Purpose
To empower rangatahi in the Waikato to lead with mana motuhake, igniting their potential
Vision
Empowering rangatahi across the Waikato to fulfil their potential and contribute to their communities – by cultivating a thriving ecosystem of growth for themselves, their whaanau, community, and businesses
Whakatauki
Kia puāwai he rangatira – To blossom into leaders.
Values
Manaaki – Caring
We care about our whānau
Māia – Courageous
We are strong, confident, and determined.
Tūhono – Collaborative
We form meaningful and loyal relationships
Manawaroa – Resilient
We are resilient, bounce back and never give up
Pono – Trust
We exhibit trust, honesty, and transparency.
Our People – Governance
Phillip Cowie – Chair, Graeme Dingle Foundation Waikato Charitable Trust
The Chair of the Graeme Dingle Foundation Waikato, Phillip Cowie, is proud to support the organisation’s programmes that are empowering the region’s tamariki and rangatahi.
Phil has had a long career in education as a teacher and principal holding primary school principal positions in Hawkes Bay, Pirongia, Te Kuiti and Hamilton. He was the foundation principal of Rototuna Primary School.
Over the last 12 years he has been an education evaluator for the Education Review Office where he is currently regional director for the central region, an area from the Bombay Hills to Levin coast to coast encompassing 880 schools and approximately 1700 early learning centres.
Phil is married to Julie and the couple have three adult children and three grandchildren.
Contact Phillip to learn how you can support the kaupapa of Graeme Dingle Foundation Waikato.
Email: phillip.cowie@outlook.com
Meet our Trustees
Tawa Campbell-Seymour
Tawa is Pouhoe Māori (Executive Manager) within ASB’s Māori Banking team, Te Waka Whaihua. His iwi affiliations are Te Whakatōhea, Tūhoe, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Waikato.
Tawa holds governance roles within his iwi Te Whakatōhea and is passionate about accelerating Māori success.
John Wilkinson
A commercial manager with ASB Bank, John is an experienced trustee and director, having supported SODA, the Springboard Trust, and Life Community Services. He is a fellow of FINSIA (Financial Services Institute of Australasia), and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.
Originally from North Canterbury/Waitaha raro, John began his banking career in Palmerston North/Te Papaioeo in 1980. Through his career he has gained experience in all aspects of banking including retail and rural business and has been in the Waikato since the early 1990s.
John brings commercial and life experience together with extensive networks to the Graeme Dingle Foundation Waikato.
Email: john.wilkinson@asb.co.nz
Catherine Stapleton
Catherine leads a human resources (HR) consulting business, Stapleton Consulting, where she has seen the benefit and value great role models can have on rangatahi later in their lives. It’s the reason she jumped at the chance to be part of the Graeme Dingle Foundation Waikato.
Sport is important to Catherine. She is a rower and has competed in the National Champs in Twizel. She has a governance role with the Waikato Rowing Association and a support role with the New Zealand Netball Players Association.
Catherine has two children with her teacher husband.
Email: catherine@stapleton.consulting
Marama Tahapehi
Marama is the Community Development Planner in Strategy and Engagement for South Waikato District Council.
Marama, a Tokoroa local, was born and educated in the Waikato, including at Waikato University.
She has seven children, is a huge supporter of the Graeme Dingle Foundation and loves the fantastic work it does.
Sarskia Melville
Born and raised in the Waikato, Sarskia now lives in Tāmaki Makaurau where she leads a branding studio focussed on helping do-good, purpose-driven businesses put their best foot forward.
She’s passionate about empowering young people to be their most creative and capable selves, and believes in the power of sport and outdoor adventure in the lives of rangitahi to build confidence, leadership, community and purpose.
Daniel Shore
Daniel is a director of McCaw Lewis and brings legal expertise to the Graeme Dingle Foundation Waikato board, regularly supporting the foundation with legal guidance while demonstrating exceptional commitment as both a trustee and dedicated fundraiser.
As a trustee, Daniel is positive, pragmatic and highly engaged in strategic governance matters. He empowers robust discussions around health and safety, contributes valuable risk management insights, and supports action plans that balance calculated risks with meaningful rewards. Having exceeded his initial three-year term, Daniel continues to show unwavering dedication to the foundation’s mission and success.
Marese McGee
Catlin Roa
Caitlin (Ngāti Maniapoto) is a Chartered Accountant with eight years of experience in compliance. Born and raised in Waikato, she is currently the Accounting Team Manager at No Fuss Business and also works as a business advisor on a contract basis.
An avid golfer, Caitlin firmly believes in the positive impact of golf on mental wellness. She is also deeply passionate about the connection between financial literacy and mental wellness and aims to share her expertise with the community, particularly with our Rangatahi, through her involvement with the Graeme Dingle Foundation.
Our People – Management
Amanda Shaw – General Manager
Amanda Shaw has been with the Foundation since 2020 and has supported delivery across all programmes. She is now proud of the opportunity to build on this experience and lead the foundation into the next chapter as the General Manager.
Amanda brings experience from her corporate and high-performance sport background. A born local on the outskirts of kirikiriroa with a passion for supporting youth through the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s programs.
Contact Amanda to learn how you can support the kaupapa of Graeme Dingle Foundation Waikato.
Email: manager@dinglewaikato.nz
Meet our Management Team
Tash Allen – Programmes Manager
Tash knows how to wear a few different hats! As a busy mum of two Tash is also our epic Programmes Manager day to day.
Email: tash@dinglewaikato.nz
Courtney Hope – Business Coordinator
Courtney holds every fort down in the office for us from events, accounts, admin support and payroll! She is a super mum to two beautiful girls and is a born and raised local to kirikiriroa. While not at mahi you will find Courtney spending time curled up with a good book, with her whānau doing arts and crafts, painting nails and baking. When she’s not at home you’ll find her at the beach or outside grounding herself with mother nature.
Email: info@dinglewaikato.nz
Meet our Co-ordinators
Billie Searing – Career Navigator Coordinator
Bilie grew up in Tauranga and has moved around New Zealand and Australia a bit before settling into life in the Waikato. Billie has two young children and spends most of her free time making snacks, being covered in glitter or playing on the swings at the park. When there is a spare minute, she enjoys reading, doing crafts and dabbles in water colour painting.
Supporting people has always been the driver for Billie. She has spent most of her career working with adults and children with disabilities but is loving the change to now supporting our rangatahi around the Waikato to explore their pathways for life after school. Billie understands that one pathway will not suit everyone, and the pathway you choose when you leave school will almost definitely change direction along the way! Billie hopes to inspire the ākonga in the Career Navigator programme to explore all possibilities and to find something in life that suits their values, interests and passions.
Email: Billie@dinglewaikato.nz
Marlon George – Stars Coordinator and Kiwi Can Leader
Marlon is from the great town of Kirikiriroa, where he has lived for the majority of his life and has now started his young family.
Marlon has always had a passion for working with tamariki and is dedicated to inspiring Aotearoa’s children to reach their full potential. He aspires to encourage tamariki to aim high and do their best, ensuring they have a positive outlook in life.
He loves spending time with his friends and family, often finding themselves at the beach, typically Papamoa Beach, a family favorite spot. He also has a passion for indoor netball and basketball, and has always been sports driven. He cannot wait to get his own children involved in sports and encourage them to have the same drive and motivation he has. The experiences Marlon has had with the Graeme Dingle Foundation excites and motivates him. He loves the connections made with tamariki and enjoys watching them flourish into incredible NZ kids. Being part of such a great success, Marlon has hopes to teach his own children in Kiwi Can someday.
Email: Marlon@dinglewaikato.nz
Cade Tutehiwi Seymour – Stars Coordinator & Kiwi Can Leader
Ko Cade Tutehiwi toku ingoa
Ko Ngati Hikairo te iwi
No Kawhia mei Amuri ahau
I was raised in Tokoroa and are super sport oriented especially within rugby union and actively play a range of sports within my community. I was also a peer mentor for stars throughout my highschool and even won a national award for my mentorship. I have a big mixed family with 6 siblings.
Email: cade@dinglewaikato.nz
Terry Faleva’ai – Kiwi Can Coordinator & Kiwi Can Leader
Terry, born and raised in West Auckland/Tamaki Makaurau, is a field events specialist, particularly shot put, for which he travelled and competed internationally, including representing Aotearoa New Zealand at two Paralympic Games. He has a Diploma in Sport Recreation and Management and is a huge Auckland Blues fan. With over 24 years experience of working and mentoring youth he says he is basically “a big kid at heart.” He has achieved a dream by becoming a Kiwi Can leader.
Email: terry@dinglewaikato.nz
Noriko Tausinga – Kiwi Can Coordinator & Kiwi Can Leader
Noriko was brought up in a small town in a rice farming area in the south of Japan and has lived in Aotearoa NZ since the 1990s. The mum of two married into a large Tongan family in South Auckland and also has Samoan family links to West Auckland and a Maori whanau from Umutahi marae, Matata.
Noriko has had more than 15 years in customer service roles at Air NZ and Trelise Cooper and is experienced in learning assistance and teacher aid. She loves being someone children trust knowing that it can take only one person, one conversation or one kind gesture to help them believe in themselves.
Email: Noriko@dinglewaikato.nz
Meet our Kiwi Can Leaders
Noriko Tausinga – Kiwi Can Leader
Noriko was brought up in a small town in a rice farming area in the south of Japan and has lived in Aotearoa NZ since the 1990s. The mum of two married into a large Tongan family in South Auckland and also has Samoan family links to West Auckland and a Maori whanau from Umutahi marae, Matata.
Noriko has had more than 15 years in customer service roles at Air NZ and Trelise Cooper and is experienced in learning assistance and teacher aid. She loves being someone children trust knowing that it can take only one person, one conversation or one kind gesture to help them believe in themselves.
Email: Noriko@dinglewaikato.nz
Daley O’Rourke Nicholls – Kiwi Can Leader & Stars Teina Facilitator
I’m a Stars Teina Facilitator and I was born and raised in Putāruru, love being active and playing any kind of sport but mostly rugby and league! but also love to read and be surrounded by my whānau and culture! Have grown up volunteering a lot in my community especially working with younger kids so am grateful to continue to grow doing the same kind of mahi with Graeme Dingle! What I love most about my mahi is the relationships you get to create with youth and the way they fill your cup!
Email: Daley@dinglewaikato.nz
Rajan Saini – Kiwi Can Leader
Rajan Saini is a Kiwi Can Leader, working with schools in the Tokoroa community. With a background in social services, Rajan brings valuable experience and genuine empathy to his youth development work. Outside of his community role, Rajan is also a high-performance basketball player, which helps him connect with young people through sport.
Jared Cox – Kiwi Can Leader
Kia Ora! I have grown up in Kirikiriroa and I feel very privileged to be working in a programme that strives to better our communities, and inspires tamariki to be positive about the future. When I’m not working, I like to spend my time writing songs and playing football on the weekend. I have coached football, tutored guitar and have also volunteered onboard the Spirit of New Zealand. Feel free to word it however you like, or let me know if I can add more.
Email: Jared@dinglewaikato.nz
Kiri Joyce-Paora – Kiwi Can Leader
Kia Ora e te iwi Ko Kiri Te Aurere toku ingoa he uri tenei no Ngapuhi, Raukawa, Tapuika hoki.
I enjoy the arts and being in the water. Kiwi Can and Stars Teina has been an amazing experience for me and I can’t wait to learn more while working here.
Email: Kiri@dinglewaikato.nz
Tare Paul-Turinui – Kiwi Can Leader
Appointed as new Kiwi Can leader at Forest lake and Huntly Primary.
My name is Tare and I am a mama of two. In my free time I like spending it with my babies, mainly by the water whether that’s the beach or the pools. I love playing indoor and outdoor netball, I have this in my weekly routine atleast 3 times a week. I love swimming and have already taught my babies how to tread water and we are slowly learning freestyle swimming too. My favourite most rewarding job is being a mama.
Erin Green – Kiwi Can Leader
Kia ora I’m Erin Green! I was born in Blenheim and brought up doing every sport under the sun. I always loved being active, I did netball, basketball, cycling, speed skating and various other crazy sports. I like to spend time with my whanau and friends in my spare time, staying busy and adventuring. I moved up to the Waikato region at the start of 2025 to pursue my track cycling dream, so training and working have become the new norm. I am so excited to be working with the GDFW as a Kiwi Can leader and helping empower our younger generation and build our tamariki’s confidence to take on any challenges that come their way!