Board of Trustees

Sandy is a Deputy Principal at Lynfield College and has been a teacher for over 30 years. She taught English for most of that time at a decile 1 school in South Auckland. She has had significant experience as a school trustee and for many years has done volunteer work in the Mount Roskill electorate. Sandy joined the Ako Hiko Trust in mid-2018 because she sees technology as a powerful tool for improving student engagement and achievement and was impressed with the work the Trust was doing in Mount Roskill.

 “As a teacher I was always looking for ways to improve educational outcomes for my students and remove barriers to their learning. Ako Hiko is doing that by levelling the playing field so all young people can access technology and see success. Having a device of their own supports student learning and collaboration. It also opens up whole new worlds for them.”

Originally from Kerikeri, over the last 38 years, Gavin has lived mainly in Auckland with a few extended periods in the UK. He is married to Vicki, and they have 4 children.

An electronic engineer with a passion for technology and learning; he has helped establish and grow a number of successful technology companies.

He joined Ako Hiko Education Trust in 2019 after being invited to attend a trustee meeting and seeing the impressive results the students in their cluster achieved as the result of the trust's work.

Having seen first-hand the benefits technology provides to 2 of my children who are dyslexic, I understand the importance of its availability in schools. One of the UK schools had an excellent programme to enable all pupils of the school to have access to technology and this was incredibly successful – evidenced by their GCSE results, some of the highest in the country for a state school.

Brett has over 20 years of experience in leading New Zealand corporates and global professional services firms.  Over the last 10 years, Brett has specialised in audit and financial reporting in the ‘for purpose’ sector. Today, he works with a range of national and regional charitable entities in education, healthcare, social services, and religious institutions.  Brett is passionate about the impact the sector makes to the health, wealth and wellbeing of New Zealanders and its role in enabling our communities to function and prosper.

Ruth is a Relationship Manager for The Salvation Army involved in fundraising for work amongst the vulnerable in New Zealand Communities.

She has been a parent representative on school boards for over 20 years- most recently for a school within the Ako Hiko cluster and was involved in the decision to be a founding school of the cluster.

For many years Ruth has been aware of the huge disparities that socio economic factors play in education and sees the work of the trust as a key to evening the playing field. She has also seen the impact that computers have for those with learning difficulties. One of her sons failed to achieve in the school system until a laptop unlocked his learning. He now has two degrees and is currently undertaking post graduate education.

She sees the importance of digital enablement (both for students and the upskilling of teachers) as a key to success and is keen to play a part thru trusteeship for Ako Hiko.

Kate is an experienced finance leader and Chartered Accountant with expertise in financial operations, systems transformation, governance and stakeholder engagement. She has held senior finance roles across large and complex organisations, leading teams, improving processes and delivering technology-enabled change.

Outside of her professional career, Kate has enjoyed contributing to her community through governance roles with Auckland Plunket, her daughter’s school, and most recently as Treasurer and Trustee of a South Auckland-based budgeting service.

Kate is passionate about the role technology can play in creating more equitable opportunities for learning. She is inspired by Ako Hiko’s vision and is keen to contribute her finance, governance and systems experience to support the Trust’s work with schools, whānau and learners.

Billy is a newcomer to the Board of Trustees and brings a valuable combination of education, finance and community experience. Originally from Tauranga, he now lives in Mt Albert with his young family. Billy has worked in the financial services industry for over 12 years, after beginning his professional life as a secondary school teacher.

Outside of work, he is often found on the sideline cheering on his step-son and daughter at their football games. Billy recognises the importance of Ako Hiko’s mission and is passionate about supporting students to become confident, capable learners who can be the best they can be.

Priya is a Real Estate agent that comes with a skilled background in school administration. She has worked closely within a school that is part of the Ako Hiko cluster. She is a mother of two boys who are currently attending High School.  Having lived all her life in Auckland, she is proud to be part of an organisation that is dedicated to helping students in Central Auckland be better prepared for the technological world we now live in.

Lisa Harland is currently the Tumuaki/Principal at New Windsor School, where she brings nearly 30 years of experience in education. Lisa has led three primary schools, including Reremoana, Ellerslie, and New Windsor, working across both state and independent sectors.

She is excited to serve as the Co-Convenor of the Ako Hiko Cluster alongside Lynda Stuart and is the current Lead Principal of the Lynfield Kāhui Ako. Lisa is passionate about the kaupapa of "learn, create, share" and is dedicated to ensuring digital equity in technology—a mission she views as a great privilege.

Lisa's broader mission is to help leaders and teachers become more successful and happier, utilising the quickest and most efficient paths possible. She also continues to support beginning principals and contributes her expertise in school governance, evaluation, and leadership/management across various educational settings.

Lisa believes deeply in the power of quality education to make significant differences in the lives of students and is committed to driving positive change in schools.

Lynda is the Principal of May Road School in Mt Roskill. She has been in many senior leadership positions in a variety of schools over her career. Lynda has been extensively involved in leadership within the education sector and spoken at both national and international conferences about education in Aotearoa.

She has a commitment to working with diverse communities , is passionate about providing the best possible learning environment for each child., and has a strong belief in the importance of embracing the language, culture and identity of each child and their family.