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 was the Head of the Physical Education and Health Faculty at Gisborne Girls’ High School and, until she left GGHS to pursue part time PLD facilitation to support regional health teachers and health education related developments in Kāhui Ako, as well as running her own business. She was also the across school lead for her Kāhui Ako focusing on wellbeing. 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 three years working as a PLD facilitator in the Health and Physical Education learning area and is an
accredited PLD facilitator. Shelley sees belonging to this subject association as a way of promoting and supporting effective practice in Health Education.
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.
Vicki Nicolson, Otago
Vicki is currently the principal of Port Chalmers Primary School and the lead principal for her Kahui Ako. Port Chalmers School is a health promoting school and adapted a model of resiliency across their learning community. She has a Master’s degree from the University of Otago in Education in 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.
Annie Macfarlane – Hawkes Bay
Annie has worked with the health curriculum at the secondary school level for many years. She started out as an Otago PhysEdder who, when the new health curriculum emerged in the very early 2000s, became hooked. Health education has been undersold by secondary schools for too long and Annie is passionate about reversing that trend. As SCT at her school and a member of their SLT Team, she well understands timetable constraints, but does not see that as a barrier but more of a challenge. Her school has embraced Health and made it an equal subject in its own right. She also runs a successful Hawkes Bay Health Cluster Group alongside Shelley Hunt from Gisborne.
CHAIR: Leigh Morgan, Auckland
Leigh has taught for 18 years at three secondary schools in different regions, the last six of those as Head of Health and Physical Education at Ōtāhuhu College in South Auckland. She has a Master’s in Educational Leadership from AUT. In 2022 Leigh was one of five teachers involved in the mini-pilot with the new level 1 health studies achievement standards. Being seconded by NZHEA in 2023 for the Kaikōtuitui Arataki Oranga role has allowed Leigh to help provide PLD support for teachers.