Meet our Executive
Introducing our Executive members for 2023-2025. The Executive brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise to the promotion of quality health education in New Zealand. As an association run by members for members, we invite you to contact any of our Executive Committee directly for information or support.
Please direct all general enquiries to our secretary.

Jenny Robertson, Auckland
Jenny became involved in Health Education early in her teaching career when the 1986 Health syllabus was released. Subsequent to this she was involved in resourcing and implementation projects for Health and Physical Education in the New Zealand Curriculum (1999) and a member of Health and Physical Education learning area writing group for The New Zealand Curriculum (2007). She has been extensively involved in the development of NCEA in Health Education and a contributor to many resource development projects for the education and health sectors. She has also written commercially-published Health Education resources for secondary school students. Jenny was made a life member of NZHEA in 2017.

Shelley Hunt, Gisborne.
Shelley is the Head of the Physical Education and Health Faculty at Gisborne Girls’ High School. She has taught Health across all year levels from Year 9 through to Year 13 and enjoys the teaching and learning in Health Education. Shelley spent two years out of the classroom recently, working as a PLD facilitator in the Health and Physical Education learning area. Shelley sees belonging to this subject association as a way of promoting and supporting effective practice in Health Education.

Co Chair: Dr Rachael Dixon, Canterbury
Rachael has been on the NZHEA Executive since 2011 and enjoys opportunities to work alongside teachers in developing Health Education programmes that are responsive to learners’ needs. She is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Health at the University of Canterbury where she teaches under-graduate students in the Bachelor of Health Sciences, as well as students training to become secondary Health Education teachers. Rachael was made a life member of NZHEA in 2021.
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Co-chair: Vicki Nicolson, Otago
Vicki is currently the Principal of Port Chalmers Primary School. Port Chalmers School is a health promoting school and adapted a model of resiliency across their learning Vickicommunity. She has a Master’s Degree from the University of Otago in Education – Teaching and Learning. Vicki has been actively involved in Health Education for more than 20 years and has been a lead teacher over this time. Vicki has also been involved in providing professional development workshops for teachers through the NZHEA, organising after school workshops and opportunities for networking across the primary and secondary education sector. Contact Vicki.

Annie Macfarlane - Hawkes Bay
Annie is HOD Health at Tamatea High School in the sunny Hawkes Bay. She has taught Health from Years 9 - 13 for many years. Annie is passionate about Health and wellbeing across the curriculum and sees it as a very important part of a schools framework. Being an SCT for a number of years also gives her insight into other subject areas and pedagogies which proves very useful in looking at how Health is delivered at the secondary level.

Leigh Morgan, Auckland
Leigh has been teaching for 18 years and is currently the head of Health and Physical Education at Otahuhu College. She has a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from AUT. Leigh is passionate about Health Education in her school and community, and is committed to providing a variety of learning experiences for her students.