Kate is the Te Tumu Whakarae / Chief Executive at Volunteer Service Abroad. She has broad experience in a range of governance roles with a particular focus on change leadership, public policy/regulation and large scale service delivery.

Kate is keenly aware of the need to influence water awareness and safety practices in NZ given the tragic fatality statistics and the significant impact this has on families throughout the country.

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She maintains an active interest personally in water sports - including as an open water swimmer competing each season and played water polo as a young adult. These experiences have shaped her views around supporting children into water sports and related activities at an early age to help build lifelong skills and confidence.   

 

Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington is home for Kate, she now lives on the South Coast of Wellington with her partner and teenage daughter and enjoys being near the ocean.

Michael has a rich background and active experience across many facets of water safety and within the sector.

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These include Surf Life Saving New Zealand, swimming, kayaking, canoe, multi-sport and the Drowning Prevention Commission of the International Life Saving Federation.

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Michael brings together commercial and local and regional government experience which supports the collective impact model Water Safety New Zealand works within in bringing sector partners together.

Tribal Affiliations: Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Kahu o Whangaroa.

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Anne-Marie is a Māori academic in physical education and health and serves Māori organisations and communities in governance and advisory roles. She is co-Director of a new national Centre of Research Excellence Coastal People: Southern Skies. She also co-leads Te Koronga, a world recognised Māori research and teaching excellence kaupapa.

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Anne-Marie is a passionate water safety practitioner across the spheres of Māori water safety research centred within a Māori worldview, Te Tiriti and Kaupapa Māori for flourishing wellness.

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Tangaroa Ara Rau is a collective of Māori researchers, organisations and communities who are committed to Māori approaches of water safety and Anne-Marie has been a contributing leader and member since 2015. 

Anna combines running her own taxation and legal advisory practice with a senior finance leadership role at Powerco Limited.  She has had a wide range of governance experience and currently is the deputy chair of Swimming NZ.  Anna brings a strong commercial acumen along with her finance and risk management skills to all her roles.  As an advisor she has spent numerous hours advocating for policy and legislation changes over the years.

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Over the summer (and some of the colder months too) you will find Anna and her whanau either on the water or in it, swimming, surfing and boating.  Anna is passionate about our Tamaraki learning to swim and being safe in and on the water, it is this passion that originally bought her to Swimming NZ.   She spent many of her younger years patrolling our beaches and competing as a surf lifeguard.  Based in the Waikato, Anna is also a member of the Institute of Directors and holds a practising certificate as Barrister & Solicitor.

Pete  is of Ngtati Kahungunu and Ngati Rongomaiwahine descent and is currently a member of Coastguard New Zealand Te Puhura mana Iwi , Maori, Pacifica and Asian Advisory group. Pete has also recently completed  6 years on the Coastguard New Zealand Board . He has been a member of Coastguard  for over 15 years  in Nelson.

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In his board role Pete and 2 other board members reviewed NZ Drowning statistics for a 5 year period to learn more about the causes of drowning to better understand what was happening .

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Pete has been fortunate to have a diverse career across a range of roles from the Military to the UN and an International treaty organisation banning Chemical Weapons to his current role as a Principal Advisor Emergency Management  in the health sector.

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Pete is an avid water user from being  a  boatie,  to an occasional sea kayaker,  a recreational swimmer and a qualified Diver  having had the privilege to dive in a number of countries.   

Pete currently lives in Whakatu  (Nelson) which has an abundance of aquatic activities to keep a water lover happy .and is proud to be a member of the Water Safety new Zealand Board

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James has a professional background in the outdoor recreation and tourism industries. This includes governance, general management, marketing and sales roles, with significant collaboration and partnership experience with commercial and not for profit entities across the public and private sectors at a regional, national and international level.

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James loves to get out exploring the great outdoors with his family and appreciates the importance of the work Water Safety New Zealand does to ensure everyone has the right skills and experience to enjoy our spectacular lakes and rivers confidently and safely. He has a passion for multisport, kayaking white water rivers in a multisport long boat, and lake swimming.

Kira has been a member of the Water Safety New Zealand Board since October 2021. She has extensive governance experience, both as a Board member and as an executive, interacting with and advising Boards, specifically in the People & Culture and executive remuneration areas.

 

Kira spent 9 years with Fonterra in a variety of senior leadership roles in New Zealand and Europe. Following this, she led various large-scale transformational change projects in the not-for-profit and corporate sectors, including governance and organisational restructures in Coastguard and the SPCA – in each case culminating in more unified, national entities, poised to drive long-term strategy and enhanced community benefits.

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As an avid ‘boatie’, Kira has a deep appreciation for water safety and the critical role that education, communication and advocacy play in preventing avoidable drowning and other marine-related crises.