OUR PEOPLE

 Meet the Sport Waitākere team.


Lynette Adams
CEO Sport Waitākere

​​​​​​​Lynette has been at Sport Waitākere since 2004. She likens her role to that of a conductor of an orchestra working with multiple groups to provide leadership and vision for Sport Waitākere. Lynette loves her job and is inspired by the impact the work has on the community she loves. Email

David George
Community Sport Manager 

​​​​​​​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

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

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

Papalii Michael Mau'u
Young People Lead
Mulifanua (Upolu), Salelologa, (Savai'i) Samoa
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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Michael has a diverse sporting background and a passion for all things rugby. With a strong connection to his Samoan culture, he believes that the path to leadership is through service. He is working across multiple settings with a focus on making a difference for our young people at a strategic level, developing relationships, and a lifelong love for being physically active. Email

Pauline Butt
Young People Advisor (Project Lead)
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Pauline has a passion for making a difference in this community and ensuring that tamariki have quality play, active recreation, and sport experiences. She puts a strong emphasis on building capability in the community to ensure that these quality experiences happen!

Her key areas of expertise are; play, Funskills, aquatics, and leadership programmes. Email

Mick Coultard
Community Coach and Club Lead
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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

Ruta Tai
Community Connector (Coaching and Sector Support)
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

Casey Redman
Rangatahi Advisor (Active Recreation)
Ngāpuhi
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Casey has worked as a Director of Sport in Waitākere for 11 years and has a passion for sport and physical activity in secondary schools. Her role as Rangatahi Advisor allows her to support all of our local secondary schools to build and sustain quality programmes for rangatahi. Casey has also taken the lead for developing quality programmes for women and girls in our communities. Email

Amber Craig
Whau Cluster Coordinator

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

Grace Harper-Tierney
Community Sport and Recreation Coordinator
Ngāti Awa

Grace comes with a Bachelors degree in Sport and Recreation and is beginning her career in the industry with Sport Waitākere. Having a background in sports administration. Grace supports the team in project and event coordination, community engagement and the creation of online content. She is passionate about activating and removing barriers for the West Auckland Community through sport, active recreation and play. Email

Sarah Oto 
Healthy Active Learning Advisor
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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

Deepika Unka
Community Sport and Recreation Administrator

​​Deepika works towards gaining after hours access for West Auckland communities, to school facilities such as; swimming pools, bike tracks, turfs, and halls. She also manages the KiwiSport funds and is the project lead for The Trusts Sport Waitākere Excellence Awards. [Maternity Leave]

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

Greg Gurau
Magic Play Box Coordinator
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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

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

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
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Mikes 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 
Social Media Content Coordinator​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Ngāti Maniapoto
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Priscilla's role involves managing our online platforms and sharing stories of 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. ​​​​​​Email

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

Bea Enriquez
Systems Innovator ​​​​​​​

In her role as a Play Systems Innovator, Bea enables increased play opportunities in Waitākere through influencing planning, urban design, policy, investment, and settings. 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​​​​​​​

Chantelle Huch
Systems Innovator

Chantelle is passionate about bringing Pasifika voice to the table, creating, and enabling more accessible pathways and opportunities for our Pasifika community to thrive and lead happy and healthy lifestyles.

Email

Cathy Livermore
Māori Systems Innovator
Waitaha, Kati Mamoe, Kai Tahu

​​​​​​​Applying her knowledge and lived experience as an artist, educator, activist, facilitator and healer, Cathy is committed to creating and empowering solutions that provide equitable outcomes for Māori, that empowers Māori to live in our own culturally defined ways, that provide healthy, resilient futures and positive social change, and which values and resources Māori in their role as kaitiaki to our whenua, moana and taiao. 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