Introducing Our Team (2)

Tracey Wakefield MNZAC, Practice Leader/Counselor

Tracey leads the team at the Trust and provides a counselling service to the women and children in our community.  She has a passion for seeing individuals, whanau, teams and communities thriving and achieving their goals and aspirations.

Tracey has previously worked for The Salvation Army as a Problem Gambling Counsellor/Team Leader.  She has also worked in after school care, holiday programs and breakfast clubs for children.  Tracey has a Certificate in Supervision and a Bachelor of Counselling from Wellington Institute of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts (with honours) and a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University of Wellington.  Tracey is full member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC). 

She also serves on the Board of East Auckland Home and Budgeting (Tamaki Budgeting) Service.

Lynette Simpson, Executive Officer/Finance Administrator

 Lynette manages the day to day administrration, accounting and funding affairs. Lynette has 19 years of Banking, Auditing and Finance experience. She has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Financial Management (USP) and has recently attained  a Masters Degree in Professional Accounting from the Auckland University of Technology. She is an ASA member of CPA Australia. Lynette also works in the community with children and  young people.

She is Treasurer of the Trust and also serves on The Streams Community Charitable Trust Board while working in the Mount Wellington community as a Family Support Worker.

Sirikit Diaz, Family Worker

Sirikit works with families in the community providing them with mentoring, advocacy and life skills support. Siri collaborates with a number of like-minded agencies in Tamaki, ensuring children are involved in quality after school programmes such as Kapa Haka; Art and Paddle Boarding.

She has been a Facilitator of "Building Awesome Whanau" parenting programme. Part of Siri's role has her involved in student crisis support & supporting famiies to attend the Power Up Program, family group conferences where she is a voice for the families and meetings with teachers, principals, RTLB's, doctors and other professionals working with and around the families. 

Sirikit is continuing her studies towards a Bachelor's in Social Work at the Te Wanaga o Aotearoa and serves on the Pt England School Board.

 Roxanne Adams, Family Worker

Roxanne, who is also a Trustee on the Board of the Dunkirk Activity Centre, works with families in the community providing them with mentoring, advocacy and life skills support.

Roxanne collaborates with a number of like-minded agencies in Tamaki, ensuring children are involved in quality after school programmes such as Kapa Haka; Netball, Art and Paddle Boarding. She was a Facilitator of "Building Awesome Whanau" parenting programme and has a long term and practical approach when partnering with families. You will often see Roxanne driving around the local community with a van load of children or delivering bread and food. Roxanne has enabled year 8 and 9 girls in our community to achieve umpire status where they earn a bit of money for every primary school netball meet that they umpire at in the local area.

Roxanne is continuing her studies towards a Bachelor's in Social Work at the Te Wanaga o Aotearoa.

 Osaiasi Kupu, Social Worker, Tamaki College

Osaiasi has 15 years of  experience in the Social Work sector. Osaiasi's passion is to give people hope and to help them reach their full potential. He has developed and facilitated a Children witnessing Violence program and was also a facilitator for the Fa'afaletui Men's Stopping Violence Program - which is the only approved Pacific Domestic Violence Program in NZ.  Osaiasi has also facilitated programs at Mens prisons and is a founding member of the Ranui Action Project Trust and the Mohetaha Incorporated Society.

Ozee (as he is known) works with students in the local College and goes above and

beyond the call of duty when it comes to providing support and encouragement to 

our young people. 

 Sionema'u Fifita, Mentor for young boys and their Dads

Sione is the latest addition to the team, having recently graduated from MIT with a Bachelors in Social Work.

Sione lives in the community and is well known to the families in Tamaki. Having been raised in Panmure/Glen Innes Sione is able to speak to the heart of the issues facing young people and we look forward to the results he will bring as he interacts with our youth and children.

Board Members

Russell Burt, Chairperson

Russell is one of the co-founders, pioneers and a longstanding member on the board of Tamaki Community Development Trust. He is the Principal of Pt England Primary School. Experienced in overseas education to the third world, he currently operates a number of youth programmes for local children. Russell has a passion for children and families in the Tamaki community to experience their true potential. Russell and his wife Dorothy are the champions of the Manaiakalani initiative which, among other things, have implemented student practice using the media and technologies of e-learning.

Geoff Sturt, Secretary

Geoff is a long serving member of the Tamaki Community Development Trust. He is the owner and operator of Sturt Landscaping, and employs local staff in his business. Geoff also coaches local youth sports teams and has experience in Counselling. Geoff was born in Papua New Guinea and lived there for a number of years. He has always had a heart for working with the community in need.

Mary Samuels, Trustee

Mary is one of the co-founders and a longstanding member of the Tamaki Community Development Trust. She has overseas experience in aid and holistic support to third world countries. Mary has a passion to see the people of our community restored from the tragic circumstances of life that often leave them broken and hurting.

Graeme Clarke, Trustee

Graeme has served in the teaching profession and is also a long serving Elder of the Church - where he and his wife Jenny take an active role in serving the people of this community.

Joel Hamilton, Trustee

Joel joined the Board in May of this year.  Joel owns his own Computer Technology Company and works with Youth in the Community.