Board of Trustees
The Establishment Board of Trustees (eBOT) was appointed by the Minister of Education, Hon. Chris Hipkins in July 2021. From 2022-2023, the eBOT provided leadership and guidance as Nukumea has emerged as a fully operational school.
In September 2023, we transitioned to a new board comprising of a diverse group of parents, many of whom have students already in attendance at Nukumea. We also welcomed a staff representative as part of the team. In September 2025, a new Board was formed.
You can read more about individual backgrounds and experiences of each board member below by clicking on the ‘+’ next to their name.
The board typically meets twice every school term. If you would like to attend these meetings, please contact our Presiding Member, Sarah Dodge sarahd@nukumea.school.nz. The dates of these meetings can be found on the calendar.
For more information about how boards operate in New Zealand, and how parents and whānau can get involved in different ways, please consult the Ministry of Education’s info here.
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Hi everyone, my name is Keaton and I am really excited to be a part of the board this year. I am a mum to 2 very busy children and work as a social worker in the community. I am passionate about our tamariki having a positive school experience and the development of our school community!
Email: keatons@nukumea.school.nz
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Hi, I'm Michael and am excited to be part of the first Board for Nukumea School. I have an older boy who loves walking our local group to and from Nukumea Primary, a son at the school currently and a daughter who will be there in future. I work at Auckland University and have a real interest in building acoustics.
Email: michaelk@nukumea.school.nz
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"Malo le soifua maua ma le lagi e mama (Good living, good health and clear skies for sailing),
I am an Orewa local. My family hail from the Islands of Western Samoa, the villages of Vai'ee and Sale'imoa. I currently work as The National Manager Pasifika for WorkSafe NZ, with a focus on developing a strategy for safer, healthy and equitable workplaces for Pasifika. My background is in the Mental Health and Addictions Sector, as well as with the NZ Army.
I bring leadership and governance experience from a Ministry and NGO perspective at both an operational and strategic level; leadership and governance capability development for communities and organisations; experience in building/developing new organisations/systems; a strong equity and co-design focus; and a passion for building a better environment for our children and their future generations.
I see my role as ensuring there is a strong equity lens in the foundation of Nukumea, and supporting our wonderful Nukumea team develop, inspire, and grow wonderful human beings.
Email: apollot@nukumea.school.nz
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Kia Ora Koutou,
My name is Whitney Cullen and I am excited to be the new recently elected board member. I am a busy māma of two beautiful girls. I am also a local hairdresser currently on maternity leave. I am very excited to help elevate our school to new levels and support our community and tamariki to achieve our goals.
Email: whitneyc@nukumea.school.nz
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Presiding Member (Board Chair)
Kia ora tatou, I’m Sarah and I’m pleased to have the opportunity to be re-elected onto the board. My new role is as Presiding Member.
I have a degree in Health Science in Community Development and I’m passionate about children having equal opportunities to learn and reach their potential. I’m a local mum of 3 and love being involved in the community.
Email: sarahd@nukumea.school.nz
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Staff Representative
My name is Samantha and I am teacher-kaiako in Kōkopu, (Years 2-3). It is a real privilege to be the staff representative on the new board. I spent a lot of time in Orewa growing up and am now looking forward to seeing our school grow and become a hub for the community.