Get To Know Us

John McCarthy (chair)

John is the Manager of The Tindall Foundation, and a representative of the four philanthropic partners.  John has been a social work practitioner and manager for over 25 years with experience across a wide range of fields.  Before joining the Tindall Foundation, John was General Manager of Lifewise, with responsibility for a diverse portfolio of social, health, education and community activities across Auckland.  Prior to that he was the Regional Manager of Richmond NZ, and spent six years as Director of the SAFE Programme — an organisation providing treatment to sexual abusers of children, which he helped set up. John has also been on a number of NGO Boards, having been a Board member of NetSafe, the Domestic Violence Centre (now Shine), the Auckland Night Shelter Trust, the James Liston Hostel Trust, the Friendship House Foundation, and Fair Food, and until January 2014 was Chair of Community Waitakere.

• What’s your secret super power?
  If it's something we wish we had it would be to be able to speak to anyone in any language.
• If you were an animal, what would you be?
  Giraffe - I'm quite tall.
• What is one of your favourite things to do that brings you joy?
  I love to get out in NZ's wilderness. We have such beautiful and remote places in NZ, and being in those places makes me feel inspired and rejuvenated.
• What’s the most recent thing you learned?
  Success comes from persevering and from having good people around you.

Monique Goodhew

Monique is a care experienced young adult of Ngāti Porou and Te Rarawa descent.  Monique is passionate about seeing changes in the care system that will benefit other children and young people who are still in care.  Monique was recognised for her leadership through her nomination to the Minister’s Youth Advisory Panel in 2015. Monique has been a member of VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai’s Establishment Steering Group since September 2016 and a member of the Board of Trustees since March 2017.

• What’s your secret super power?
  I think that my super power is super strength. Not super strength in the sense of weightlifting but in terms of withstanding all kinds of stress both physical and mental. I think that this is my super power as I don’t let pressure affect me and therefore believe that I am a strong person inside and out.
• If you were an animal, what would you be?
  I think that my spirit animal is a honey badger they belong to the Mellivora capensis species. They are super strong; their teeth can crush a tortoise shell and they will fight just about anything that gets in their way. They also love sweet food, which I am a huge fan of personally and I think that if I were to be an animal I would want to be a honey badger.
• What is one of your favourite things to do that brings you joy?
  I love to paint; I love the way that I can manipulate something old and make it into something new. I like creating things that challenge the viewer’s way of thinking and believe there to be beauty in the unknown aspects in a painting.
• What’s the most recent thing you learned?
  The most recent thing I learnt is very boring but it was about genetic modifications in terms of microorganisms and how to delete genes or make point mutations when the microorganism is uncommon.

Liz Marsden

• What’s your secret super power?
  Intuition - I don't need proof or evidence. I just know!!
• If you were an animal, what would you be?
  Hine-!Ruru – (owl) My kaitiaki/ guardian. She enables me to see what’s hidden in the darkness; to cut through the crap and see the truth.
• What is one of your favourite things to do that brings you joy?
  Cooking a fabulous meal for good mates and surrounding myself with their laughter.
• What’s the most recent thing you learned?
  My five year old mokopuna is my real boss.

Abbie Reynolds

• What’s your secret super power?
  I can make everything fun or funny.
• If you were an animal, what would you be?
  Red panda – they’re a bit mythical, they’re a bit ginger (like me) and they look like they are good at sussing people out. They’re kind of fun. They’re shape changers – a bit foxy, a bit racoony, a bit beary and a bit panda-like. I need to be good at adapting my style so I can work with all kinds of people.
• What is one of your favourite things to do that brings you joy?
  Friday night pizza and red wine on the sofa with my husband while watching terrible television.
• What’s the most recent thing you learned?
  To seek forgiveness, not permission.

Zak Quor

Zak is a care experienced young adult based in Auckland.  Since leaving foster care after approximately 12 years in 2010, Zak has helped in the adoption and fostering sector by speaking at conferences and events, providing ideas, information and insight into the world of youth in care in New Zealand.

• What’s your secret super power?
  Tying my shoe laces really quick.
• If you were an animal, what would you be?
  A Monkey, I've always tried to avoid it but it's the Chinese animal for the year of my birth and all my life I've been as cheeky as can be.
• What is one of your favourite things to do that brings you joy?
  Seeing other people's lives genuinely better because of something I've done.
• What’s the most recent thing you learned?
  That you can cancel out like terms in a fraction between the Numerator and the Denominator inside the brackets, the coefficient remains untouched, and the terms inside the brackets becomes 1.

Steve Ferguson

• What’s your secret super power?
  I have a knack of being the glue between groups or teams of people.
• If you were an animal, what would you be?
  Tiger - spirited and energetic, and a risk taker.
• What is one of your favourite things to do that brings you joy?
  Long walks on the beach after a busy week.
• What’s the most recent thing you learned?
  That if I focus I can find peace and stillness to rejuvenate myself in a busy environment.

Shayne Walker (Ngai Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, Scottish and French)

My wife Helen and I were initially involved in youthwork, fostercare (192 children over 12 years) and whanau work with predominantly Māori and Pasifica young people. I have worked with many young men on a number of issues, including violence, substance abuse and relationship making. I acknowledge that much of what I have learned has come from their struggles and growth. They continue to inspire me as they come into their own fullness. As a former “state ward” (child in care) and foster parent I consider myself to be care informed.

I have been teaching at the University of Otago for the past twenty years, presently as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Gender and Social Work. I am currently the Chair of the Social Workers Registration Board and a member of the Ako: Enhancing the readiness to practice of newly qualified social workers project. I have a strong commitment to the professional development of social workers and protecting the public. I am a member of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) and part of the Journal Editorial Collective, co-editing Te Komako. I teach on the Erasmus Mundus European Master, Social Work with Children and Families (MFAMILY) with colleagues from the University of Western Australia and the University of Stavanger (Norway). I am also a member of the Ministry of Justice & Ministry of Development Expert Design Group for Family Violence, Sexual Violence and Violence within Whanau Workforce Capability Framework.

More important than any of this I am a husband, father, brother, grandfather and a member of whanau. My research interests include Māori/Indigenous approaches to social work theory and practice, particularly community based child protection, resiliency/resistance and indigenous pedagogy. Recent Publications include:

• Adams, M., Hart, M., Walker, S., Mataira, P., Fleay, JJ and Drew, N (2017). Cultural identity and practices associated with the health and wellbeing of Indigenous males. ab-Original Journal of Indigenous Studies and First Nations' and First Peoples' Cultures. Penn State University Press (in print).
• Eketone, A., Walker, S. (2015) Bicultural Practice: Beyond Mere Tokenism. In van Heugten, K. & Gibbs, A. (2015) (Eds.). Social Work for Sociologists: Theory and Practice. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
• McKenzie, M. Omre, C. Schjelderup, L. Walker, S. Young, S. (2014) Child Rights /Community Development Principles: Key Elements for Child Protection Practice. Hessle,S Ed. (2014) Human Rights And Social Equality:Challeges For Social Work, Social Work and Social Development Volume 1, Ashgate Publishing England 82-85
• Young, S., McKenzie, M., Omre, C., Schjelderup, L., & Walker, S. (2014). Practicing from theory: Thinking and knowing to "do" child protection work. Social Sciences, 3(4), 893-915. doi: 10.3390/socsci3040893
• Young, S., McKenzie, M., Schjelderup, L., Omre, C., & Walker, S. (2014). What can we do to bring the sparkle back into this child's eyes? Child rights/Community development principles: Key elements for a strengths-based child protection practice. Child Care in Practice, 20(1), 135-152. doi: 10.1080/13575279.2013.847052

• What’s your secret super power?
  My secret super power is “aroha”, it sustains all that I do and reminds me when it is not present.
• If you were an animal, what would you be?
  My spirit animal is a dog: they like to be where the action is, they live as a pack and work as part of team surrounded by people, they protect each other, they are intuitive and often choose to love without question.
• What is one of your favourite things to do that brings you joy?
  I enjoy singing my moko to sleep. She touches the depth of my being and provides grounding and clarity often at the times I most need it.
• What’s the most recent thing you learned?
  The "learning is in the relationship”, I re learn this every day!

Mana Williams-Eade

• What’s your secret super power?
  A ninja! I was the youngest second-degree black belt in International Taekwon-Do in the South Island at 14. Can also be in two classes at one time without anyone noticing me jumping through the window! :D
• If you were an animal, what would you be?
  I'm a lion because I take plenty of pride in everything I do and have a lot of time for people!
• What is one of your favourite things to do that brings you joy?
  My sister recently moved in with my parents who were my whangai/adoptive parents, spending time with my sister and my family brings me huge joy. I also turn into batman when I jump on a bike, but ultimately it's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.
• What’s the most recent thing you learned?
  Accounting is really boring...