New Board Chair – Maia Faulkner

Congratulations Maia from all at GirlGuiding New Zealand on your appointment as Board Chair.

On Saturday 17th June, National Forum ratified Maia’s nomination to be our Board Chair for a four-year term. 

As a passionate long serving Member of GirlGuiding NZ Maia is committed to the organisation’s vision that ‘all girls and young women are valued, inspired and empowered to take action to change their world’. Maia has held a wide range of adult roles in GirlGuiding NZ and WAGGGS ~ World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (including voluntary, governance and paid staff roles) in the last 30 years. In 2022 Maia was recognised for her commitment to the movement and the quality of her service with the GirlGuiding NZ National Kiwi Award and with the WAGGGS Asia Pacific Region Appreciation Award.

Maia has experience as a Board Chair, currently as the Chair of the Auckland Down Syndrome Association, where she is responsible for leading the organisation to support the Down Syndrome Community. She is an effective chair of meetings and is responsible for HR support given to the staff of the organisation. In 2022 this role saw Maia be selected as an inaugural Teina of the Tuakana Teina programme delivered by the Institute of Directors and Community Governance Aotearoa which focussed on supporting new Community Governance Chairs to develop their Governance skills.

Maia also holds current governance roles as a Board Member of New Zealand Down Syndrome Association, a Committee Member of the WAGGGS People Committee of the World Board, and as a Trustee of The Methodist Church of New Zealand Te Haahi Weteriana O Aotearoa Pitt Street Methodist Trust.

Maia works as the General Manager of a Residential Disability Trust in South Auckland providing support services to adults with intellectual disabilities. In this role Maia directly reports to a Trust Board and is responsible for all operational aspects of the Trust including day-to-day management, HR, compliance, audit and risk as well as strategic planning.

Maia practices inclusive leadership and is an advocate for inclusive practice & reducing barriers to participation for women & those disabled by society or considered a minority due to their faith, race, social status, culture, sexuality or gender identity.

In GirlGuiding NZ Maia is currently a Local Co-ordinator in Tamaki Makaurau Regional Hub and holds the role of second regional delegate to National Forum. She has been a Trainer for 25 years delivering workshops where she has had the opportunity to meet leaders from around Aotearoa both in person and online. Maia particularly enjoys supporting and mentoring new and young leaders to be successful in their new roles within the organisation.

Maia was a Brownie, Guide and Ranger completing her Queen’s Guide Award and started her leadership journey in what was Waiariki Province when she lived in Reporoa and continued in Auckland and North Shore Regions before moving overseas. In the United Kingdom for 6 years Maia worked as the World Centre Manager for Pax Lodge in London and subsequently for Girlguiding UK as the Leadership Development Manager – both paid roles working with a large team of volunteers. Alongside this she was a volunteer with Pax Lodge Rainbow and Brownie units.

Currently Maia holds volunteer roles for WAGGGS as the Core Mission Lead Volunteer – Volunteer Engagement and Management, is completing her role as a member of the Core Team of the Juliette Low Seminar and is a Campfire Volunteer – supporting the development of the WAGGGS online platform.

Maia is a strategic thinker who can use the skills she has developed through formal education (including a Master of Management degree, Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching and, currently in progress, a Graduate Diploma in Disability Leadership) and experience in-role to contribute to sound business planning, financial, property, facility, and human resources management.

Maia is committed to collaborating with the current and incoming Board members to positively move the organisation forward at this time.

E hara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini – Success is not the work of an individual but the work of many

Congratulations Maia, we look forward to working with you!