Governance

Diane Vivian QSO | Founding Trustee

Diane Vivian founded GRG in 1999 after she received a life-changing knock on the door in 1997 and was presented with two traumatised grandchildren needing a home; the children of her fostered daughter.  As she grappled with the challenges their particular needs presented on a daily basis she looked for help.  There was none.  After placing a notice in the local paper to sound out others in her position she was inundated with calls from similarly stressed grandparent caregivers. A public meeting was held and the first support group formed in 1999 with the establishment of the Trust in 2001. 
 
Diane steered the organisation from the start with drive, determination and a deep compassion and understanding of the needs of grandparent caregivers and their grandchildren.  She has spoken to thousands of people and hundreds of organisations over the years educating them from politicians and lawmakers to community groups and professionals, helping to bring about many positive changes in law and policy for the benefit of grandparent and kin caregivers.  In 2013 she was both a category finalist in the Women of Influence awards and appointed to the Ministry of Social Development’s Ministerial Reference Group set up to provide expert advice to the Minister on the $35M funding budgeted over four years to extended family members caring for children. Diane was honoured for her work with seniors and youth as a Companion of the Queen's Service Order in the 2017 New Year's Honours List. In March 2018, Diane was recognised by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her outstanding voluntary work in New Zealand as the 23rd recipient of the 52 Commonwealth Points of Light Point awards for each Commonwealth country in the lead up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April 2018.

She is married in 1967 and along with her husband raised three children, two foster children and two foster grandchildren. Today she has 8 grandchildren.

 

Jo-Anne Thomas | Chair and Trustee

Jo-Anne is a family law specialist and associate at Schnauer & Co with over eight years experience in family law litigation, relationship property and elder law. 

She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Auckland and a Diploma in Occupational Therapy. 

Before joining Schnauer & Co in 2011 she worked for Minter Ellison Rudd Watts for three years.  In addition to her work as a Board member for the trust she is a Volunteer legal adviser to the North Shore Women’s Centre.




 

Sharon Richardson | Trustee

Sharon has been a long time member of GRG and is thrilled to contribute her skills and experience to GRG.  Sharon’s experience includes fostering children for 30 years, running a day care for 40 years and she is also a respite carer for Child Youth and Family caregivers.  Sharon loves volunteer work and also visits local rest homes for Age Concern and the Salvation Army. Married to Gary since 1968, they are raising a grandchild together.  Sharon is also a fabulous cook and loves to share her baking with the elderly in care. 






 

 

Judith McKay | Trustee

Judith McKay recently retired from her position as the General Manager Finance and Estates for AUT University where she had responsibility for the Finance and Property portfolios.  Prior to joining AUT, Judith was Finance and Administration Manager for the Union Shipping Group of companies, company accountant for a number of manufacturing companies, and an auditor at Price Waterhouse and a Cobol programmer.

Judith is a Chartered Accountant and is a member of the Institute of Directors. She has been married to Ross for 43 years, has two adult daughters and three young grand-daughters

Des Brennan | Trustee Des Brennan has enjoyed a wide-ranging business career in leadership and strategic roles. These have been with prominent New Zealand organisations including New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Yachting New Zealand, Montana Wines, Fletcher Building, Television New Zealand, and Anchor Foods (New Zealand Dairy Company). He has served on the boards of South Pacific Pictures, Netball New Zealand, The New Zealand Way, the New Zealand Recreation Association, Snow Sports New Zealand as well as several trade organisations. He is currently a council member of the Waikato Institute of Technology, a director of Basketball New Zealand and a trustee of The Graduate Choir NZ Trust. He has a BSc in Chemistry from Victoria, and an MBA (with distinction) from Massey University. He is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.

Jocelyn Bray | Trustee Jocelyn is the founder of Inspiration Point, a boutique marketing agency that works with SMEs, start-up and not-for-profit organisations. She has extensive experience and expertise in the fields of marketing strategy, branding and customer engagement. Jocelyn was previously a partner at Y & R, an international advertising agency based in Wellington, where she was a member of the New Zealand and Australian boards. Jocelyn has lectured part-time in marketing strategy and management at the University of Auckland Business School and is an occasional conference speaker.

Pru Etcheverry  ONZM| Trustee Pru is committed to adding value to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG) bringing experience both from governance roles and from her CEO position in the NGO sector. She currently sits on several advisory boards and another not for profit board, and chairs two of these - an international not for profit headquartered in Canada, and a University of Auckland Governance Advisory Board. Pru comes from a wide-ranging career focused mainly in healthcare. She is a member of Institute of Directors and has undertaken significant director training including recently completing the Institute’s Company Directors Course. Advocacy is particularly dear to her heart and she is committed to working collaboratively having held leadership roles across the healthcare sector. She was honoured in the 2016 Queen’s Birthday Honours - Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) – acknowledging the national and international impact of her work in the health and NGO sectors.

Consultant to the GRG Board

Jill Worrall, MNZM

Jill Worrall is the mother of three sons and grandmother to six grandchildren. With her late husband John, the family cared for several foster children over a period of twenty years. Jill was raised by extended family for the first half of her childhood. She has been a nurse, a social worker and a senior lecturer in social work at Massey University. She has had the privilege of writing the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Handbook and undertaking the GRG research on Grandparent and other kin caregivers 2005 and 2009.

Life Members: Debbie Gillies, Jill Neherny, Miriama Paraone-Davies, Samina Corbett

Auditors: RSM Hayes Audit, Auckland
Secretariat: Rosemarie Dawson. Business Professional Services Ltd www.bpsl.co.nz Ph 09 419 0042