Member of the Board of Trustees

My connection with Silverdale started at uni, when I would jump the fence on the weekend to get to the basketball court. Close to twenty years later my three children attend Silverdale, and my wife works in the school, so my interest in the school’s wellbeing is a little more personal.

Professionally I am a patent attorney (it’s a specialised legal qualification - but happily not a lawyer), with a background in engineering. I have not served on a board before, but believe I have a skillset well suited to the role. A core skill in my line of work is processing new information quickly and providing guidance to people based on their specific circumstances, finding a pragmatic balance between the constraints of the law and the needs of the individual/business. I would also like to think that I am good at listening to different perspectives, and willing to change my opinion in the right circumstances.

The New Zealand school system worked for me, but I’m highly aware that this is not true for everyone – for a variety of reasons. I have a lot of respect for the approach taken by Silverdale staff and the wider school community in connecting with students and their whānau, and appreciate the chance to support them in this by serving on the board.