OUR PEOPLE

 Meet the Sport Waitākere team.


David George
Kaiwhakahaere matua (Chief Executive Officer)

David manages the community sport and recreation team and oversees business development and strategic relationships. He also manages the design and delivery of local and regional strategies including the Auckland Approach to sport. Email

Kerry Allan
​​​​​​​Healthy Families Waitākere Manager 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​With a background in nutrition and sport, Kerry brings knowledge and practical expertise leading the team at Healthy Families Waitākere, to improve the health and wellbeing of West Aucklanders. Email

Kate Rooney
Business Services Manager

​​​​​​​Kate has wide-ranging experience in business services from IT to facilities management. The role of the Business Services Manager at Sport Waitākere is to lead and manage operations to maximise the effectiveness and growth of our services through developing business capability. Email

Mick Coultard
Community Coach and Club Lead

​​​​​​​Mick comes from across the way and now calls Aotearoa home. He brings with him his knowledge of coaching, facilitating outdoor education, and adult learning into his role. Mick’s philosophy of People, Development, and Fun aligns with his work, connecting people while developing ways of providing quality sporting experiences in West Auckland. You will often hear him saying “better people build better connected communities”. Email

Katie Dobson
School Strategic Lead

Katie manages a team who provide expertise and support to targeted primary, intermediate and secondary schools to improve participation levels and ultimately wellbeing outcomes for tamariki and rangitahi in West Auckland.

Katie was secondary school Health and Physical Education teacher for 17 years. She has extensive knowledge in and around the Health & Physical Education curriculum, in planning, delivery and assessment. Email

Pauline Butt
Play Systems Advisor

Pauline has a passion for making a difference in this community and ensuring that tamariki have quality play, active recreation, and sport experiences. She has a strong background in all things 'play' and is excited to take on this new role looking at systems that can be interrupted and changed to allow for more play opportunities in our schools and communities. The value of play cannot be underestimated when looking at wellbeing and our sense of belonging. Email

Honglu Zhang
Community Connector Asian Communities

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Honglu has always had a passion for sports. She has recently completed her PhD at the University of Auckland. She believes that sport contributes to health and wellbeing, empowerment, inclusivity, and diversity in ethnically diverse societies. As a community connector, she supports the Asian community by educating and engaging in local opportunities, as well as developing the population’s existing structures, particularly in sport, recreation and wellbeing. Email

Jamie Lane
Community Sport Project Advisor

Jamie spent half of his childhood at Eden Park and has now been involved in the sport industry for over 20 years. He has gained skills from a wide range of roles that helps him oversee the daily running of the Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa fund, Local Board relationships and projects, and the Water Skills for Life initiative. Email

Sarah Oto 
Healthy Active Learning Advisor​​​​​​​

Sarah was teaching at a local West Auckland school for 16 years previous to her Healthy Active Learning Advisor role. She was active in the local Te Atatu area through her role as an Across School leader for the Te Atatu Kāhui Ako. She is passionate about supporting our education providers to help improve the wellbeing of our tamariki and rangatahi. Email

Oliver Wooding
Healthy Active Learning Community Connector

​​​​​​​Oliver has a background in Primary and Intermediate education, as well as a bachelor's degree in Sport and Recreation, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice. He is passionate about creating and fostering community connections to promote and improve the wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi. Email

Christian Curtis
Healthy Active Learning Community Connector​​​​​​​

Christian has been working in the Sport and Rec sector for the past 5 years. He has developed a passion for bringing the community together, with a specific interest in our tamariki and rangatahi. Within his new role, he hopes to provide partnership and empowerment across our West Auckland Community. Email

Shanley Joyce 
Healthy Active Learning Advisor

​​​​​​​Shanley has been working in the education sector for over 15 years, most recently as a Healthy Active Learning Advisor at Sport Auckland.  Her last school post was as a Deputy Principal at Long Bay College, she has also been a professional learning and development facilitator and lecturer at the University of Auckland College. Email

Amber Craig
Whau Cluster Coordinator

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Amber is enthusiastic about providing active opportunities to help enhance children’s confidence and wellbeing. Her role as the Whau Cluster Coordinator entails working with a cluster of 12 schools in the Whau region, coordinating sport providers as well as the Whau interschool sports events Email.

Karyn Hill
Collaboration Broker and Project ​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Co-ordinator
​​​​​​​Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Apa, Te Atiawa. 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​With a background in project management and stakeholder engagement, Karyn brings experience, skills, and knowledge to her role. She is committed to building collaborative relationships and connections that deliver positive outcomes for communities. An advocator of a growth mindset, she looks at challenges and finds ways to transform them into opportunities. Email

Zoe Dykzeul
Gear up/Play Streets Co-ordinator

Zoe has recently completed her studies and now holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport and Exercise Science and a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Science. She is passionate about providing positive play experiences for our tamariki and rangatahi. She works closely with local community champions to implement initiatives that increase access to play and sports equipment for everybody in the community. Email

Kath Geaney
Office Administrator

With a background in Administration and Operations, Kath brings experience and skills to provide daily support for the team, ensuring the office runs smoothly. She considers it a privilege to work in the region that she calls home and seeing the positive outcomes our mahi contributes to our communities.

While her passion is everything cricket, she enjoys a range of sport and has worked extensively in Sports Administration over the years. Kath looks forward to welcoming you next time you visit. Email

Greg Gurau
Magic Play Box Coordinator

​​​​​​​Greg coordinates the operations of the Magic Play Box Social Enterprise. ​​​​​​​His previous role involved promoting and supporting the development of rich play environments in primary schools. He has a bachelor's degree in Coaching and Exercise Science, with an interest in long term athlete development. This was the start of his passion for play and the role play has in the development of children through to their adulthood. Email

Selina Brown
Accounts Administrator 
Ngāti Whātua - Ngāti Hinga, Ngāti Torehina.​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​
Having joined Sport Waitākere in 2019, Selina provides essential admin support for the team. Email

Catherine Powell
Lead Systems Innovator

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Cathie has worked in Waitākere for over 25 years as a community developer, mediator, and educator and is committed to interrupting colonisation, poverty, and all forms of discrimination. Email

Mike Tipene
​​​​​​​Rautaki Māori/Māori Systems Strategist
Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa

​​​​​​​Mike's primary focus is improved Māori health outcomes. His knowledge of Te Ao Māori helps to inform our practice when working with and for our Māori communities.

Mike brings strategic direction and guidance that supports our team to work in a culturally appropriate manner, improving the likelihood for successful Māori outcomes. Email

Repeka George-Koteka
Pacific Systems Strategist​​​​​​​
Ngāti Ruatea, Ngāti Terei (Cook Islands)

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Repeka has a priority focus on improved Pacific wellbeing, leadership, and health outcomes. A Masters of Applied Indigenous Knowledge and lived experience working within West Auckland, helps to inform her practice when working with and for our Pacific communities.

Repeka brings strategic direction and guidance that supports our team to work in a culturally appropriate manner, therefore improving the likelihood for successful Pasifika outcomes.​​​​​​​ Email

Grace Vujnovich
​​​​​​​Strategic Communications Manager​​​​​​​

With a background spanning corporate and consumer public relations, Grace brings theory and experience to her work. She most enjoys championing stories of community innovation and action in West Auckland.​​​​​​​ Email

Caitlin MacColl
Strategic Relationships Manager

Caitlin builds and manages relationships across a variety of settings to foster a collective leadership approach, including finding new opportunities and building alliances to influence systems change.
{Maternity Leave]​​​​​​​​​​

Louise Kirkwood
Data Insights and Evaluation Lead​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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

Priscilla TuiSamoa 
Maori Communications Innovator​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Ngāti Maniapoto

​​​​​​​Priscilla's role involves managing our online platforms and sharing stories of Maori community innovation in West Auckland. She also supports the team to create content to share online. Email

Michele Eickstaedt
Systems Innovator  ​​​​​​​

As a Food Systems Innovator and registered Nutritionist, Michele's passion is to identify and support opportunities to improve the food/nutrition environment in places where people live, learn, work and play in West Auckland. 
​​​​​​​​​​​​​[Maternity Leave]

Megan Beard
Systems Innovator   ​​

​​​​​​​Megan is passionate about reducing alcohol-related harm and mental wellbeing in West Auckland. Her work involves strategic development and work programmes in wellbeing and alcohol harm reduction. Email

Rea Kenkel
Systems Innovator

​​​​​​​With a background in the food and drink industry and food systems research, Rea’s role is to support kai sovereignty in Waitākere by enabling community connection, strategic innovations, and system disruptions. Email​​​​​​​

Giuliana Sewell

Systems Innovator
Tūhourangi, Ngāti Porou


​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Giuliana brings experience in health prevention, rehabilitation and clinical teaching to the Healthy Families Waitākere team. Her role is to work alongside community groups to positively impact health across physical, learning, and work environments. She has a strong focus on equitable opportunities for Māori and developing innovations that support diversity and embrace mātauranga with authenticity. Email

Ruta Tai
Systems Innovator
Iva, Falelatai (Samoa)​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​Ruta has a background in athlete and coach development in the Pacific and Aotearoa. She is passionate about creating and fostering community connections and providing 
​​​​​​​navigational support to access opportunities that strengthens the wellbeing of individuals and whānau, in order to achieve their goals and aspirations. Email