We are one team

A retired pharmacist with a special interest in addiction and mental health, Glen is a Fellow of, and Past President of the Pharmaceutical Society of NZ. He has been a Rotarian for almost 50 years, and is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Milson and a Past District Governor for Rotary District 9940, which covers the bottom third of the North Island. A Justice of the Peace, Glen sees Restorative Justice as potentially transformational for our community.

Darlene is a retired accountant, and is also on the Boards of Abbyfield Palmerston North and International Inner Wheel. She is passionate about dispute resolution and harm acknowledgement as a means of preventing further offending.

Subsequent to his role as Corporate Human Resources Manager for a large dairy compnay during the 1990s, Kevin became a self-employed Human Relations consultant. He is now retired and fulfilling his desire to give something back to the community. This has been predominantly in the social justice area, with governance roles in ACROSS Social Services and other not-for-profit organisations.He has been a trustee of Manawatu Restorative  Justice Trust since 2008.

Paul has extensive legal experince, working both as a prosecutor and defence counsel in the Manawatū region. He has seen the value of restorative justice in cases he has been involved with, and is a firm believer in the good that can flow from restorative justice for everyone involved.

Naomi is the Manager of Te Roopu Whakaruruhau o Nga Wāhine Māori (Women’s Refuge) in the Manawatū,  and a passionate advocate for improving the health and wellbeing outcomes for Māori.  Naomi sees restorative practices as providing a safe way for those impacted by crime to participate, and reducing and preventing harmful action and behaviour.

Chairperson of  Te Rangimarie Marae,  Rangitāne iwi kaumatua Wiremu Te Awe Awe serves on the Horizons Regional Council. He has been an advisor to Internal affairs, the Police and is a past member of the UCOL Board.  He believes  forgiveness, empathy and undertanding other people’s perspectives are  important skills for everyone to develop.

From Ngati Mutunga and Ngati Tama. Bev retired after 26 years at Massey University's Information Technology Services, which included 6 years on the University Council as an elected staff representative. A past president of Zonta Manawatu, Bev is currently Chair of the Olive Tree Charitable Trust. She sees restorative justice as a meaningful way of helping victims heal,  and of reducing the chances of offenders re-offending.

Originally a secondary school teacher, Sue completed a Masters degree in counselling in 2008, with the  specialist  topic of Restorative Mediation. She is a counsellor registered wtih the NZ Association of Counsellors, and is a member of their National Executive. Sue has also trained as a Family Court Mediator. She has worked as a restorative justice Facilitator since 2015, and is accredited for cases involving Family Violence.

Garry has been associated with the Prisoners' Aid and Rehabilitation Society for the last 11 years, both as a volunteer and a fieldworker. He is passionate about the need for the legal system to be reformed, and sees Restorative Justice as a vital link in this process.

As well as being the Office Administrator for the Trust, Liz is also a Facilitator. She is passionate about the work, and sees the benefits for both victims and offenders when they meet at a conference. She believes that when restorative justice works, it works really well!

Esmae was introduced to the Manawatu Restorative Justice Trust in 2009, and trained as a Facilitator in 2010. Through the years, she has seen time and again how a restorative approach to justice can bring so much healing; not just for victims but also to those who have caused harm to others. It helps far more than the punitive system which many people find themselves caught up in.

Neil has been involved with Restorative Justice in the Manawatu since 1997, when a group of interested peole met informally to discuss the concept. He believes our criminal justice system is based on guilt and punishment, whereas Restorative Justice focuses on understanding, hope, respect and resolution. It is a complement to the standard system, another way of dealing with crime when it is appropriate. Restorative Justice in NZ was a community initiative – it was not imposed on us by the government!

Sue comes from a strong health background having worked predominantly in this area as both a practitioner and in management. She trained as a facilitator in 2023.

She feels very privileged to hear participants' stories and is passionate about supporting people in a respectful manner through the Restorative Justice process.

We all make a mess of things from time to time,  and sometimes people are harmed by our actions. Sorting things out can be tough. There can  be shame, guilt and fear of retribution. I value being a Restorative Justice facilitator because it's about helping people have respectful conversations as part of putting things right. I learn every day from people courageous enough to give it a go.

Donny Riki is a Māori psychotherapist of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Paoa descent with straight cisgendered white-partner-privilege from Aotearoa. She carries the insights and authority of ‘taonga tuku iho’  (Indigenous grandmother’s wisdom) which informs her practice.  She has long standing relationships with whenua (sacred land) and the natural world which spans across generations, and shares this relevance to violence recovery work and inter-generational healing through mana-informed practice. 

Donny champions Indigenous rights, equity and social justice in Aotearoa. She is also a lover of art and puppies, an artist and a grandmother.

Monica is a registered social worker, who incorporates a Te Ao Māori framework and is passionate about restorative justice as a way of bringing healing to whānau, whānau whānui and community.

All people have mana, and deserve respect.  Restorative justice, where appropriate, brings an opportunity for a more mana enhancing part of a solution to the court system that can be life giving for all participants. 

Dr. John Waldon - Ngai Tūhoe (Ngā Koura, Te Urewera), Ngā Kahungunu, Ngā Pōrou.  With a PhD in Maori Studies, and a Master's degree in Public Health, John is a Research Advisor -Maori at Massey University. Currently Chair and President of the Manawatū centre of the Cancer Society, John has also served on the Boards of the MidCentral District Health Board, the Clinical Board of Palmersrton North Hospital, Public Health Association NZ  and the NZ Drug Foundation

Trevor’s background is in education and dispute resolution. He is a qualified and experienced mediator. Trevor sees great value in the role that Restorative Justice can play to help people navigate forward from challenging situations

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Phil spent much of his life working in secondary schools, both in New Zealand and in SE Asia. He  saw how much more effective restorative justice was in education than simply punishing a student who had broken a rule. By involving everyone affected by the act - teachers, parents and other students –  pupils came to understand  the effects of their actions and could be helped to repair the damage.

Liz has been the Restorative Justice Office Administrator  since 2017. Previously she worked in  Police Headquarters,  and in the courts  of both Rotorua and Welington.