Te Korowai o Waiheke Trustees

The Te Korowai o Waiheke Trust board is diverse, consisting of community representative trustees, mana whenua trustees, and co-opted trustees chosen for their specific skills. More than two-thirds of the trustees are either full- or part-time local residents

Erika Barden

Passionate about exploring our beautiful Island with her husband and three active children.
Erika has over twenty years of project delivery experience and genuinely believes in the value of people over process. She loves sharing Agile ways of thinking, leading, and delivering to enable greater value, quality, and transparency.
Paul Dyson

Keen tramper, committed to native forest regeneration.
Paul, a Waiheke local, brings a combination of practical experience, board governance experience and wide community connections gained from his time leading the forest regeneration at Mawhitipana Valley. Paul is an entrepreneur, business owner and trustee of 2 other not-for-profits.
Michelle Hooper

A mountain biking enthusiast and nature lover, Michelle has called Waiheke home for 20 years.
With 25 years in high-performance sports and event delivery, she led the record-breaking 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Her venture, Sprintify, focuses on business sustainability through Rapid Goal Attainment. Awarded a King’s Honour in 2023 for Services to Sport, Michelle is committed to achieving a predator-free Waiheke by 2050.
Grant Leach

Lover of both pets and wildlife, and meetings that don’t run overtime.
Grant is CEO of Living Green Group, a leading manufacturer and marketer of natural eco friendly home and personal hygiene products. He is highly passionate about conservation of our ecological environment and the biodiversity that makes NZ so truly unique. He is currently the Chair of The Endangered Species Foundation of New Zealand.
Andrew Payne

Keen sailor, tramper, cyclist and all round nature lover.
Andrew has a background in engineering and worked his entire career overseas on large civil infrastructure projects. He is passionate about protecting our precious flora and fauna. He now enjoys waking to the ever improving birdsong and the sounds of the sea.
Kate Sedgley

Kate lives on Waiheke with her partner and 2 young boys.
Kate is a career resource management specialist. She is passionate about the environment and its ability to support our well-being, and therefore our need to look after it.
drinA paratenE,

Ko Puke-o-Kai te maunga
Ko Awaawaroa te whenua taurikura
Ko Tikapakapa te moana
Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Ngāti Pāoa te iwi
Ko Ngāti Kapu te hapū
Ko drinA paratenE ahau
He mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa.
My name is drinA paratene and I am a descendant of Ngāti Pāoa, mana whenua on Waiheke Island. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to contribute an iwi perspective to the incredible work Te Korowai o Waiheke undertakes to restore the presence of manu Māori (native birds) on the island.
Sarah Smith

Permanent resident of Waiheke for 9 years. Married with 3 kids (2 grown up & 1 in senior school) Animal lover. I walk every day & enjoy exploring & boating around different parts of the island.
Passionate about the predator-free Waiheke goal & would love to help with this including fundraising where needed. I have had experience in fundraising for the local community here & off island.
I have many friends on this Island who share my passion & love of wildlife.
Lisa Tauroa

Ko Pukeōkai te maunga
Ko Awaawaroa te awa
Ko Waiheke te motu
Ko Ngāti Kapu te hapū
Ko Ngāti Pāoa te iwi.

Lisa has raised four amazing children and is blessed with two mokopuna. She has worked as a press photographer, graphic designer, and researcher, and is now navigating her final year of a Master’s at the University of Canterbury. Passionate about Indigenous led kaupapa, cultural revitalisation, and reconnection. She is dedicated to making a real impact for whānau, hapū, and Iwi.