OUR PEOPLE

 Meet the Sport Waitākere team.


Antionette Aalbers 
GM - Community Sport and Recreation

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

Catherine Powell
Practice and Development Lead

Cathie has worked in Waitākere for over 30 years as a community developer, mediator and educator and is committed to interrupting colonisation, poverty and all forms of discrimination.

​​​​​​​Her role focuses on developing and driving the innovation practice alongside the wider Healthy Families team. Cathie brings expert knowledge in both systems change theory and design methodology, as well as a strong social justice/human rights focus. She enjoys exploring the evolving role of systems innovation in improving health and wellbeing for those currently underserved in West Auckland and beyond. Email

Christian Curtis
Systems Innovator

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

Daniel Nicol                                                Sector Support Advisor

After completing my sport, health and physical education studies, Daniel embarked on working extensively within community organisations across Auckland. As a proud pacific islander, he had the pleasure of working within the Pasifika space and working with vulnerable families in our community. Daniel also coaches and volunteers from a club to a provincial level in football and touch and hopes to bring these experiences and memories here to Sport Waitākere. Email.

David George
Kaiwhakahaere matua (Chief Executive Officer)

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 Sport Waitākere’s vision of ‘Kia Tuia, Kia Ora, Kia Tū’  (Everyone Connected, Healthy and Active) across the West Auckland community.​​​​​​​ Email

Ella Falakoa
Pacific Systems Lead​​

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

Grace Vujnovich
​​​​​​​Strategic Communications Lead (Maternity Leave)​​​​​​​

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

Helen Ng
Whau Cluster Coordinator and FunSkills Advisor

Helen has worked exstensively as  a Kaiwhakatō Hākinakina at Arahoe, Fruivale, Woodlands and New Lynn schools. Helen brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and energy to the team. Email

Irina Lyanguzova                               Business Services Manager

With educational background in applied statistics and being a CPA Australia qualified accountant, Irina worked in a variety of roles in New Zealand and abroad. Irina has more than 10 years’ experience in not-for-profit financial management. The role of the Business Manager at Sport Waitākere is to lead and anticipate the changes, optimise accountability of operations, and prioritise the effectiveness of our services through ICT continuous improvement, upskilling personnel, and maximising projects productivity. Email

Jamie Lane
Data, Insights and Special Projects Lead

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

Jemma Palmer
Youth Sport Advisor

Jemma has worked extensively in the youth sport space coaching as the U17 and U19 premier coach for Waitakere Basketball and Liston Premier boys Basketball. She brings this knowledge and passion to her role as she aims to develop and deliver more positive sporting experiences for our children, families and volunteers.  Email


Karyn Hill                                    Governanace Support & West Auckland Together Collaboration Broker

​​​​​​​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

Kath Geaney
Operations Manager

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

Kayla Schwalger
Communications Advisor
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Kayla is passionate about creating - she uses this passion to create content, run the SW social media platforms and come up with creative campaigns that encompass the great mahi the team do.  Email

Metiria Light

Rautaki Maori

Ngāti Haaua, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa

Metiria is well versed with the Regional Sports Trust, and Healthy Families movement, having previously held the Rautaki Māori role in the Murihiku, Waihopai rohe, at Active Southland. Her ability to uplift community aspirations in a culturally responsive and meaningful way reflects her dedication to addressing the unique needs of the communities she serves. In this capacity, her commitment to influencing positive change and advancing health outcomes for Māori communities shines through.

Mike Tipene
​​​​​​​GM - Health 
Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa

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, therefore improving the likelihood for successful Māori outcomes. Email

Miriama Ohlson                             

Systems Innovator                                          Ngai Tūhoe, Ngati Whare

Originally from Otepōti (Dunedin), Miriama is of Tūhoe and Ngāti Whare descent nō Te Whaiti Nui a Toi ki roto i Te Urewera. She has run and managed a small business for many years and has extensive experience in the Health and Disability sector, specialising in high and complex needs. Miriama is a registered Coach with Sport NZ and has a vast array of skills working in the community for the community. Email


Priscilla TuiSamoa 
Strategic Communications Lead (Maternity Cover​​​​​​​​​​​​​​)
Ngāti Maniapoto

​​​​​​​Priscilla's role includes developing stories and content to support and promote kaupapa Māori in West Auckland. She also manages our online platforms and supports the team with digital content creation. Email

Rea Kenkel
Practice and Development Advisor & Systems Innovator

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​​​​​​​

Ruta Tonumaivao
Systems Innovator - Pacific
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

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. Email

Shanley Joyce 
School Systems Lead

​​​​​​​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

Stefan Mateariki 
Healthy Active Learning Advisor

Stefan has worked in Education as a Primary School teacher in East Auckland with a particular passion for the Junior School. He is looking forward to bringing his knowledge of the curriculum as well as his love for Netball to support kaiako with providing quality health and physical education experiences for their tamariki. Email

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