Our People
President - James Anderson-Pole
Responsibilities: Strategy/Policy/Constitution, Registration and Finance
Qualifications: Bachelor of Commerce, Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary), partial completion of Certificate in Deaf Studies (DEAF801-804).
Teaching experience: Community classes at Onehunga High School, Auckland Deaf Society and other providers in Auckland; taster classes and NZSL courses for Deaf Aotearoa; mainstream and Deaf provision classes at various schools in Auckland; one-on-one tutoring for freelance clients and Merge.
Vice President - Candice David
Responsibilities: Professional Development/Mentoring, Finance, and Conference
Qualification: Certificate in Deaf Studies: Teaching NZSL.
Teaching experience: Over 5 years of experience teaching NZSL in various settings: community education, hospitals, businesses/workplaces, and school & kindergartens. And provide NZSL courses for Deaf Aotearoa.
Executive Committee - Amber Tiopira-Waaka
Responsibilities: Professional Development/Mentoring, Communications
Qualifications: Certificate in Deaf Studies: Teaching NZSL
Teaching Experience: Community education classes in Christchurch and Wellington; Wellington High School, and also NZSL courses through NZSL4U. NZSL Tutor - Ko Taku Re in Wellington region.
Executive Committee - Becky West
Responsibilities: Curriculum, Finance
Qualifications: Advanced Certification in Illustration & Design, Certificate in Deaf Studies: Teaching NZSL.
Teaching experience: NZSL Tutor at Van Asch Deaf Education Centre for 5 years, Teaching NZSL Night Classes from Level 1 to 3 for two years, training tutors TeachSign Level 1 Workshop and Parent Level 1 Workshops.
Executive Committee - Jaime Brown
Responsibilities: Registration, Communications, Policy/Constitution
Qualifications: BA in Eng-NZSL Interpreting from AUT, Certificate in Deaf Studies - Victoria University.
Teaching experience: Started teaching in 2010, 10 years of NZSL Teaching. Have been involved in Level 1 and Level 2 Curriculum development for community education. Have helped co-ordinate and deliver training for NZSL for Families Curriculum mentoring training and level 1 TeachSign Tutor Training throughout NZ. Experience in online teaching.
Executive Committee - Mike Alley
Responsibilities: Curriculum, Conference
Qualifications: Science Degree. BFOR.SC. Teaching Diploma (Primary). Post Grad Teacher of the Deaf.
Teaching experience: 14 years with Van Asch Deaf Education Centre, Including Parent Workshops in NZSL, High School NCEA NZSL; Currently teaching NZSL Full Time with Freyberg High School.
Executive Committee - Peter Barker
Responsibilities: Registration, Conference
Qualifications: Certificate in Adult Teaching, Palmerston North College of Education
Teaching Experience: Teaching NZSL Classes at UCOL
Executive Committee - Ruth Whyte
Responsibilities: Curriculum, Communications, Policy/Constitution
Qualifications: Bachelor of Education (Primary); Certificate of Interpreting (Auslan); NAATI Auslan-English qualification; Certificate in Deaf Studies: Teaching NZSL.
Teaching experience: Teaching community education classes for 5 years; NZSL Tutor at van Asch Deaf Education Centre.
Staff - Shannon Morris
Role: Professional Development Co-ordinator
Qualifications: Certificate in Deaf Studies: Teaching NZSL
Teaching experience: Started teaching in 2008 and graduated in Certificate in Deaf Studies in 2009. Currently I am a freelancer and have been teaching NZSL in various settings, community education, private and specialised tutoring. I also deliver Deaf awareness & courses with businesses, organisations, education, medical and government sectors. I have been involved as a NZSL talent in NZSL Level 1 and Level 2 educational videos, including LearnNZSL online learning platform.
Staff - Theresa Cooper
Role: NZSLTA Executive Administrator
Qualifications: Certificate in Deaf Studies: Teaching NZSL; Postgraduate Diploma in Museum Studies; Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Honours).
Teaching experience: Over ten years of teaching NZSL classes in various settings, including government departments, private businesses, and community education.
Life members: Lynette Pivac, Shona McGhie, David McKee, Josje Lelijveld
Deceased life members: Penny Went, Dennis Tod