Having worked in a variety of roles both domestically and internationally across almost 20 years, David brings extensive experience of leading and supporting teams to achieve strategic outcomes. David is proud to lead an immensely talented whānau to achieve Tuia Waitākere’s vision across the West Auckland community. Email.
As Rautaki Māori, Priscilla supports Māori-led solutions that advance equity, health, and wellbeing. She champions Te Tiriti o Waitangi and works alongside the Sport Waitākere team to weave te ao Māori principles into initiatives that build healthier, more connected futures for the whole community. Email.
As Data Insights and Evaluation Lead, Louise’s role is to support the team to build robust evaluation practice into their day-to day work, so we can continuously refine and improve what we do to promote healthy lives. Email.
Christian has worked in the West Auckland community for the last 9 years. During this time, he has honed his skills and developed a passion for supporting systems change and systems return in the physical activity, kai and wellbeing spaces. Within his new role he hopes to support Māori and Pasifika communities to unlock opportunities to lead healthy and active lives through meaningful and culturally appropriate experiences. Email.
My focus is to weave a Pacific worldview that serves, nurtures, and strengthens the health and wellbeing of our Pacific community. I enjoy implementing strategic innovation that influences local cultural renewal and welcomes sustainable change to provide positive health outcomes. Email.
Rea has a background in community development and food sovereignty movements and is passionate about working alongside the community to help influence system disruption, strategic innovations and strengthen community connection. Rea has an interest in how people relate to the spaces they occupy and the positive impacts that a sense of place bring to our health and wellbeing. Email.
Grace believes the stories we tell shape what people think is possible – and who gets to be part of it. Grounded in community voice, relational trust, and a deep commitment to the places and people of West Auckland, she works alongside the team to make the mahi visible and the change needed visible. Email.
Tim brings strong experience in the youth justice system, supporting rangatahi and strengthening community development pathways. With over five years working across both residential and community settings, he has developed strong relationship building and community engagement. Working alongside communities and partners to improve wellbeing outcomes for Pasifika, ensuring culturally grounded initiatives that support long term positive change. Email.
Driven by a love for helping community, Kristen has a background in primary school teaching, school dental clinics, and more recently, supporting māmā and pēpi with Te Whānau o Waipareira.
In her Māori Systems Innovator role, she aims to foster lasting, positive change within whānau and communities. Email.
Our Strategic Leadership Group work collaboratively with our workforce to support changes that will make the biggest difference for public good.
Lynette chairs the Healthy Families Waitakere SLG and is the previous CEO of Sport Waitākere. She held that position since 2004 and is strongly passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of West Aucklanders. With Sport Waitākere vision of: Everyone connected, active and healthy she is able to align her beliefs through her work for the community she loves.
Lynette is also an Elected Member of the Waitākere Licensing Trust, a Director on The West Auckland Trust Services Limited (WATS) and a board member of Belong Aotearoa. She has held previous governance roles including the Waitākere Regional Hockey Turf Trust and NZ Bowls.
Fole (Daleki) Finau is of Tongan descent from the villages of Masilamea, Tongatapu on his father’s side and Ma’ufanga, Tongatapu on his mother’s side. Born in Aotearoa and raised in Tonga and around the Pacific, he now lives in west Auckland and is married with two wonderful daughters, who keep him grounded yet ambitious.
Fole has worked extensively within tertiary education, community health and local government. He has well established relationships across academic, health, central government, local government and the Pasifika community.
Fole is currently a part of The Western Initiative (TWI) team at Auckland Council. TWI deliver and facilitate economic initiatives that build social, human, cultural and financial capital that enables west Aucklanders, particularly Pasifika and Māori, to create socio-economic transformation for their communities, while also influencing change at a system level.
Penny has been a councillor and local body elected member for the last 27 years. She served as deputy mayor for Waitākere City and then deputy mayor for the newly amalgamated Auckland council for six years.
She has been closely involved in city planning and development of housing policy chairing a variety of committees responsible for these areas.
Penny has also been a member of the Auckland Housing First governance group, and was appointed to the board of Kāinga Ora (formerly Housing New Zealand) in January 2020.
A dedicated westie, Mark lives in Te Henga/Bethells Beach with his partner Janet Cole. He has been Executive Officer at Community Waitākere since 2018, after 30 years in local government.
He worked at Auckland City Council, Waitākere City Council and Auckland Council in a variety of roles including Community Development Team Leader, Leisure Services Manager, Social Wellbeing Collaboration Project Manager and Strategic Advisor.
He is also an elected member on the Waitākere Ranges Local Board and is on the Waitakere Licensing Trust and a Director on West Auckland Trust Services.
With a background in Public Health, Aimee has dedicated more than 15 years to improving community health and wellbeing through a variety of roles spanning the commissioning, development, implementation and evaluation of prevention-focussed initiatives. This included playing a key role in the establishment of Healthy Families NZ while at the Ministry of Health. Aimee brings expertise in the fields of systems change, leadership in complexity and whānau-led innovation.
Aimee currently leads the Tamariki Wellbeing team at The Southern Initiative, an innovation unit embedded within Auckland Council that is focussed on social and economic transformation for South Auckland.
A proudly born and bred Westie, Aimee is passionate about unleashing the potential of community-led approaches to deliver more equitable wellbeing outcomes for our whānau and tamariki.
Aroha Hudson, ACA, MBA (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi) is the CEO of HealthWest Te Puna Manawa (Est in 1993). HealthWest has Māori Provider Trust Status and operates as a Not For Profit Charitable Trust. HealthWest provides free health, social, whānau ora and community support services especially to vulnerable communities of including Māori, Pacific, children, young people, families and other high needs groups.
Aroha has been on the Spectrum Care Trust Board since June 2013 and currently chairs the Finance and Audit Committee. Aroha is a Board member for Te Hononga O Tāmaki Me Hoturoa and has additional governance roles including National Māori PHO Coalition, Director Auckland PHO, Council Member Unitec, Health Research Council, Heart Foundation NZ Institute of Management & Waitematā District Health Board. Her advisory roles includes member Māori Advisory Committee Clinical Trials School of Population Health University of Auckland. Aroha won young chartered accountant of the year and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of NZ.
Lucy has worked in public health and health prevention since 2005, initially in public health with a focus on alcohol harm reduction and tobacco control and more recently as a project manager in the Promotion Directorate, National Public Health Service (formally the Health Promotion Agency). Lucy has been a part of the Healthy Families NZ initiative since 2017 and has a passion for community-up leadership, co-design, systems thinking and storytelling for influence.
With a background in nutrition and physical education, Kerry brings a deep understanding of community health and wellbeing. Formerly the Location Manager for Healthy Families Waitākere, she led our team focused on building community leadership and improving health outcomes across the region. Now as Chief Executive of Community Waitākere, Kerry continues to champion collaboration and systems change, working alongside partners and local leaders to strengthen the social and environmental fabric of West Auckland.
