education

Elisapesi is passionate about Adventist Education with more than 50 years of faith journey with Adventist schools and institutions in the Pacific including Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Australia.

Elisapesi completed her formal education almost entirely in Adventist schools which culminated with secondary teacher training at Pacific Adventist University in Papua New Guinea, and a Master award in Mathematics from the University of Sydney and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of New South Wales in Australia.

Elisapesi has served in various capacities in education in the Pacific and started as a secondary mathematics and computing teacher at Beulah Adventist College in Tonga. Elisapesi continued to serve in Adventist higher education providers in Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Elisapesi also served as the education director and consultant for Adventist schools in Tonga.

Elisapesi is married to Tony, and they have three teenage children, Siope, Seranette and Lina.

Miss Trudy Moiya Kiruwi

Project Manager & Admin

Hi I’m Trudy!

I am blessed to be the newest addition to the Education Team at the SPD. I have a Bachelor of Business from the University of Newcastle, Australia and I am currently studying a Master of Project Management. I am passionate about assisting in upcoming projects in the Education Department to transform and share God’s word across the Pacific.

When I am not in the office I enjoy travelling, playing soccer and spending time with my church family and extended family between my hometowns of Newcastle, NSW and Upper Mendi, SHP Papua New Guinea.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any enquiries! ♡

Adventist Schools Australia (AUC)

Dr Jean Carter

National Director Adventist Schools Australia

Mr Jacques Calais

Associate National Director – Culture & Identity

The Education Director of the Australian Union Conference is Dr Jean Carter and Mr Jacques Calais is the Associate Director. Within the Australian Union Conference there are nine regional conferences.

To contact your regional education director in the Australian Union Conference, visit the Adventist Schools Australia website by clicking here.

Trans Pacific Union Mission

Mr Talonga Pita

Union Education Director

The Education Director of the Trans-Pacific Union Mission is Mr Talonga Pita. Within the Trans-Pacific Union Mission there are the following regions

To contact your regional education director in the Trans-Pacific Union Mission visit their website by clicking here.

Papua New Guinea Union Mission

Mr Jethro Rabie

National Director

Mrs Serah Keliwin

Associate National Director

The Education Director of the Papua New Guinea Union Mission is Mr Jethro Rabie, and the Associate Director is Ms Serah Keliwin. Within the Papua New Guinea Union Mission there are ten regional missions.

To contact your regional education director in the Papua New Guinea Union Mission visit their website by clicking here.

New Zealand Pacific Union Mission

Mr Dan Carrasco

National Director

Mrs Sarita Butler

Associate Director

The Education Director of the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference is Mr Dan Carrasco, and the Associate Education Director is Mrs Sarita Butler. Within the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference there are two conferences and three missions.

To contact your regional education director in the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference, visit their website by clicking here.

General Conference Education Department

The General Conference Education Department is responsible for the coordination, promotion, training, and quality of the global Seventh-day Adventist educational system, which includes 9,489 schools, colleges and universities, with 111,360 teachers and 2,044,709 students.

Working in close cooperation with the Education Department directors in the 13 world divisions, the staff offers services to boards, administrators, and faculty of Adventist colleges and universities worldwide. The staff also provides support through the world divisions to educational leaders at union/ conference/ mission levels and to teachers in Adventist elementary and secondary schools to ensure that the Adventist philosophy of education and the principles of faith are integrated into the life of each institution.

In addition, the staff cooperates with Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries and the Youth Ministries Department in nurturing the faith of Adventist students attending non-Adventist colleges and universities worldwide.

For more information about the General Conference Education Department click here.

General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church