May 2012

Front Row: Moana Cook, Bruce Crossan (Chair), Jude Black (Principal), Iris Donoghue
Back Row: Helen Coffin (Staff Representative), Glenda Delaney, Walter Starke, Chris Marshall, Gloria Honan

Pen Portraits
A recent survey has found that many parents in the school community do not know very much about the people who represent them on our board of trustees.  Every board member is passionate about giving every student at the school the opportunity to achieve at their best.  We have some new trustees working alongside some more experienced members. Here are some brief pen portraits to let you get to know them all a little better:

Jude Black 

 Most readers will know Jude who has been a board member since 2003 when she was appointed principal. She came to us with experience in working with boards of trustees at a previous school. In fact it became apparent that Jude was cut out for leadership in schools when she was appointed Head Girl at Rutherford High School. She has strong qualifications for her complex role which could be described as learning leader responsible to the board for all aspects of education at Green Bay School.
She has three grown children and grandchildren. Along with a love of beach life, swimming, writing and music, her family keeps her busy in her ‘spare’ time.

Bruce Crossan

I was co-opted onto the board in 2005 as a parent representative trustee. For the next two years I  chaired the Finance Committee during which time I oversaw a review of Finance and Administration areas within the School.  I then spent 18 months as chair of the Personnel Committee and as a member of the Operations Committee.  In September 2009 I was elected Board Chairperson.
I have spent 12 years in the UK working as Systems Accountant for three companies and finally as a Financial Director for an automotive components supplier.  I met Sue, my wife, in Birmingham, England, and the first two of our three children were born there. Our youngest is a true Westie - born in Waitakere.  All three of our children have started their schooling at Green Bay Primary School.
We returned from the UK in 2002 and I have headed up the Finance & IT functions at Fresh Direct Ltd and JP Exports Ltd since then.  When I get a moment away from family, work and board of trustee’s commitments I like to take the opportunity to pursue photography, cycling, kayaking and walking.  I am also a member of the Titirangi Baptist Church.

Moana Cook
My name is Moana Cook and I grew up in Green Bay.  As a former pupil of Green Bay School, it was a very proud day for us when our twin boys, Hinata and Zen, started at the school 3 years ago. 
Before starting our family, I lived in Nagoya Japan, where my husband is from.  I taught English for the local Board of Education as I am a trained secondary school teacher and language teaching is my specialty subject.
Life became busy when the twins came along, but thanks to my children, opportunities arose to become involved in community groups in the local area.  I have always had a close association with the Green Bay Community House where I have been secretary for 6 years, so I have an understanding of the governance role the BOT plays in a school.  I also volunteer for Bellyful West Auckland and help to organize one of the Walking School Buses at Green Bay.
I would like to see ties between our community and our school strengthened and I would hope that I could provide support wherever possible to parents and staff in any way I can.
I am really grateful to have had such a great time at Green Bay School when I was growing up.  I hope my own children will make the same happy memories at school that I did and I am looking forward to the opportunity as part of the Board of Trustees to assist our children and our school to reach their full potential.

Chris Marshall
I am Chris Marshall.  I am husband to Beth and father to our three children; Samantha, Jonathan and Katie-Rose who attend Green Bay School.  I hold a tertiary qualification in Chemistry from Auckland University. I have spent many years in various technical roles including a very enjoyable stint in a man management role in a metal forming factory before my current position as Plant Chemist for a large manufacturing company. 
My main interest is in the well-being of my family and having fun. On a regular basis I cycle to work regardless of the weather for fitness and my sanity.  I am also a member of the Blockhouse Bay Baptist Church. 

Walter Starke
My name is Walter Starke, married to Bronwyn and the proud father of our two children Reuben (Room 5) and Naomi (Room 24).  This is my first term as a Board of Trustee member (BoT) and I’m looking forward to being part of a great team.
Professionally I’ve worked for a large multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy as an environmental engineer for the last 17 years.  My projects require assessments, solutions and teamwork which means listening to each other and good communication.  I believe that I can bring these skills to the school as a Board of Trustee member.
For the best part of the last 30 years I’ve lived in the Green Bay community, prior to that I lived in the Netherlands.  I went to Green Bay High School where I was taught by some excellent teachers that enabled me to go Auckland University.  My sister still teaches at the High School and as a family we maintain a close relationship with the Green Bay area.
As a parent I’ve enjoyed being a volunteer coach for our schools T-ball team and have grown to admire the enthusiasm and fun the kids have for the sport.  I love all kinds of sport, coach my son’s soccer team and still can’t hang up my own boots after playing for 43 years.
 
Iris Donoghue  

My husband and I take great delight in saying that we were born before the middle of the last century during World War 2. These were hard, austere and very disciplined times, and although I have great family memories I have others that are not so good.
I was bank trained in England as an accountant ,and as newly weds aged 21 and 23 we decided to see the world n then decide where we would settle. We had proposed to go to New Zealand, Australia and Canada, but fell in love with Auckland, back in the 1960s it was something else.
We worked hard, bought a piece of land raised our family. We now have 2 children a daughter (43) and a son (42) and 2 adorable grandchildren, boy and girl.
After returning to the workforce I decided that a part of my time was to be spent working for voluntary organisations or at least giving something back to this country that had given me so much.
I started by doing 6 years of voluntary work (one day per week )with intellectually handicapped children at Mangere Hospital, until its closure. I was a Medical Practice Manager at that time, a profession I spent 25 years in.  I dabbled in politics (ONCE) and stood on the District Health Board on Sir Brian Barret-Boyes team, for a term,  but really wasn’t what I wanted to do.
I was approached in 1993 by the then Deputy Mayor of Waitakere City to ask if I would be interested in applying myself to a new challenge the Inaugural Chair of Keep Waitakere Beautiful, the Council had joined Keep New Zealand Beautiful and was looking for someone in the community to start it up, I was delighted and took up the challenge, and the rest is history.  From KWB came the Tag Out Trust, I am a founding Trustee and managed the operations for a few years, we also produced the Weedfree Trust once again I was a founding Trustee.
About 7 years ago these were combined under the umbrella organisation EcoMatters Environment Trust, which I am proud to be Chair of currently.  In 2005 my services to the community were recognised and I was inducted as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) what a proud moment, especially as it was a New Zealand award,. This is something I wear with pride whenever I get an opportunity.
That’s a potted version of my story, one of my proudest moments would be getting to shake the hand of Nelson Mandela, and my role models are Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Therese and Bono- yes really.
I am totally opposed to war and violence of any kind. Life is not all work however, and I enjoy my family, my animals (3) and my beautiful garden. I have many interests including photography, scrapbooking, aroma therapy, making teddy bears, reading and music, especially classical and rock- I adore rock concerts.

Having lived in this area for most of my life I am passionate about this community and believe the school is the heart of it.  As a parent of two boys attending the school, I highly value and appreciate the special learning environment the school offers for all students.

I am a Human Resources Manager for a multi-national company and have 15 years experience in this profession. There are strong parallels with the competencies required in my working life and those required as member of the Board of Trustees. I aim to transfer those skills to support the school to achieve its goals.
I am currently a Board member for an Industry Training Organisation and therefore understand the Board’s role in governance of the school in setting the direction and meeting the necessary legal and statutory requirements.
I believe that quality education for children sets the platform for their development as valuable adults. I am committed to ensuring that the school provides the best education possible in an environment of strong leadership and effective teamwork.
I am enthusiastic about having the opportunity to contribute to the community by supporting our great school and helping plan for its bright future

Gloria Honan-Crann
I am Gloria Honan-Crann married to Bryant, we have four children. Our sons Declan & Couper currently attend the school. Our eldest daughter Shelby attended the Intermediate last year and is now at Green Bay High along with our eldest son, Hunter.  My family has been in Green Bay for nearly 50 years now and in fact, our old Garage used to be the local community library in the early 40’s. I am currently serving on the Green Bay Ratepayers & Residents Association.
I have been a stay at home mum for the last 13.5years, and with Couper now attending school, I am now able to commit the time necessary in the areas of Communication and Fund Raising portfolios as decided by the Board.
Prior to parenting, I was a Senior Auditor for a large financial company and specialized in company fraud, before moving into a Regional Management role predominantly looking into manager’s performance, staffing issues, budgets, offering support and solutions.
I have always taken a huge interest in Green Bay as a community and especially its children, those that are good and those that are a “challenge.”  I detest bulling and I am aware that, at this tender age, is the foundation that can ruin our kids full potential to learn and grow with confidence.
I do not suffer fools gladly, call a spade a spade, do not do “PC” very well and always look outside the square. I hope I can serve and support you, your children and the teacher’s body in the best interests for the community over the next 18 months.

My husband Trevor and I moved to Auckland last year and have bought a property in Green Bay.  We have three grown children, Hereni 29, Tane 28 and Marama 20.

I am a Primary Teacher with 36years experience in teaching. I trained at Hamilton Teachers College then taught in Whakatane, several Wellington schools and last year was appointed to a permanent position at Green Bay Primary.
I have been involved in the Health and Safety, Fundraising Committee, NZEI Union School Representative, and mentored new teachers.
My current responsibilities are lead teacher of Mathematics, Junior Te Reo Maori / Kapa Haka Teacher, Tutor teacher, as well as staff rep for the BOT.