Maungawhau School Board of Trustees
Our school is governed by parent representatives, our Principal Delanee Dale and an elected staff representative.
Our Role
All of New Zealand’s state and state-integrated schools have a board of trustees. The board is the Crown entity responsible for the governance and the control of the management of the school. The board is the employer of all staff in the school, is responsible for setting the school’s strategic direction in consultation with parents, staff and students, and ensuring that its school provides a safe environment and quality education for all its students. Boards are also responsible for overseeing the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance and administration.
Board Elections
The current Board were elected in July 2019 by our community.
Board Meetings
The board meets twice each term and we warmly welcome our parent community to our meetings. Please check the school calendar for meeting dates and times.
Meeting Protocols
We believe it is helpful to all those attending a meeting to be clear on meeting protocols. Board meetings are meetings held in public; they are not public meetings. If you would like to speak, please write to the Board Chair to request speaking rights in advance of a meeting.
Contacting the Board
If you have any feedback or wish to seek information from the board, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Board Chair through the school office.
Our Board of Trustees
Is governed by our Principal Delanee Dale and the following elected representatives.
Michelle Sutcliffe
BOARD CHAIRPERSON
I joined the Maungawhau School Board as a parent elected representative in June 2019 and was elected to the Board Chair role this year. I’ve really enjoyed being able to support our wonderful school through my role on the Board and to work together as a team to shape the education experience of students at Maungawhau. I’m a lawyer with a real passion for governance, having spent 12+ years working closely with the Boards of Westpac and BNZ. As General Manager Governance at BNZ, I lead a team of governance experts. These roles mean I bring a strong mix of governance, legal, risk management and practical experience to our school Board. My husband and I have lived in Mt Eden for nearly a decade and we have two daughters (Mila and Chloe) in the middle school. I’m therefore highly motivated to see Maungawhau’s ongoing success and to ensure good decisions are made that deliver great outcomes for all.
Sandy Wang
PARENT REPRESENTATIVE
With two children at Maungawhau School and after being actively involved in the school’s activities for many years, I feel extremely privileged to be a Board of Trustees’ member. I came to New Zealand’s cold South Island 20 years ago. Now living in warmer Auckland climes, I am a strong believer in bringing students, parents and families together from all backgrounds, as we celebrate the city’s vibrant cultural mix. After graduating with Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Auckland and initially working as an engineer, I discovered my passion for people and our community. Outgoing, dedicated and compassionate, this led to my current role as a Licensed Immigration Adviser and business owner, where I consolidated my skills in leadership and effective communication. A strong advocate of social media, I host the school’s group for Chinese parents and for two years, I have led the marketing of the school fair.
James David
PARENT REPRESENTATIVE (AKA - HEMI)
Having lived in the area since the age of 4, I have a real connection with our local community. I have three of my four tamariki at Maungawhau in Yr 4, 2 and 0. I am incredibly proud to be a part of the Board of Trustees and our school community. From my years of teaching and mentoring young people at school, university and in the workplace, I bring a real passion for helping people grow and develop through education. My skills are varied across a range of additional areas, with strong business acumen, governance experience and qualifications in sports coaching. I am also a super passionate person who loves to get my hands dirty when required (and wear a dress up for a cause too) to help our school. As a proud Ngapuhi, I am committed to empowering Māori and Pacifica to reach their full potential. Currently, I’m the Head of Sales at Datacom, NZ’s largest technology company. Diversity of thought and ‘outside the box’ solutions are an important part of my role and I know this will certainly help drive successful outcomes for our school. Poipoia te kakano Kia puawai (nurture the seed and it will blossom).
Helen Ha
TREASURER
My name is Helen and I have been on the Board of Trustees since 2018. I grew up in Mount Eden, and after graduating with a BCOM/LLB from the University of Auckland, I lived in Australia, France and UK for 16 years working for Shell International. I work as a Programme Manager at Fonterra, as well as a certified Clifton StrengthFinders coach helping professionals and students to unleash their natural talents. I have also been a volunteer facilitator of workshops at The Parenting Place charity. Maelyse is in Year 5 and Seb in Year 2 at school, and we all love being a part of this great community. I am passionate about wellbeing and personal development and want to ensure that every child’s unique needs and contributions are acknowledged.
Nilesh Bhula
PARENT REPRESENTATIVE
I joined the Maungawhau school board in Nov 2022. I have two young boys in Year 4 and Year 2 that currently attend Maungawhau School. Over the past 4 years since my first child began at the school, I have built good relations with many of the school personnel and parents in the community. My background consists of a 17-year career in various sales and leadership roles in large corporate organisations both in NZ and Australia. At present, I currently run my own Commercial Finance business as a Financial Advisor under the Finance NZ umbrella and have been doing this for the past 5 years. I believe my extensive experience and network will be a great asset and will complement the current board well.
Georgina Scouller
STAFF REPRESENTATIVE
Kia ora, my name is Georgina Scouller and I am the staff representative. I joined Maungawhau at the start of 2020 and I feel privileged to have found such a wonderful school and community for my first teaching position. The last few years have been a challenging, and rewarding, introduction to teaching and I hope that being on the board offers even more opportunities to give back to my fellow staff and the school community.