WaterSafe Auckland Inc. (WAI) is the acknowledged lead agency for regional water safety coordination and education in the Auckland region.
Our Vision - A water safe Auckland free from drowning.
Our Mission - To prevent drowning through leadership, advocacy and delivery of water safety education.
Our Goals and Objectives are based on the governmental Drowning Prevention Strategy. WAI actively uses this and the NZ Injury Prevention Strategy (NZIPS) as tools to build a water safety culture.
As one of the service delivery amenities under the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Act 2008, WAI is mandated by the ratepayers of Auckland to deliver the best possible water safety education to meet the water safety needs of those living in and visiting the region, needs that are unique - geographically, demographically and statistically.
In her capacity as Executive Officer of WaterSafe Auckland, Sandy has been responsible for initiating and developing water safety programmes including the safety award winning early childhood Water Safety Kit for parent education. She has addressed international forums on injury prevention in her specialist field and is a qualified swim teacher and coach. Areas of expertise - education, programming, adult education and re-training, injury prevention and water safety.
Teresa Stanley, Business Manager
(MBsStud., BSc., DipTchg. (Phys-Ed),)
Teresa is both an aquatic practitioner and a participant having been a NZ Swimming representative and NZ Surf titleholder. She is a qualified swim teacher, and has held positions with Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Sport North Harbour. Together with Dr Kevin Moran, Teresa has had research published in Injury Control and Safety Promotion journal in September and December 2006. Teresa is an active swimmer, surfer, scuba diver and cyclist. Teresa brings her extensive experience and expertise in a number of aquatic areas specifically in relation to Injury Prevention and Early Childhood.
Siobhan Harrod, Education Development Manager
(BSc Sport Science, Postgrad Cert in Ed in PE and Science)
Siobhan is currently a part - time facilitator of the Student Wellbeing contract at Auckland College of Education. She has a background in teaching and lecturing health and physical education in NZ and the UK, and was previously Head of Department of Health and Physical Education at Carmel College. She brings experience in curriculum design and implementation, understanding and evaluating the risks involved in E.O.T.C and has many years experience in organising school camps, aquatic based activities and whole school events.
Jan Taylor, Operations Manager Schools
(MSc, BA, Dip Ed GDITE)
Jan has an extensive background in swimming, lifesaving and education (both in and outside the classroom). An experienced teacher, Jan has been Head of Health and PE departments at several schools where she has implemented extensive aquatics programmes. She has worked closely with the Advisory on the NCEA Aquatic Exemplars, developed modules of work at all levels of NCEA, and has extensive work with NZQA including scholarship facilitation. Jan provides support to schools ensuring a sequential approach to their water safety programmes and promoting water safety initiatives, including WaterSense, In at the Deep End and the WaterSafe Policy and Guidelines.
Angelo joined the WaterSafe team after working as a primary school teacher. As a lead teacher in WAI's aquatics education pilot he was inspired by the positive effect this had on both teachers and students and enthusiastic about the effect a holisitc educational programme of learn to swim and water safety knowledge has on attitudes and behaviour.
Angelo has a diverse sporting background, participating in soccer, track and field, triathlon and lacrosse. He provides support to schools in providing a sequential aquatics programme for their students which makes a significant contribution to the wellbeing of students beyond the classroom.
Stacey Willcox, Drowning Prevention Coordinator
(BHSc Psychology and Health Promotion)
Stacey has a health promotion background in Public Health, in addition to a strong involvement with Surf Lifesaving New Zealand (SLSNZ). She is a surf lifeguard on Auckland's notorious west coast and is currently Chair of Development for SLSNZ (Northern Region).
Her role is focused primarily on drowning prevention within Auckland's Asian, New Migrant and Refugee communities. Together with Dr Kevin Moran, Stacey has published a paper entitled 'New Settlers, Old Solutions'. She is also pursuing a PgDip in Public Health.
Harry Aonga, Drowning Prevention Coordinator
(Bachelor of Sport (Major Physical Education), Diploma in Travel and Tourism)
Prior to joining WaterSafe Harry was working as a Tutorial Assistant and gym instructor at Unitec New Zealand and has a strong background in rugby league. He has played for the Auckland Premier and NZ Universities Rugby League Teams, the Auckland Vulcans (Warriors Reserve Grade), Mt Albert Lions and professionally for Limoux in France.
Harry's background, skills and experience will be invaluable in his drowning prevention role focussing on Youth, Maori and Pacific communities.
Barbara Venville, Regional Promotions Manager
(PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, PADI Medic First Aid Instructor, IPNANZ Foundation Certificate in Injury Prevention - Te Aho Tapu)
Barbara surfaced at WaterSafe after many years in the dive industry. She has an extensive background in promotions and communications, membership support, sales, diver training, and underwater sports. Her work has included the management & development of junior aquatics programmes, diver safety education campaigns and boating education programmes. Barbara manages and implements Safe Summer and other regional promotional initiatives, and media and communications in order to raise the profile of WaterSafe Auckland and water safety awareness.
Steph Ryall, Funding, Financial and Administration Coordinator
(BA)
Steph is a graduate of Auckland University where she majored in Management and Employment Relations. She has been a scholarship recipient in the Unitec Not-For-Profit-Managment programme, was one of the first five to receive NZQA certification in migrant and refugee support work and has completed the volunteer ESOL progamme.
Steph brings extensive experience at an executive support and management level in both the not-for-profit and commercial sectors. She has also served as a board secretary for a number of organisations including South Pacific College of Natural Therapies and Arahura Charitable Trust. Steph is of Ngati Rangi descent.
Denise Atkins, Senior Lecturer, Schools of Sport and Recreation, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, AUT University
(MEdMgmt (Hons), Dip Tchg)
Denise is also currently consultant to the Ministry of Education. In partnership with the Ministry of Health and SPARC (now Sport NZ) Denise was responsible for implementing the Physical Activity Initiative (2005-2007) and also managed and led the School Support Services Health and PE advisors, along with Regional Sports Trust facilitators throughout New Zealand (2005-2009).
Julie is a trauma coordinator and senior advisor for child injury prevention at the Starship Children's Hospital, providing policy analysis and child injury prevention advice for the child health workforce. She has worked as national manager for a not-for-profit organisation and consultant providing leadership training and team development. Qualified in nursing and midwifery, Julie's experience includes nine years as an elected representative in local government and five as Planning Commissioner.
Ian Godfrey, Senior Technical Specialist (Building), Auckland Council
With a construction industry background, Ian has been involved in local government for 29 years, actively involved in swimming pool fencing legislation for over 20 of those.
He has chaired several territorial authority regulatory groups with a focus on improving consistency across the Auckland region, sits on a number of NZ Standards committes and was chair of the first NZ Standard for swimming pool fencing NZS 8500. Ian has been involved in surf life saving for over 38 years and is a member of Waipu Surf Life Saving Club where he has been President for the past nine years.
Andrew Lancaster,
(Chartered Accountant, BCom (University Auckland), Grad Dip Com (University Auckland))
Andrew has been involved in surf life saving for the past 15 years and is a highly experienced and qualified senior lifeguard. He is a member of the Muriwai Lifeguard Service where he is Chair of Lifesaving, and currently sits on Surf Life Saving New Zealand's Board of Directors. Andrew brings vast and current knowledge of surf life saving framework and methods to the Board, along with strong business, financial and reporting knowledge.
Dr John Langley ONZM, Central Regional Director for Child Youth and Family
(MEd (dist), PhD (Cant), Adv Dip Tchg, TTC (Ed of Deaf), MRSNZ)
John is a senior educationalist who has held a number of high level positions in the public and private sectors spanning both management and governance roles, and in 2010 was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to education.
Previous appointments include: CEO of Cognition Education, Inaugural Dean of Education at the University of Auckland, Principal of Auckland College of Education, Director of the New Zealand Teachers Council, school principal and teacher. He is a registered psychologist, has written and spoken widely about education and related social issues, has served on a number of boards, governmental advisory committees and working groups and is currently a member of the Minister of Education's Forum on Student Achievement.
Dr Kevin Moran, Principal Lecturer in Health & Physical Education, Faculty of Education, University of Auckland.
(PhD (Massey), BA Hons (Birmingham), MEd 1st Class Hons (Massey), Cert.Ed (Loughborough))
Kevin is an 'active' academic with a lifelong interest in surf life saving, and unique in his field in that he has critiqued, written and revised various national water safety and swimming programmes, such as Lotto Swim Safe, Surf Sense, Surf Safety and Surf Survival, and has published academic papers in the field of aquatic safety and injury prevention.
He has successfully merged sport, recreation, safety and injury prevention in his specialist area of aquatics and in 2006 completed his PhD 'Re-thinking Drowning Risk: The Role of Water Safety Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours in the Aquatic Recreation of New Zealand Youth'.
Kevin attended, by invitation, an international PhD Course on Safety Promotion Research at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm. This enabled him to further blend his specialist area of physical education into public health and safety - essential for the Health and Physical Education Curriculum.
Current areas of research for Kevin include toddler drowning prevention, perceptions of aquatic risk, swimming ability and water safety, water safety knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of youth and other specific populations including rock fishers and beachgoers.
Kevin is co-chair of the International Task Force on Open Water Drowning Prevention and currently member of the recently appointed Drowning Prevention Council for the Implementation of the Government Drowning Prevention Strategy. His areas of expertise include: education, aquatic safety and programming.
Mrs Ann Pala QSM, Community Development Consultant and Business Partner WinMac Solutions Ltd
(GDipNFP)
Ann is an advocate for ethnic communities and is a member of the Ethnic Advisory Panel (Auckland Council). She has considerable governance experience and is also currently a board member of Funding Information Services Wellington, Waitakere Ethnic Board, (IPP) and EBoT of Zayed College for Girls in Mangere and member of the Waitakere Crime Prevention Reference Group. Ann founded EthNix Links (part of Nix Trust Inc.).
Anne migrated from Fiji Islands 21 years ago. She speaks English, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Punjabi and Fijian and lists philanthropy as her greatest achievement. Strong, healthy, engaged and vibrant pan ethnic communities are important to Ann, and in 2007 she was awarded the Queens Services Medal for her work with women and children. Her business, funding and community development skills add strength to the Board.
Rev Uesifili Unasa, Minister, Methodist Church of New Zealand and Maclaurin Chaplain to the University of Auckland
Of Samoan descent, Uesifili has extensive governance experience across the Pacific, the Church and social intervention not-for-profit sector. As well as his Ministry, Uesifili is currently Chairperson of the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel (Auckland Council) and member of the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand Board; the Richard Maclaurin Goodfellow Foundation Trust Board; the Auckland Catholic Diocese Caring Foundation Funds Committee; the University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor's Pacific Reference Group; and the Auckland-Manukau-Northland Methodist Region Executive Committee.
These appointments, together with past involvement across parish, school and community organisations provide him with a broad picture of interventions that address social and demographic differences and achieve positive change.
Jonathon is an Advanced Qualified Lifeguard with over 20 years experience at Piha Beach on Auckland's West Coast.
A Registered Comprehensive Nurse and Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor, he is an Honorary Senior Clinical Tutor in the Department of Anaesthesiology at the University of Auckland, and Resuscitation Officer at Auckland City Hospital.
Jonathon has authored, co-authored and reviewed several journal articles, reference texts and national surf life saving policies. He has presented work on scanning and surveillance, incident control, establishment of coastal lifeguard services in Pakistan, and rescue and resuscitation in the aquatic environment at a number of local and international conferences.
His voluntary roles include Senior Advisor to Pakistan Aquatic Life Saving, WaterSafe Auckland Board Member and Callout Squad Coordinator for Piha Surf Life Saving Club.
For Surf Life Saving New Zealand Jonathon has also held the roles of Director of Regional Services, Director of Lifesaving, Duty Officer, Examiner, Patrol Inspector and Medical Advisory Group member. He also represents the organisation on the New Zealand Resuscitation Council and is a former member of the National Lifesaving Committee.
