CDNZ has developed an establishment board of Directors who will lead the organisation through its first phase of development.
Our Board
Rawiri Wharemate
Kaumatua
Ngapuhi, Ngatiwai, Ngai Te Rangi, Tainui, Ngati Rehua
Rawiri has joined the Board and CDNZ team as Kaumatua, bringing vast experience of working in the NGO and community sector, in particular in Māori development, and with particular interests in mental health promotion and prevention, workforce development and youth development.
He currently holds positions with Werry Centre for Adolescent Mental Health, Mental Health Foundation of NZ as Kaumatua and is Chair of the Ngati Rehua Trust Board.
Brent Robinson
Chair, Co-founder
The founder of the successful health consultancy Solutions, Brent has fifteen years experience as an accountant, with eight years in senior health sector finance roles and several years consulting in local government. As roles have involved change implementation and financial management of significant areas of the New Zealand health sector budget, Brent continues to scope and manage projects for the Solutions team.
Historically Brent has also been involved in working with a range of non profit organisations, ensuring internal systems and governance are working to create stable and sustainable service delivery. Brent considers it a privilege that he has been on the boards of, and worked with many organisations, seeking to improve the lives of children and young people from a wide range of backgrounds throughout the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand. Brent is passionate about ensuring the community sector is strong and well supported and so had a vision to develop a multi-disciplinary team to create Capacity Development NZ.
Alison Taylor
Director, Co-founder
Alison Taylor has extensive experience in the Health and Disability Sector here and in the UK. Her 20 year career has spanned a number of leadership roles in Public Health, Mental Health and Youth Health and Development. She was CEO of the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand for over 6 years and in this role provided leadership not only to the organisation but across the sector in terms of advocacy for not for profit organisations working in health and disability. She has held national roles on a number of health sector committees including Chair of the Mental Health Advocacy Coalition, professional advisor on the review of Alcohol Advertising and inaugural member of national NGO health forum. Alison was General Manager of the Ministry of Youth Development within the Ministry of Social Development before setting up Sinclair Taylor Consulting with her partner.
She is currently a Director of the Vodafone Foundation New Zealand, a philanthropic organisation focused on supporting vulnerable young people, and represents VFNZ on the board of Philanthropy New Zealand.
Alison has worked on a wide range of health projects and both managed and reviewed many health services. Throughout her career Alison has worked with diverse communities with a wide range of needs and is committed to supporting the community sector to build capacity. Alison is one of the inaugural Directors of Capacity Development NZ.
Mike Norton
Director, Co-founder
After an eighteen year career involved in senior management, board and company organisational roles with a major New Zealand importer, Mike has discovered a new passion working as a consultant and project manager in the health and not for profit (NFP) sectors. Over the past few years, he has carried out a wide range of assignments at Starship Hospital, and completed a number of key projects for the ADHB Planning & Funding Division. Recently, he has undertaken a major review of policy and processes within Child Youth and Family, and prepared critical business cases relating to community crisis services for ADHB, ACC and MSD.
Mike has wide experience in governance, funding and operational frameworks, with a proven skill in recognising key challenges and opportunities in an organisation, and providing workable solutions. He is proud of the trust and confidence he has been able to form with the many dedicated people he has met in the NGO and NFP sectors, and in the Funder arms that support them. Mike is honoured to be a founding trustee and co-developer of CDNZ, and looks forward to helping support a long awaited service that builds lasting relationships and addresses the core issues relating to the capacity and capability of NFP organisations.
Aseta Redican
Trustee
Aseta has a long history of service to Pacific health in New Zealand. As General Manager, Pacific Health at the Auckland District Health Board 2001 – 2009, she established two Pacific lead PHOs, the Parish Nursing service, the Healthy Village Action Zones (HVAZ) Pacific Community Development initiative and a Pacific Health Advisory Committee to the ADHB Board. Aseta has also founded the Heart Foundation’s Pacific Heartbeat Programme in 1991 and a number of Pacific Providers of Healthcare, as the Northern Regional Health Authorities and Health Funding Authorities Manager for Pacific Issues.
Aseta is a Board member of the National Heart Foundation of NZ, Fred Hollow Foundation NZ and Spectrum Care Trust. She has also been a member of the Ministry of Health’s Pacific Reference Group since 2001 and a key speaker at local and international forums on Pacific Health.
Advisors and Specialists
For many years now, the members of the CDNZ team have focused on supporting community health and social services and in so doing, have gained extensive experience in the unique attributes of these sectors. Above all, the CDNZ team know how to listen, and quickly understand and recognise an organisation’s needs.
The team offers a wide range of skills and expertise including
- governance and management
- organisational development and change
- funding considerations including business case development
- leadership and mentoring
- finance, budgeting and IT
- relationship management
- service and policy design and review
- evaluation and outcomes development
We have a collective history of achieving positive outcomes in the health and social sector and a passion for the values-based approaches of community services.
We have developed this new approach to capacity development based on models of good practice in New Zealand and internationally, recognising the need for new and evolutionary approaches to supporting organisations, enabling them to grow, and become confident, resilient and sustainable.
Our point of difference from other providers of organisational development models, training, advice, consultancy to the community sector is that we are ourselves a not for profit, we have developed and will evolve, a holistic approach to capacity development, based on relationships first and foremost, effective listening as we learn about the people and organisations who want to work with us. We will be taking positive solution focused approaches to organisational development strategies aimed at both governance and operational levels. The key to effective capacity development is long term relationships where the support provided meets the needs of the organisation as it evolves and moves through change and development processes over time. Our team will work to ensure that deliver services in a sustained and evolutionary way.
Our team work together to ensure we have effective leadership, governance, support systems and a co-ordinated team of advisors and specialists.
Our key advisors and specialists include:
Amit Bala
As a business and clinical analyst specialist, Amit has a proven background providing in-depth business process evaluation / review and project co-ordination within the healthcare and clinical environments.
Sara Bennett
Sara has an extensive background of over 15 years expertise in population health, including evaluation, research, strategic planning, and policy development. As a consultant and senior manager, Sara has worked across the health and social policy sector, with NGOs, DHBs and the Ministry of Health. Sara is skilled at integrating strategic evidence and operational practice to support achieving desired outcomes, and she is passionate about improving community wellbeing.
Debbie Edwards
Debbie has over 15 years of experience in the public health, social policy and private sectors. She has held senior Project/Programme Manager and consultancy roles involving diverse responsibilities such as strategic planning, policy development, funding, stakeholder engagement, research and evaluation. Debbie has worked closely with a range of NFPs as stakeholders and as a board member. She is particularly passionate about evidence-based practice and improving outcomes for disadvantaged communities.
Joanne Evans
With a proven track record in health service analysis, service planning and modelling, service reviews, strategic business alignment and a change implementation background, Joanne has an in-depth understanding of health services, its systems and culture. Joanne has a passion for NGO’s and particular interest in operational management and policy, public health and social services.
Kim Hunter
In addition to her clinical experience, Kim brings to her work a proven track record in performance and quality improvement, systems development and implementation, change management, service reviews and health service analysis.
Jo Knight
Jo is an experienced manager and advisor with a passion for community organisations and a particular expertise in sustainable development, mentoring, governance, social marketing and fundraising. Jo is an innovator, initiator, networker and relationship builder. A successful senior board-level manager with experience in not-for-profit, council and educational institutions.
Christine Martin
Having specialised in project management and policy analyst roles within local government, DHB and regional health organisations, Christine utilises her ability to bring together complex projects involving multiple stakeholder groups. Christine is passionate about community organisations in particular the youth sector.
Stephen McKernon
With a background in research, evaluation and design, Stephen has focused on developing innovative approaches to working with an extensive range of organisations over the last twenty years. He is passionate about service design and development, sustainable development models and collaborative design approaches. His expertise in design research has enable many organisations to move towards more innovative and sustainable service models.
Jen Richards
Jen is an experienced project manager specialising in projects where communication and project management are key elements of programme delivery. Jen has more than 20-years experience in project management, communication, strategy development, issues management, emergency planning and behaviour change strategy development. In the past ten years she has specialised in health-related assignments for the Ministry of Health, Public Health Units, DHBs and NGOs. Jen is a speaker of te reo Maori, has a BA (Hons) in Matauranga Maori, and a Bachelor of Maori Immersion Teaching (adults).
Stuart Smith
Having extensive health sector experience combined with a wide breadth of exposure in business Stuart’s focus is financial planning/management, project analysis, multi-platform data and system analysis, change management and procedure and systems training. Stuart has a passion for NGO’s and has worked with them to build sustainable funding and financial systems.
This core team is supported by an experienced administration and operational management group.
