Meet our team

Ko Tiritiri-o-te-Moana te Maunga, ko Waimakariri te Awa. Nō Aerana, nō Ahitereiria, nō Ingarangi ōku tūpuna. Ko Stone rāua Chapman ngā ingoa whānau.

It is my honour to serve as PSNZ’s National Executive Officer. I am a sociologist and a mother of two now adult children. Since the age of 10 I’ve been an advocate for equity and social justice.

Kia ora. E mihi ana ki ngā tohu o nehe, o te rohe e noho ana. Ko ngai te Aotearoa i tāku iwi. Ko Taranaki te whenua tupu. Ko Stratford te kāinga. Kei Pirinoa au e noho ana naianei. Ko Vicky Prout tōku ingoa. Hi. I recognise the ancestral and spiritual landmarks of this region. I am a New Zealander. Taranaki is where I grew up. Stratford is the town I was raised in. Currently, I live in Pirinoa. My name is Vicky Prout.

I am a mum of two, with a passion for people and their wellbeing. I have been with the Presbyterian Support whānau since March 2014 and with the National office as the National Executive Assistant from February 2017. I love my job and the mahi of Presbyterian Support.

Presbyterian Support New Zealand is governed by the National Council which is made up of representatives from each of the seven Presbyterian Support organisations.

The National Council meets at least twice a year to monitor organisational achievements and financial performance and set the strategic direction.

National Council members (from left to right): Craig Smith/PS Southland, Sharyn Roberts/PS Upper South Island, Eoin Powell/PS South Canterbury, Andrew Johnston – Council Chair/PS Upper South Island, Stephanie Pettigrew/PS Otago, Stuart Signal/PS East Coast, and Nigel Little/PS Northern.

The National Executive Group (NEG) is made up of the Chief Executives of each of the seven Presbyterian Support organisations, a Roopu member and the Manager from PSNZ. They come together regularly to make decisions about national issues and shared areas of work. They ensure the National Council’s policies are implemented and manage PSNZ.

National Executive Group members (from left to right): Joe Asghar (PS Central), Carolyn Cooper – Chair (PS South Canterbury), Dr Sanja Majstorovic (PS East Coast), Matt Russell (PS Southland), Kim Manahi (PS Upper South Island), Bonnie Robinson (PS Northern), Barry Helem (PS Upper South Island), Jo O’Neill (PS Otago), Jim Berry – Te Manukura (Te Kahui Rangatira).

This Advisory group’s members are those from each region who provide cultural advice and leadership specifically with a Māori worldview. The Harakeke used in our Family Works’ logo describes the flax and the role it plays in the life and traditions of Māori. This reminds us that we aspire to be as strong and reliable as the Harakeke plant. Harakeke is unique to New Zealand and is one of our oldest plant species, just as PSNZ is one of our oldest social and health service providers.

Te Kahui Rangatira members: Back row: Joe Waru/PS Northern, Michelle Ryland/PS Southland, Francis Te Pou/PS East Coast. Front row: Kim Manahi/PS Upper South Island, Jim Berry/PS Central (Te Manukura), Ruth Garvin/PS South Canterbury