Our Team

Shayne Walker

Shayne is a senior lecturer at the University of Otago in the Social and Community Work Programme. In 2019 Shayne was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to fostering children and social work.

An orphan at age 13, he was put into state care after both of his parents died in a matter of weeks. Later, Shayne went on through Maatua Whangai, an approved iwi/Māori social service provider, to help foster 192 young people, predominantly Māori and Pacific young men, over 12 years.

A staunch advocate for caregivers in New Zealand, Shayne puts his success as a foster parent down to his ability to show love, build trust, and listen to people’s stories. He is an unofficial kaumātua for Oranga Tamariki and a former Chair of the Social Workers Registration Board. He has been a member of various expert advisory bodies to take action against family and sexual violence. Shayne is currently on the Family Violence Death Review Committee and has served on the Child, Youth and Family Care and Protection Resources Panel.

Jeff Sanders

Chair

Jeff Sanders has experience as a senior manager and chief executive in the NGO sector, working in organisations focused on providing services that make a positive difference to people’s lives. These include IHC NZ, the Methodist Church, Relationships Aotearoa, and Barnardos NZ, from which he retired as Chief Executive in early 2019.

Through his career, Jeff has been connected to local community needs. This has given him a desire and ability to seek out systemic change and ensure excellent provision of services. He has strong relationships across the NGO and government sector, and he has built effective leadership teams in the organisations he has led.

Jeff has experience and understanding of how governance structures operate. He also has a strategic understanding of what is required when new programmes of work are implemented. He understands and is committed to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Jeff was awarded the Companion of the Queens Service Order in 2021.

Elizabeth Goodwin

Elizabeth has worked in leadership roles in NGOs and government, developing new projects and programmes and introducing innovative ways to reach and engage people. Her work in government included working on the development of SKIP, an initiative that worked closely with communities to promote positive parenting and reduce child abuse and neglect, and the It’s Not OK campaign which works to reduce family violence.

Her recent work has included working with people who are often marginalised by large complex systems. These include parents of disabled children, people living in poverty, women parenting alone, and people with chronic illness. She is currently a trustee of The D*List, a disability-led social change movement.

Elizabeth lives in Wellington where she has a wide network of friends and whānau. Her current passion is creating a connected community for parents of disabled children.

Natasha Emery

Ko Mauao me Makatiti ōku maunga

Ko Tauranga me Okataina ōku Moana

Ko Tākitimu Mātaatua me Te Arawa ōku Waka

Ko Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui me Te Arawa ōku Iwi

Ko Pirirākau me Ngāti Tarāwhai ōku Hapū

Ko Poutūtērangi me Waikōhatu ōku Marae

Kei Kihikihi ahau e noho ana

Ngā mihi kia koutou kātoa.

I am a survivor of state care and was a witness in the Royal Commission Abuse in State Care case. My lived experience of state care started with involvement from birth then being placed in family homes as well as girls' homes as a pre-teen and teenager. I had no connection with my whānau apart from my grandparents, did not know my whakapapa or that there were whānau out there who would have loved and cared for us. I have spent many years reconnecting with my whānau, and I stand proud as a wahine Māori.

The mahi I have been involved in has been in the disability, care and protection, youth, and education sectors. A mantra of mine is to ‘never walk in front, nor behind, but always alongside’. Having been a teen parent, I have a passion for young people and creating the space for them to flourish and achieve great outcomes for themselves and tamariki. I have a Masters of Indigenous Studies, a Bachelor of Social Work, and a Graduate Diploma in Professional Supervision, as well as other tōhū. Education has given me the learnings and the strength to be firm within a bicultural practice space, to work alongside people to create great lives.

I am excited to be a part of VOYCE Whakaronga Mai, to support the improvement and quality of life for those in care.

I am currently the Kākaho Niho Matua, Māori: Lead Professional Social Work Advisor Māori for the Social Work Registration Board. I am humbled and privileged to be in a space where my voice counts, and I can be part of making a difference in a regulatory space. My greatest achievement in this role is being a part of ensuring our great Social Workers are fit and proper to work with our whānau.

My greatest achievements are those of being a wife, māmā and nanny. My husband and I have a blended whānau of seven tamariki, 19 mokopuna and one moko tuarua. They are my strength and carry me through all that I do.
 

Xixi Xian

Xixi (pronounced as Cee-Cee) is of Chinese descent, and came to New Zealand at the age of 10. She is currently a counsellor and creative arts therapist.

Xixi has been in consulting/advisory roles in the past three years with Oranga Tamariki, VOYCE, and Crown Response Unit, and uses her lived experience in the foster care system to make positive change.

Outside of work, Xixi has been involved in Asian community dance projects to reconnect with her culture more, and enjoys hiking, nature, learning, and trying new things.

Zak Quor

Hi! I’m Zak. I grew up in foster care from the ages of 7 – 17.

I had a lot of interesting experiences going through the state care system and not all of them were good. It’s a difficult place to be in when you’re taken away from your family and placed in a kids home, but it doesn’t always have to be all bad. I had a good share of wonderful people scattered throughout my life to help me survive my time and thrive when I came out on the other side. Without this support, I may not be where I am today.

I wish that everyone could have someone to be by their side to support and love them, and help them achieve their life goals.Since leaving foster care I have worked to give back to the community of carers by sharing my experiences, speaking at conferences telling them what worked (and what didn’t), and working in other ways to improve the care system, sometimes with government. I feel like it’s the least I can do to say thank you to those who helped me, and an opportunity for me to become one of those people who made my life not so bad.

My goal in life is to leave the world better than it was for me, so I got a degree in engineering (robotics and automation) and am currently working towards using it to help

others, as well as helping improve the quality of life for those living in foster care with VOYCE.

Reihana Dougherty

(she/her/ia, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Hāua) is a passionate advocate for tamariki and rangatahi in Aotearoa. Based in Ōtautahi, Reihana is a Māmā and works in a Y1-8 kura where she supports the Leadership Team, Board, and ākonga. In 2023, she joined the VOYCE Whakarongo Mai Board, where she contributes to shaping the strategic direction and advocacy efforts aimed at improving outcomes for young people in the care system. Reihana supported the establishment of the VOYCE Te Waipounamu Regional Youth Council in 2020. With experience in advisory and support roles across both the public and private sectors, Reihana brings a diverse perspective to her work.

Reihana’s personal journey reflects the resilience and strength of rangatahi navigating systems with minimal support. She left foster care at 16, and as a young parent, she has worked hard to create a stable life for her son. These lived experiences have deeply shaped her commitment to improving the care system, to ensure that no young person has to walk a similar path without the support and resources they need to thrive.

She firmly believes in the power of listening to those who have lived through the systems designed to protect them. Reihana works tirelessly to ensure young people's voices are heard and respected at all levels of decision-making, advocating for bold, system-wide change that is trauma-informed and representative of the diverse experiences of tamariki and rangatahi.
 

John McCarthy

John McCarthy is an Associate Trustee of VOYCE Whakarongo Mai.

John has a 30-year background in social and health service delivery and management in the NGO sector. He has been the Manager of the Tindall Foundation for the past 9 years where he oversees the distribution of $10 - $14m in donations each year to community and environmental initiatives. John was the establishment chair of VOYCE Whakarongo Mai and is delighted and honoured to be back working alongside the other Trustees and the staff team.

A qualified social worker, John’s background includes leading organisations and programmes working across diverse fields in the social and health sectors – including the care sector. He is one of the founders and the former manager of the SAFE child sex offender treatment programme in Auckland. In his role as General Manager of Lifewise he worked with judges and police to help establish Te Kooti o Timatanga Hou (the Court of New Beginnings) for people experiencing homelessness.

John has held numerous other governance roles. He was a founding Trustee of Netsafe, a Trustee of the Auckland Night Shelter, James Liston Hostel, and Community Waitakere, and is formerly a board member of Trees That Count and of the NZ National Advisory Board on Impact Investing. John is currently  the independent Trustee of the BNZ Foundation.

Tahirah Moton

Tahirah Moton (Ngaati Maniapoto, Waikato-Tainui, Pakistan) is a care-experienced advocate and public servant.

She has a background in policy, research and community advocacy having sat on various panels including the Youth Advisory Group for Oranga Tamariki and the Ministerial Advisory Board on the Government's Response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch terror attacks.

From a Māori and Muslim background, she is passionate about Indigenous self-determination, the value of lived experience, and reducing inequities.

Alchimae Prasad

TĀMAKI MAKAURAU (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa) 

Alchimae is Fijian-Indian Māori (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa), grew up in South Auckland, and now calls East Auckland home. Outspoken, organised, and a self-proclaimed crack-up, Alchimae's favourite part of life is spending time with her daughter. She lives by the whakataukī ‘He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata’ - it is people, it is people, it is people. Alchimae is passionate about seeing young people acknowledged for where they are and where they want to be, believing challenging behaviour should never be mistaken for a lack of ambition. She became a National Youth Advocate to challenge how rangatahi are defined by their circumstances, and to help create spaces where their voices carry real influence. 

Celine George

TE TAI TOKERAU (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kuri, Ngātiwai, Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Rārua) 

Celine lives in Te Tai Tokerau and represents tangata whenua, care-experienced rangatahi, young parents, and tāngata whaikaha. Passionate, driven and compassionate, she finds grounding through wānanga, whakapapa, mahi toi and kapa haka, guided by the kupu ‘Tupuna led, Mokopuna driven.’ After six years in the advocacy space - on behalf of her younger self, her whānau, and now her son - she's stepped into this role as a dedicated haerenga to help ignite and guide the next generation of rangatira, drawing on the whakataukī: ‘Mahia te mahi hei painga mō te iwi’ - work for the betterment of the people. 

Dani Wilson

TĀMAKI MAKAURAU (Tūwharetoa, Ngāpuhi) 

Based in Auckland but originally hailing from Dunedin, Dani brings a bubbly, caring, and outspoken energy to the team. She loves being around her people, exploring new places, and anything creative. Dani is passionate about making sure CE rangatahi feel heard, supported and valued - drawing on her own journey to help others feel a sense of belonging. She's excited to use her lived experience to help ensure rangatahi voices aren't just heard, but truly listened to, and to build a stronger community where care-experienced young people can lift each other up.

Gray Elliot

WAITAHA 

Gray is based in Canterbury and represents the care-experienced, rainbow, disability, and survivor communities. A self-described "big nerd," Gray loves reading, gaming, movies, and spending time with his puppy. Gray is driven by a deep belief that people in care deserve to just be kids, and that the stigma around care experience needs to change. He became a National Youth Advocate to help amplify voices we don't often hear from - especially rainbow, disabled, and survivor rangatahi - because the system needs to listen to many voices, not just one. 

Kingi Palmer

ŌTAUTAHI 

Kingi is based in the eastern suburbs of Ōtautahi and represents whāngai experiences, rural young people, children of immigrants, education leavers, and neurodiverse rangatahi, and is keen to support those with residential care experience to have a voice in the system. Words that describe Kingi are: caring, tenacious and effervescent - he loves the outdoors, comics, hip-hop, and a good game of chess or disc golf. He's passionate about fostering a caring community for mokopuna atawhai and building a more inclusive care sector where all rangatahi atawhai are equipped and supported to succeed. 

Tai Rose

TĀMAKI MAKAURAU (Ngāti Kuri) 

Based in Papakura, Tai is weird (her words!) empathetic, determined and endlessly creative - a self-proclaimed nerd who loves RPGs, D&D, Warhammer, painting, and anything involving carnivorous plants. She's passionate about making sure young people feel heard, valued, and genuinely have a say in the things that affect their lives, especially those who might not yet see themselves as leaders. She became a National Youth Advocate to help build a community where care-experienced rangatahi can connect, support each other, and realise the real influence their voices can have - and to help other rangatahi see there's so much more ahead of them than they might imagine right now