Structure & Governance

The NZ Psychological Society Rōpū Mātai Hinengaro o Aotearoa

The NZPsS is governed by an Executive made up of members elected by the membership. The Executive has the overall responsibility of determining the strategic direction, policies, and priorities for the Society.

NZPsS Executive and Executive Director

The NZPsS Executive is made up of 12 members. Seven members are elected and two directors of Te Tiriti issues are appointed by the National Standing Committee on Te Tiriti Issues (NSCTTI). The Executive also has a Kaihautū/Kaumatua who supports and advises the Executive on Te Tiriti issues. There are also a student representative and tauira Māori. The Executive Director is an ex officio member of the Executive.

President Iris Fontanilla
President-Elect Nick Farrelly
Director of Professional Development and Training Dr Rebekah Graham
Director of Social Issues Rose Blackett
Director of NSCTTI Dr Hukarere Valentine
Director of NSCTTI Megan Fitzpatrick
Director of Professional Issues Vacant
Director of Scientific Issues Dr Jerry (Che-Wei) Hsu
Director of Environmental Issues Dr Phillipa (Pip) Pehi
Kaihautū Prof. Waikaremoana Waitoki
Student Rep Jacquie Shanks
Tauira Māori Kelsey O'Connor
Executive director Veronica Pitt

Iris Fontanilla

President

Iris is a Registered Psychologist who has been practising in the public healthcare sector for two decades. Iris has specialist knowledge and experience in the development and provision of robust Health Psychology Services tailored to meet the needs of those with co-morbid physical health and psychological conditions. Iris is one of the first Aotearoa New Zealand-trained Health Psychologists. She completed her Health Psychology Internship at Liaison Psychiatry, Waitematā District Health Board. Iris gained her tertiary qualifications from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland. She currently works as the Clinical Lead, Psychology, Consultant Health Psychologist for the Cardiovascular Directorate, Te Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumai Auckland District. She provides clinical supervision for Registered Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists, and Pre-Interns. She holds an Honorary Lecturer position at the Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, where she teaches Health Psychology Interns, and Postgraduate nursing and medical students.

Nick Farrelly

President-elect

Ko Pirongia te māunga o tōku wāhi whakatipu. Ko Waikato te awa o tōku wāhi whakatipu. Tau ana tāku manu ki te whenua o Murihiku, Ōtepoti, Ōtautahi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, me Central Otago ahau. Ko Kai Tahu te mana whenua, te iwi whakaruruhau. Nick has been practicing as a Registered Clinical Psychologist since 2014 and has worked for Ara Poutama Department of Corrections his entire career. He began his career at Mātāpuna Special Treatment Unit, delivering high intensity offence-focused treatment programmes in a therapeutic community setting. He then took on a Senior Adviser role at Ara Poutama’s National Office, where his mahi involved training staff to deliver group treatment, developing practice guidance, undertaking quality assurance processes, and supporting best-practice among psychologists in the field. He has been on the committee for the Institute of Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology (ICJFP) since 2018, and Chair since 2020. He has also provided guest lectures on forensic risk assessment at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. Nick is currently working as a Senior Psychologist delivering offence-focused risk assessments and interventions remotely.

Rose Blackett

Director of Social Issues

Rose is an experienced psychologist with extensive board experience. She has served on various boards, nationally and internationally, including as a Director on the Executive of SENG, based in New York. She represented Aotearoa New Zealand as a delegate on the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children and has regularly presented globally, including as a keynote. Rose was appointed to Ministry of Education Advisory Boards in the past and contracted to write content for TKI. She has published work in academic journals and been invited to write chapters in handbooks/texts on various social issues. She has demonstrated her strong leadership skills in previous roles held, such as being a Member of the UNICEF CEECIS Regional Roster for Curriculum Consultants in Education, Chair of the NZ Institute of Educational and Developmental Psychologists (IEDP), President (current Life Member) of the New Zealand Association for Gifted Children (NZAGC), and Chair of a NZ Psychologists Board Competency Committee.

Dr Hukarere Valentine

Director of NSCTTI

Dr Hukarere Valentine is of Māori descent and born and raised in Heretaunga, Ngati Kahungunu, and affiliates to Ngāi Tahu, Te Ātiawa, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe, and Ngā Puhi. Hukarere has been a practicing clinical psychologist for 12 years and has worked within the areas of forensics, mental health, student research, clinical and cultural supervision, chronic health conditions, and psycho-oncology. Currently Hukarere is the Haumaru Tautoko Hauora within the Health conditions and cancer psychology services in the Massey Psychology Clinic Turitea campus. Hukarere is also involved in the Clinical Psychology training programme at Massey University, with a specific focus around the incorporation and advancement of a bicultural component within the Clinical Psychology programme. Her research interests centre on the consideration and development of Māori models of psychological practice, with a particular passion for wairua (spirituality) and wellbeing. Her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology research thesis was oriented toward this focus.

Dr Rebekah Graham

Director of Professional Development and Training

I haere mai ōku tūpuna i Kōtirana No Kirikiriroa taku papa kainga Ki Waikato-Tainui ahau e noho ana Ko Rebekah Graham taku ingoa. Dr Rebekah Graham (Pākehā) is based in the Waikato region of Aotearoa New Zealand. Rebekah is a registered community psychologist, a member of the New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS), on the Committee for the Institute of Community Psychologists Aotearoa (IComPA), and contributes into the National Standing Committee for Bicultural Issues (NSCBI). Dr Graham is employed as the National Executive Officer for Parents of Vision Impaired NZ (PVI), a blind consumer group. In this role, Rebekah advocates strongly and consistently for inclusion, accessibility, and support for all, with a focus on parents/whānau of a vision-impaired child. Dr Graham was instrumental in setting up the Parent/Family/Whānau network within the Office for Disability Issues. The network has become a key touchstone for government departments and ministries seeking feedback. Rebekah has continued to develop her research and academic work, and has negotiated a mutually beneficial research relationship between PVI and Kāpō Māori Aotearoa (KMA). This research highlights the inadequacies of the current disability system in meeting the needs of Māori.

Meghan website.jpg Megan Fitzpatrick
Director of NSCTTI
Megan Fitzpatrick (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine) is a registered Educational Psychologist. She began her career working in Learning Support for the Ministry of Education, predominantly with ākonga and whānau Māori in both Māori and English medium. She currently holds a national role as Kaitohutohu Ārahi in the Ministry’s National Service Support and Guidance roopu. Megan’s passion and mahi is to contribute to better outcomes for all mokopuna and whānau Māori, and in raising cultural awareness and improving practitioner preparation before engaging with whānau Māori, as part of the solution.

Dr Phillipa (Pip) Pehi

Director of Environmental Issues

Phillipa is both Māori (Ngāpuhi, Ngāruahinerangi, and Waitaha ki Hokianga) and Pākehā. She has been a member of the Society since 1999, first as a student while in her studies at the University of Otago. Phillipa has been a member of the Environmental Issues special interest group since its inception. She has also been a member of the National Standing Committee on Te Tiriti Issues (NSCTTI), formerly the National Standing Committee on Bicultural Issues (NSCBI) since her graduation in 2003 with her clinical psychology diploma and PhD in social psychology. Phillipa has practiced as a clinical psychologist for the past 25 years in many areas in many capacities. However her passion for the past 10 years has been youth and whānau, particularly with respect to indigenous and intergenerational health and healing. Her deep commitment to te taiao, the natural world (which encompasses people) is lifelong and a deeply wairua-led one. She is currently at Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland completing her second post-doctoral fellowship. This Ngā Motu Whakahī postdoc focuses on ‘Hikoi for Healing’, an examination of her own personal journey of transformation and healing through hikoi, as well as the experiences of other people.

Dr Jerry (Che-Wei) Hsu

Director of Scientific Issues

Jerry is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Otago, whose research focuses on cognitive bias and its modification as a digital intervention for mental health, as well as implicit bias driven by stereotypes toward underserved communities. He also holds international academic roles as a Visiting Lecturer at King’s College London and an Associate Professor at the University of Canberra, where he contributes to collaborative research projects. Alongside his research, he teaches within the University of Otago medical programme, provides clinical supervision to counselling students at Otago Polytechnic, and practises privately as a clinical psychologist in adult mental health and rehabilitation.

Professor Waikaremoana Waitoki
Kaitauhū
Professor Waikaremoana Waitoki (Ngāti Hako, Ngāti Mahanga) is a pivotal figure in the transformation of psychology in Aotearoa, most notably, but not limited to, advancing kaupapa Māori psychological frameworks, Te Tiriti o Waitangi-based practice, and the recognition of Māori knowledge systems within psychological theory and research, and their clinical application. She is a Fellow of the NZPsS and has held many roles for the Society, including as Bicultural Director of NSCBI and President of the NZPsS from 2020 to 2022, and she was part of establishing He Paiaka Tōtara. Her CV is extensive, and includes being the science lead for the Working to End Racial Oppression (WERO) research programme and co-editor of Te Manu Kai i Te Mātauranga: Indigenous Psychology in Aotearoa New Zealand, a landmark publication that centres Māori voices and methodologies within psychological research and practice. Professor Waitoki frequently represents Aotearoa on the global psychology stage. Her outstanding contributions have been recognised by others, including being made a Ngā Ahurei Fellow of the Academy of the Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Veronica Pitt

Executive Director

Veronica joined the Society as its Executive Director in 2020 and is responsible for the management of the organisation. She attended the University of Canterbury, followed by the University of Wyoming for her Bachelors of Commerce and Arts, and Master of Arts degrees. Her career to date has been in the not-for-profit sector, working with family violence prevention agencies in the Horowhenua and then moving through various governance and management roles with Playcentre Aotearoa.

Kelsey O'Connor
Tauira Māori Student representative

Tēnā tātou! Ki te taha o tōku māmā, he uri ahau nō Inia, nō Gujarat. Ki te taha o tōku pāpā, he uri ahau nō Ngāti Hauiti, nō Mokai Patea nui tonu, nō Airana hoki. Ko Kelsey tōku ingoa. On my mother’s side, I am a second generation New Zealand Indian, originally from Gujarat. On my father’s side, I am Māori and Irish, with whakapapa back to Ngāti Hauiti in the Rangitīkei. I am a first year Doctorate of Clinical Psychology student at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa (ki Pukeahu), and member of the Asian Psychology Collective Aotearoa. My multicultural background informs my passion for decolonial and Indigenous approaches to psychological research and practice.

Jacquie Shanks

NZPsS Student Representative

Alongside my psychology studies, I have been committed to learning Te Reo Māori for many years and during 2023 I volunteered at a school in full immersion Māori classes as a way to further strengthen my spoken reo. I have experience as a Massey University Student Representative and am comfortable relaying feedback between parties in order to highlight challenges and seek resolution. I appreciate that psychology students have seats at the table of the NZPsS Executive and I love to have the opportunity to be that representative to continue highlighting what is working and what may benefit from changes for the pathway of the future psychologists of Aotearoa.

National Standing Committee on Te Tiriti Issues (NSCTTI)

The Society has established a National Standing Committee on Te Tiriti Issues (NSCTTI), formerly the National Standing Committee on Bicultural Issues (NSCBI), to advise on appropriate cultural development. In addition the NSCTTI contributes to the functioning of the Society, through regular contributions to publications, advice to the Executive, and providing advice and expertise in relation to workshops on cultural justice and biculturalism. The NSCTTI provides advice and direction to the Executive in relation to the Society’s Te Tiriti commitment.

Branches and Institutes

Members and student subscribers can join professional institutes and can participate in the activities of local branches.

National Office

The National Office of the NZPsS is managed by an Executive Director who supports the Executive in its work and is an ex officio member of the Executive. National Office staff’s work centres around supporting the NZPsS to provide services and benefits to members and information to the public. It is the gateway for members to access services and resources, and the team provides support and assistance to NZPsS members and the Executive.

Veronica Pitt
Executive Director

Helen Weststrate
Membership

Sisilia new for web 100x120.jpg

Sisilia Joseph
Finance

Julie O'Brien

Communications

Kelly Gilbride
Professional Development

Rules of the Society

The NZPsS Rules guide the governance and activities of the NZPsS. NZPsS Institutes are also governed by a set of Rules.

Annual General Meeting

The NZPsS AGM is held at the NZPsS Annual Conference in August or September of each year. Members of the NZPsS who are Full Members, Life Members, Associate Fellows, and Fellows may vote on items of business conducted at the AGM.

Strategic Plan

Click to view the Society’s strategic plan and here as a visual version.

Executive Meeting Minutes

Minutes from Executive Meetings and other information can be found on this page.

Past Presidents of the NZPsS

Click here to view the list of past NZPsS Presidents.