My wife, Neave, and I live on a kiwifruit orchard in Pahoia with our three children. Libby is in Tuhua, Callum is in Aongatete and Hannah is in Waipapa.

I have been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2018 and have held the Finance role over that time. In my time on the Board I’ve gained a good understanding of the way Pahoia School operates and the ever-changing rules that it needs to comply with. Sheena and the team are really ambitious about continuing to evolve to improve the achievement of every child and its been a privilege to be able to help.

I currently work as Head of Finance for an NZX listed firm and am responsible for the accounting, treasury and tax functions. I also have a lot of experience in the strategic planning process and analysis of new business opportunities. I also have some governance experience having been a member of a kiwifruit supply entity board for the last seven years.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to continue on the Board of Trustees. Pahoia School is an important part of our family’s life and I am really motivated keep helping. I think my skills and experience allow me to contribute strongly to the School as it continues to do the best it can for our kids.

Our family moved from Hamilton, where I grew up, to a lifestyle block close to Pahoia School in 2017. 

My wife Amy and I spent several years living and working in Auckland, London and Hamilton but we chose to settle in the Katikati area and enrol our daughter Emma in Pahoia School where she is currently in Kaimai Pod. We were attracted to the smaller school size, the rural setting and the opportunity for our family to be involved in a supportive school community.

From my work and life experience, the key skills I will bring to the Board of Trustees are strategic thinking, project governance and financial know-how. I value the opportunity to be involved with the Pahoia School community through the Board of Trustees, and am excited to be a part of the ongoing journey.

Kia ora tatou,

My name is Reagan Thompson and I was elected to the Board of Trustees for Pahoia School in August 2022. Our whanau lives in Aongatete, and our two boys started their schooling at Pahoia in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

I was born in Heretaunga (Hastings) and attended all of my schooling there. Growing up around orchards and farming, I developed a strong interest in primary industry and subsequently attended the University of Canterbury to complete a degree in Forestry Science (B.For.Sc). Later in life, I also completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with an agribusiness finance focus (University of New England). In recent years, I have taken an interest in governance and am a member of the NZ Institute of Directors.

My employment background is diverse having started my career on apple orchards in Hawkes Bay before moving into forestry research in Rotorua. I have worked in operational forestry and dabbled in investment finance during a four-year stint in London. I spent some time in Australia working on agribusiness development projects which segued into management consulting about ten years ago. Nowadays I run a boutique management consulting company focused on the global forestry, agribusiness, and wood products sectors. I also run a small avocado orchard where we live.

My name is Emma Ward

I have been a part of the Pahoia School community for four years. I have two boys, Sebastian and Alexander, currently in Aongatete and Waipapa Pods.

I have been involved with the Pahoia School Fundraising Committee for the past three years and I took on the co-chair role in 2022.

My career involves accounts administration and payroll for a number of businesses while also assisting my husband to run our architecture business.

I enjoy being involved in the Pahoia School community and am looking forward to expanding my involvement as a member of the Board of Trustees.  I look forward to being be a proactive, enthusiastic member of the board and pride myself on being someone who takes action. 

Hi, my name is Julia Abrahams.

My husband and I live on Pahoia Road with our daughter Gin who is in Waipapa. Gin is very keen to ride her pony to school, as her Neighbour did when she attended Pahoia School. Whilst this is not possible with the traffic, it’s great for her to be able to be actively involved with Ag day.

We really like the open learning approach utilising the local area and connection with the land and active involvement of the community with the school.

Having worked internationally delivering many IT transformation projects across multiple countries and now running our own business, I have both chaired and participated on many Governances boards, committees and working groups in both public and private sector. This Includes leading industry strategic goal and plan creation. I also have background in change management and compliance.

I look forward to being part of the Board of Trustees to help support the school to thrive and reach its strategic goals.