Master of Ceremonies

Amy Shattock, Principal Communications & Engagement Consultant, Stantec

Amy has been innovating the world of engagement and communications across sectors, in Aotearoa, New Zealand for almost 20 years.

Ensuring complex projects are successful is Amy’s specialty. Amy advances projects with a behavioral science approach, using a blend of behavioral insights and accountability to keep the project risk low, and the stakeholder engagement high.

Work undertaken includes design and delivery of engagement and communication projects, feasibility studies, strategy design, systems and framework design for change, project design, implementation and evaluation, alongside behavioural research and analysis to inform design and decision making.

Amy’s work fosters iwi partnerships, community and key stakeholder engagement, and evaluation and monitoring to support decision making and change. People and connections are at the heart of Amy’s work, building trust and relationships and doing what she has said she will, gives confidence to the project decision makers and the wider community.

Amy’s projects have spanned - transport, water, infrastructure, climate change, parks and reserves, environment, health, education, local and central government and the private sector.

Keynote Speakers

Dave Letele, Motivational Speaker & Founder, The BBM Program

Having grown up with a father who was the president of the Mongrel Mob and in and out of prison throughout his childhood, Dave understands what it means to struggle.

It took Dave a near-death experience to pull him out of a downward spiral. From there, he embarked on a journey that led to him owning several businesses, playing rugby league all over the world, becoming a professional boxer, losing almost 100 kg in body weight, and starting over.

Dave is an inspiration to thousands of Kiwis, achieving his transformation purely through hard work and dedication. Starting his platform via his private Facebook group where over 10,000 people have achieved life-changing levels of weight loss, Dave went on to found his company Buttabean Motivation (BBM), where he and his team are currently working with public health and social service providers across Auckland to deliver his highly effective BBM programs to improve the health outcomes for obese people.

Often consulted by the media, and even the former Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, Dave’s bold and no-nonsense approach has changed thousands of lives in his community and around New Zealand. In 2022, Dave was awarded with the Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the year Award for his incredible work across Aotearoa.

Nothing quite beats a real story straight from the heart, Dave will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions where you will come out the other side understanding the power of determination, perseverance, hard work, taking that first step and hope! Let Dave inspire your audience.

Dr Isabella GiaVulva

The Queen of Engagement takes on her biggest challenge yet… Local Government!

Off-Leash is a hilarious, insightful drag musical starring Dr Isabella GiaVulva as the newly employed – and utterly unprepared – Community Engagement Officer at Greyvale City Council.

Armed with jaw-dropping musical numbers and gloriously melodramatic monologues, Isabella is thrown headfirst into leading the consultation on Greyvale’s most divisive, emotionally charged, democracy-testing project: the Greyvale Off-Leash Dog Park.

What unfolds is a wild, heartfelt, and sharply observed dive into the realities of modern engagement work – the pressure and expectations, the politics and power plays, the compassion fatigue, the tiny wins, and the stubborn hope (and humour) that keep practitioners going. Hilarious, insightful, and unexpectedly moving, Off-Leash shines a spotlight on the emotional load of frontline engagement and the transformative impact of doing it well.

Professor Rawinia Higgins PFHEA, FRSNZ, MNZM

Professor Rawinia Higgins (Tūhoe) is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori and Kaitiakitanga at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

Professor Higgins is currently the Chair and Commissioner of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori—The Māori Language Commission, and is the first woman to be appointed to this position. She was elected as a Pacific Region representative on the Global Taskforce for the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages.

Professor Higgins has been appointed to a number of governance and advisory board roles for government, Māori and iwi, including a member of the Waitangi Tribunal 2011 to 2025, and a Board member of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand 2022 -2025. Her research expertise is Māori language revitalisation and, more specifically, language planning and policy. She was instrumental in shaping the current Māori language legislation and policy framework.

Professor Higgins was awarded an MNZM (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit) in the 2025 New Years Honours List in recognition of her services to Māori language, education and governance.

Session Speakers

Aimee Brock, National Manager, Engagement and Regional Delivery, NZ Transport Agency

Aimee leads NZTA’s regional community engagement teams based around the motu as well as a small group of strategic national engagement advisors who work hard to keep the group one step ahead. Her group works across infrastructure projects, programmes and state highway network operations around the country to continuously develop NZTA's engagement approaches, support planned activities, and respond quickly in ever-increasing emergency management responses.

Aimee is a previous IAP2 Core Values winner not only in Aotearoa but across the IAP2 international awards stage. She is a proud champion for her organisation’s commitment to engagement and partnership, including her wider team’s strong award winning history.

Arpita Das, Community Research, Kaitiaki and Co Chair Tangata Tiriti Caucus

Arpita Das, PhD is Co Chair Tangata Tiriti caucus and Kaitiaki of Community Research. She holds a Certificate in Engagement from the Engagement Institute/ IAP2 Australasia. Arpita is a Doctorate in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai which is the oldest school of Social Work in Asia. As an academic researcher, Arpita has published extensively in peer reviewed journals most notably the British Journal of Social Work, where she also serves as a reviewer.

Arpita is passionate about empowering communities through stakeholder engagement, people focussed policy, digital accessibility and inclusive governance. She strives to build meaningful relationships to further policy and service delivery. She loves travelling to see the diversity of the world and appreciates the shared values of people.

Charmaine Ngarimu, Senior Engagement Lead, Ministry of Education New Zealand

Charmaine started her career in public radio and fast turn-around tv drama before moving into public relations. She has more than 25 years’ experience in communications, engagement, marketing and events and has worked across central and local government, and in the private sector.

She has led communications for Whakaata Māori, Airways, Civil Aviation Authority, the Australian High Commission and managed communications for Auckland on some of the world’s largest major events to including Rugby World Cup 2011, Volvo Ocean Race, ICC Cricket World Cup, FIFA U-20 World Cup, and the British and Irish Lions Tour.

Since returning to Wellington six years ago Charmaine has contracted for a number of central government organisations and programmes including the COVID-19 vaccine programme for the Ministry of Health, Te Mātāwai, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Health New Zealand.

Chris Mene, Director, Mene Solutions

Tenā koutou katoa, talofa lava and greetings.

My work focuses on supporting people and organisations through professional facilitation, advisory and training. A background across diverse work, community and leadership settings helps me provide useful support especially in contexts which involve complexity, conflict and high emotion.

Cindy Bangs, Associate Engagement and Change Advisory, Aurecon

Cindy is currently seconded full-time as the North Alliance C&E lead for the Ōtaki to north of Levin expressway, the country’s first multi-alliance project, a role that brings a range of complexities when it comes to keeping people safe in front line roles, building trust, while protecting client and partner reputations.

Cindy has been an IAP2 Core Values Awards judge for four years, is a former IABC Board member, and speaks regularly with communities impacted by large scale infrastructure projects. Found most regularly on the frontline with communities, Cindy’s nearly two decades of experience across central and local government, not for profit and the private sector gives her wide experience and insights across the spectrum of, often challenging, infrastructure and change projects.

Danielle Hamilton, Stakeholder Manager - Major Projects, Watercare

Danielle Hamilton is a senior engagement leader with experience in the water and not-for-profit sectors in Aotearoa. She specialises in strategic engagement, organisational reputation, and building trust in complex environments. Danielle has led high-performing teams that support transparent decision-making and meaningful community engagement. She brings strong knowledge of water sector reform and maintains an established professional network across New Zealand and Australia, drawing on best practice to strengthen outcomes. Danielle is also a member of the Engagement Institute Board of Directors since 2023.

Dan Ferguson, Founder & CEO, Communiti Labs

Dan is the founder and CEO of Communiti Labs, where he leads research and development at the intersection of artificial intelligence, frontier data science, and community engagement. His work focuses on transforming how governments and consultancies understand public sentiment, social impact, and engagement outcomes through advanced analytics and natural language processing. With a background in AI-driven insight generation, Dan is pioneering new ways to apply machine learning to qualitative data, making community voices more visible, measurable, and actionable in decision-making.

David Boyd, Customer Experience Manager Metlink

David is the Customer Experience Manager at Metlink, the Greater Wellington region’s public transport authority. His team are responsible for facilitating customer and community input into the design of the Metlink network, communications, services and policy. His work at Metlink includes the design of new bus routes, the development of Metlink’s digital channels and the launch of new fare payment technology. David is a strong advocate for ensuring customers and communities are engaged from the outset and through-out the design process. Recently, one of his key focuses at Metlink has been to improve accessibility by establishing a Metlink Accessibility Charter and leading delivery of an Accessibility Action Plan which has been created collaboratively with the disability community.

Elizabeth Stewart, Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, Watercare

Elizabeth Stewart is a Stakeholder Engagement Specialist at Watercare, working across the planning and delivery of Auckland’s next generation of water infrastructure. With a background in local government, elected member relationships, and major infrastructure programmes, Elizabeth operates at the intersection of people and complex projects. Her mahi (work) is guided by values that closely align with how she shows up every day, particularly pono – doing what you say you will. She focuses on clear communication, strong relationships, and helping people understand what’s happening and why. Elizabeth brings a strong sense of public service to the communities of Tāmaki Makaurau and believes meaningful engagement is built through transparency, consistency, and trust developed over time.

Gemma Greenshields, Director, G and T Connect

Gemma is an award-winning engagement specialist who brings people together to shape the places they love. As Co-Director of G & T Connect, she champions bold, inclusive engagement that connects voices and drives change. For 18 years she’s worked alongside communities across Aotearoa New Zealand, earning recognition through the IAP2 Project of the Year (2021) and the NZPI Nancy Northcroft Supreme Award (2022). Her experience spans transport, urban development, water and energy, with a strong passion for disaster recovery and climate adaptation. Having personally navigated managed retreat, she brings empathy, energy and courage to the hard conversations that matter.

Jack Brooks, Community Mobilisation, Australian Red Cross

With a over 10 years of experience in communications and storytelling, working as a social enterprise filmmaker in the not for profit sector, I moved into public facilitation and community engagement after working as documentarian with the Sydney Street Choir in 2018. Since joining Lance and the team at BROOKS I found I had grown a great passion for not only listening to people's stories but helping them find solutions. I wanted to be a part of the team that fostered connection within a community, that used research and analysis with grassroots techniques for engagement.

Jody Fotuosamoa Jackson, Kainga Ora Homes and Communities

Raised in Samoa, Jody’s lived experience of cyclones and other climate‑related events informs her commitment to indigenous resilience and culturally responsive engagement. With more than 20 years of experience across tertiary education, local government and public housing, she brings strong expertise in partnership building, governance, and community‑centred storytelling. Her research interests include Pacific labour mobility, community development and focusing on how communities organise, adapt, and build resilience in times of crisis. Jody is currently a Community Engagement and Partnerships Manager at Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities. Her villages are Lalomalava and Avao, Savai‘i.

Karen Jones, Group General Manager: Engagement and Partnerships, NZ Transport Agency

Karen Jones is the Group General Manager, Engagement and Partnerships, at the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, where she is a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Karen leads NZTA’s regional engagement, communications, and partnership function, working closely with central and local government, communities, iwi, and stakeholders to support the delivery of New Zealand’s land transport system. She brings extensive experience in public sector leadership, issues and change management, with a strong focus on building trust.

Kim Skelton, Te Ātiawa Taranaki Whānui Iwi | Te Ara Tupua Mana Whenua Steering Group Chairperson

Kim has over 25 years' experience in Treaty settlements and Māori economic development. She is Chair of Te Ara Tupua Mana Whenua Steering Group comprising 3 iwi members and 2 NZTA Waka Kotahi members.

Kim is passionate about harnessing indigenous talent, building enduring partnerships, and delivering Wellington infrastructure that aligns with iwi aspirations for sustainable economic, environmental, and social regeneration.

Kelli Sullivan, Principal Advisor, Engagement Practice, NZ Transport Agency

Kelli is a national engagement advisor providing guidance and support to the organisation’s Engagement and Regional Delivery teams, with a particular focus on infrastructure planning and delivery. Continuous improvement is a core part of Kelli’s role, ensuring NZTA’s engagement approaches, tools and resources evolve with the ever changing landscape of land transport. She also provides strategic advisory to large programmes and complex projects, such as the Roads of National Significance, enabling her to put theory into practice and embed new ways of working alongside regional teams.

Madison O'Dwyer, Senior Community Engagement Advisor, Auckland Council

Madison O’Dwyer is a Senior Community Engagement Advisor with Auckland Council’s Parks & Community Facilities, working on place-based projects across Tāmaki Makaurau. She began her career in community-led development, shaping a practical interest in how people experience and participate in decisions that affect them. Madison works at neighbourhood, suburban and regional levels to help communities shape public assets and shared spaces.

Makaore Wilson, Manager, Pou Tikanga/Māori Customs and Protocols Lead, Aurecon

Makaore Wilson is Manager, Māori Customs and Protocols Lead for Aurecon, bringing a strong Māori perspective and worldview to engagement, education, and collaboration.

Makaore has over 15 years’ experience in the New Zealand education sector, with deep expertise in teaching, pedagogy, Māori cultural development, te reo Māori development, and digital fluency. His work supports culturally responsive practice and inclusive approaches.

A leader in engagement and collaboration, Makaore works at the intersection of government, community, and major projects, helping bridge expectations and foster meaningful participation. His background in Māori immersion education and cultural confidence informs his inclusive leadership style and strategic approach.

Makaore is also the Chair of the Engagement Institute’s Māori Cultural Advisory Group, contributing to the advancement of culturally grounded and inclusive engagement practice.

Marion Short, Chief Executive Officer, Engagement Institute

A transformational leader with almost 20 years’ experience as a CEO in the not-for-profit sector, coupled with extensive senior management experience in the private sector and over 20 years’ experience working within collaborative models.

Marion joined the Engagement Institute (then IAP2 Australasia) in August 2017. Under her leadership, the organisation focused on delivering a suite of valued initiatives to members which has resulted in tremendous growth, membership has more than tripled to almost 16,000 and revenues have likewise increased.

Marion has an MBA from Henley Management College, UK. She has been married to Kevin for over 30 years and is enormously proud of her two adult sons.

A resourceful optimist, she grew up in the Northern Territory, and much of her life has been shaped by her dad’s words “well it can’t be that hard”.

Marcelle Pio, Pou Ārahi, NZTA Waka Kotahi

Pou Ārahi - Regional Advisor Māori Lead at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency responsible for ensuring the delivery of Te Ara Kotahi | Māori Strategy and its supporting action plan for Greater Wellington and Upper South Island.

As Pou Ārahi I also support the wider business in engaging with Māori, and ensure our people have the guidance and capability to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes for both iwi Māori and NZTA | Waka Kotahi.

Paula Hohaia, Te Ātiawa │Te Ara Tupua Kairuruku me Kaiwhakahaere Putea (Iwi Integration & Finance Manager)

An experienced Commercial Manager with a wealth of skills developed over 20 years in the Rail and Civil construction industry with a passion for Contract Management and a financial background.

Paul Clearwater, Regional Manager for Communications & Engagement for the South Island and Greater Wellington at NZTA Waka Kotahi

Paul Clearwater is the Regional Manager for Communications and Engagement for the South Island and Greater Wellington at NZTA Waka Kotahi. He has built his career around leading and delivering communications and engagement for major New Zealand infrastructure projects across transport, housing, energy, and technology.

Rosa Marden, Senior Communications and Engagement Advisor, Dunedin City Council

Rosa Marden is a Senior Communications and Engagement Advisor for the South Dunedin Future programme, helping the community navigate climate change challenges and long‑term adaptation planning. She works closely with local partners, stakeholders, and the community to ensure clear, accessible information and meaningful engagement as South Dunedin plans for a ‘safer and better’ future.

Sarah Ropata, Engagement and Change Advisory Lead, Aurecon

Based in Ōtaki, New Zealand Sarah is a principal at Aurecon, leading Engagement and Change Advisory for Aotearoa. Her team helps clients and communities solve some of NZ’s most complex infrastructure problems.

Sarah’s 30-year career began in the arts, analysing and communicating complex ideas for diverse people doing ambitious things on tiny budgets! A good foundation for her eminence in navigating complex infrastructure development and management, supporting government and communities through change to find their common ground.

Through promoting Engagement Institute training and principles, Sarah has delivered great outcomes and unlocked opportunities for communities, decision-makers, technical experts, and engagement practitioners alike.

Steph Macdonald, Community Engagement Team Leader, Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council

If anyone asks, Steph tells them that she has an engagement team of 500, because she believes everyone her organisation has a part to play in connecting the community in the decisions and actions of council.

With almost ten years in senior roles in local government, Steph has been involved in a wide range of engagement, including statutory consultation, deliberative processes, participatory budgeting and setting up an online engagement platform.

As Tangata Tiriti, she has worked to strengthen her understanding of Te Ao Māori as a source of personal growth and to add depth to her community engagement advice. Steph is presenting today on the project "Consulting with Bay of Plenty Māori on Te Mahere Tūroa" on behalf of the whole team at Toi Moana.

Sue-Ellen Craig, Technical Director Engagement and Change, Aurecon

Sue-Ellen’s career spans over 25 years working internationally at the junction of reputation, revenue, and regulation for transport, energy, infrastructure and technology clients and projects. She delivers momentum and clarity to complex work, quickly understanding stakeholder motivations and aligns diverse groups around a shared direction. A compelling communicator, she translates complexity into clear pathways forward, building confidence from governance, technical teams, iwi, and communities. Her expertise in public acceptance of change has received global recognition by the International Road Federation (IRF).

Thomas Workman, Director, Converlens

Tom Workman co-founded Converlens with a simple idea: empowering engagement practitioners with tools & technology to better listen and respond to stakeholders leads to better outcomes. Since then, he’s supported engagement teams across Australia on major projects like the APS Reform, the National EV Strategy, and the naming of Australia’s first space rover. Tom’s work focuses on making engagement better both for the people running it and the communities they serve. Before Converlens, he worked at ASX20 and Fortune 500 companies, focusing on organisational design and development. He holds a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) and is driven by a deep curiosity about what motivates people to participate, and how to make engagement work better for everyone involved.

Vanessa Cooper, Principal Advisor Mentally Healthy Work at Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa

Vanessa Cooper is a leading voice for healthier workplaces in Aotearoa, with nearly 20 years' experience across work-related health, mental health, and wellbeing. She is currently the principal advisor on psychosocial risk management at the health and safety regulator. Vanessa holds a Master’s in Health Sciences from Auckland University and brings expertise in mental health intervention, public policy, and systems thinking.

Vicki Connor, Chief Advisor Public Affairs, Department of Conservation

Vicki is a Londoner who proudly calls Wellington home these days. She’s spent her career working across communications, marketing, brand, and behaviour change programmes both in and out of the public sector. Nature and the environment are her thing. She spent five years as Director Communications and Engagement at the Ministry for the Environment, before heading to DOC as the Director of Customer Engagement. Now in the Chief Advisor role, Vicki works across Public Affairs and is leading DOC’s programme to mobilise New Zealanders for nature – a project she describes as the most exciting thing she has ever had the privilege to be a part of. Her happy place is getting sweaty in nature. Her favourite bird is the kaka, although she is quite partial to a blackbird.