Board Members
BOARD MEMBER
Joanne Abernethy
Joanne Abernethy is highly dedicated and skilled individual, with a passion for advising non-for-profit charities. Her leadership style is characterised by collaboration and strategic alignment, demonstrated during her tenure at Maxim Institute in Auckland, New Zealand, where she held roles including Director and Interim CEO. With a proven track record in delivering high standards of work under pressure, Joanne's career spans both the customer service industry and the education sector, exemplifying her ability to communicate effectively across diverse groups. Her contributions as Conference Manager at LIFE NZ Organisation further underscore her strategic planning prowess and operational acumen, making her a valuable asset to the Dear Community board.
BOARD MEMBER
Terry Koumakis
Terry Koumakis has been involved in not for profit organisations for over 35 years.
Terry’s involvement has been at governance level for a thriving BOP organisation. Prior to that served as a committee and management member for two large organisations in Auckland.
He is currently the chairman of the board for the N.Z division of a world wide not for profit organisation. He has served as a board member since 2017.
Terry understands event management for organisations with a large volunteer base and at one point in time led the management of over 100 volunteers across multiple locations.
Terry is also familiar with organising events and has served on event activity committees, and served for a time in a NZ wide not for profit, organising events on a volunteer basis so understands the dynamics of running a volunteer team.
Across his career Terry has held management positions (which included event management) and successfully ran his own businesses. He was acknowledged with a Westpac Business Excellence Award and has also won an award in Effective Leadership and multiple design awards.
BOARD MEMBER
Delwyn Koumakis
Delwyn has had many years of working for non profit organisations. Her primary tasks with these were event and volunteer management.
She is currently serving on the Board of another NZ non profit organisation and has been the Treasurer on this Board for three years.
Delwyn has years of administration experience, looking after all the accounts for several businesses they have owned.
She is the mother of four adult children and spends a lot of her time looking after her grandson. She loves reading and cooking, but most of all being with her family.
BOARD MEMER
Claudia Brett
Claudia Brett brings a unique blend of education and community-focused experience to her role on the board. With a Bachelor's degree in Criminology and a background in Mental Health studies, Claudia currently dedicates herself to working within the community, particularly with youth. Her passion lies in fostering connections and building strong communities, especially among women. Claudia is also a successful business owner, bringing entrepreneurial insights to her approach. Her commitment to empowering women and nurturing community relationships makes her a valuable addition to our board.