Key Staff Members

Carol Andersen, Settlement Support Coordinator

A native of Auckland City, Carol became accustomed to a multicultural community during her preschool days. 

She began training in sociology at Auckland University, completing a few papers only before switching to administration, events coordination, and public relations.  Carol holds a diploma in International Marketing and Management attained during her years as ED of the local branch of the Export Institute of NZ.  During this time she was also the EO for the first local Chamber of Commerce.  Carol began her own small business in Marketing & Administration, and Conference Organising, while continuing to hold her position with the Export membership organisation for seven years. Between 1994 and 2006 Carol began a new vocation training adults in business administration and computing, including coaching for the workplace.  As a tutor/facilitator, Carol encountered several migrant students which stimulated her passion to work in the fields now presented within her role as coordinator to the local Settlement Support NZ initiative for the YMCA Tauranga.  

Helen Gould, Settlement Support Information Officer

Helen is originally from the UK and settled in New Zealand some 17 years ago.  She moved to Tauranga from Wellington in 2000 and has enjoyed all that the Bay of Plenty has to offer since then.

She has three children, Tessa (14), Nathaniel (13) and Benjamin (8) who are all happy at school in Tauranga.
Helen’s professional background is in communications with experience in political lobbying, public affairs and public relations, facilitation, sub-editing, proofreading and writing - skills which will stand her in good stead for her role as Information & Communications Officer! She’s very excited about working for SSNZ and helping to make connections with and for newcomers to the Tauranga/WBOP region.

Jane Callaghan, Finance Administrator

Jane has worked in administration since leaving school. She has worked in a wide range of administration roles, with debt management being her speciality.

She has worked more recently within the education administration sector.  In 2008 Jane took a short break from the workforce to complete a certificate in Administration and Accounting. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, Jane and her family have been living in Tauranga for the past 13 years. She has worked as the YMCA’s Finance Administrator since August 2010.  She is married with three adult children. Her interest includes family and friends, outdoor concerts, good food and wine.  
 

Mark Graham, Youth 4 Youth Facilitator

After Helping out Tamati Cameron with running the Youth 4 Youth programme in 2011 as a volunteer, it was a small step for Mark to take on the roll of facilitator.

Born in Tauranga and spending most of his life there, Mark has become passionate about helping the youth to find their spirit. He attended Otumoetai College and went on to complete a Certificate in Christian ministry. After this certificate Mark has been volunteering for Primal Youth for five years. Having struggled with literacy skills in high school Mark has been motivated by his passion for youth to overcome these challenges and has gained the skilled necessary for further study. Mark is now in his second year of a Bachelor of Social Work at Waikato University, furthering his career working with youth in Tauranga.     

Valdina-Camille Dawson, OSCAR Coordinator

Originally from South Africa, Val moved to New Zealand six years ago. Already the proud recipient of a BA and a BA Honours in Psychology, Val dreams of one day doing her Masters in Educational Psychology and starting her own school for traumatised children.

Val has spent most of her adult life working with children in one form or another. She has worked as a homework teacher, preschool teacher/owner, After School Care Supervisor and is now the OSCAR Coordinator at the YMCA. She is married to a wonderful man named Stuart with whom she has a beautiful boy name Daniel, who is 18 months of age. In addition to spending time with her son, Val loves to relax by watching movies, reading good books, and being creative with arts and crafts.  She has several nicknames including Sissi and Val-Dynajets.  
 

Rebecca Hattie, Lead Recreation Administrator

Rebecca is our Lead Recreation Administrator and has worked at the YMCA since September 2009.  Born in Australia, she migrated to New Zealand when she was two years old.

In case you didn’t know, Rebecca is had her first child on December 24. A beautiful girl named Emily.
Bex is on maternity leave now and will be back at the start of December. She will be missed but very competently replaced by Rachel McKain, who started with us in October 2011.

 

 

 Rachel McKain, Lead Recreation Administrator

Rachel will be replacing Rebecca as Lead Recreation Administrator, while she is on maternity leave. In her youth Rachel has spend many hours at the YMCA.

Rachel is born and bred in Tauranga. In fact, aside from one year away at boarding school in Hawkes Bay, she has lived her whole life here, spending a great deal of her youth at the YMCA. She started her Bachelor in Management majoring in Human Resources and Marketing Communications and has spent the large majority of her working career in administration.

Outside the YMCA, Rachel spends her time relaxing with her friends and family (“Cliché, I know” she says) as well as making jigsaw puzzles and listening to music. She also likes getting her kicks by crewing in a stock car and helping (well, trying to help) her partner rebuild a 1969 Ford Galaxie which they imported from the States. 

Lichelle de Boer, Junior Recreation administrator

Lichelle is assisting Rachel at reception with After School Care, Holiday Programme and Tomorrows Meals.

Following her partner's work, Lichelle moved to Tauranga early 2012, having spent all her life in Wellington.
After finising her Excerise Science diploma she is now nicely setlling in to the Bay: "Tauranga is not as busy as Wellington and the beaches and weather are much nicer here, I am staying!", Lichelle comments.
During her studies Lichelle worked with children, also as a staff member at After School Care Centre. In her spare time, Lichelle is a fanatic netball player.

Sophie Irving, Y-Force Coordinator

Sophie originally hails from the UK where she graduated with a degree in Leisure and Sports Management from the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff in 2008. 

After setting off on her OE and spending time in Central America and Australia, she visited Tauranga and fell in love with it.  In fact, she hasn’t left since! Passionate about working with kids, Sophie has volunteered and worked with various children’s community projects since the age of sixteen including sports camps in the US, school programmes in Africa and sports days in the UK. A keen netball and volleyball player, Sophie has represented Wales in the University Volleyball Championships.  She is also a champion of the great outdoors and is highly enthusiastic about helping the YMCA to create outdoor adventure programmes for the local children. She lives with her partner in Mount Maunganui.    

 

Lorraine Fell, Tutor

Lorraine Fells is a regular at the YMCA, she might leave us for a whole to persue other interests but she will always return!

Lorraine initial involvement with the YMCA started in 2002 as Tutor of the Healthcare course.  Over the years she worked as a part time tutor at the YMCA in Early childhood and MAP’s, and more recently Literacy and Numeracy. Spending time away from the YMCA she always seem to return!  While spending her formative years in Hamilton she was born here in Tauranga. Now residing in Papamoa she enjoys spending time with family and walking on the beach and she likes to travel. 

Miriam Hutchings, Employment Tutor

Miriam has lots of training and HR experience, excellent to support our students to get ready for the workforce.

Born in Holland and raised in South Africa, Miriam lived in Botswana for seven years before moving to New Zealand in 2002. She has over 16 years experience in management, human resources, training, recruitment and finance. Her most recent role was at Seeka Kiwifruit Industries where she eveloped standard recruitment practices used to hire up to 3,500 seasonal employees. When she’s not working, Miriam loves to dance Ceroc, go sailing and teach herself how to sew. Along with her husband and two adult daughters (her adult son now lives in the UK), she lives with a 7.5 kg ginger cat called Tango who she has trained to sit, lie down, and get up on mmand. They also have a lorikeet named Jordon. 

Sheryll Armstrong, Computing Tutor

Sheryll is a highly motivated individual with a passion for turning people's lives around through computer technology.

Sheryll is a qualified ICT Training Consultant with over 25 years computing / administration experience and qualifications in Computing, Teaching, Management / Coaching, Literacy and Numeracy. Prior to teaching at Polytechnic and YMCA she had her own IT business.  Sheryll has a friendly, flexible approach to ICT training and appreciates that not everyone learns the same way. It’s not just a job – for Sheryll it’s about motivating and helping people gain confidence in computing so they can use technology to go forward and to be successful.

 Sheryll’s other passions, which she shares with her partner; include property development, overseas travel and Kiwi outdoor adventures.  She enjoys good health through regular exercise, and is very focused on the activities and interests of two adult sons and extended family. She thrives on new challenges within her personal and work life, and is always excited about future plans whilst still appreciating the present.