The Board

Pariya Behnami

Chair

I am lucky enough to have both of my sons attend Kidsfirst Sunbeam since 2019. They have not only excelled, but they’ve had the opportunity to enjoy their high quality education, and the wonderful teachers there. Although I have no prior board experience, I am excited to join the Kidsfirst Board, and help the organisation grow from strength to strength.

I have worked as a speech and language therapist for over 12 years, helping those impaired with communication to navigate their lives. In this work, I have straddled both the education and health sectors, and have spent a majority of this time working in the not-for-profit sector, as both a speech and language therapist, and Clinical Leader at TalkLink Trust. I am now currently operating my own consultancy business primarily serving ACC rehab contracts throughout Canterbury and the West Coast. In addition, I also hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, which has proven to be invaluable in my clinical, and people management roles, and I hope to bring some of this experience to this role.

As a member of the board, my goal is to help the association develop, in a way that supports its establishment as a long-standing not-for-profit organisation. I am excited to help the association meet Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments, and support Kidsfirst kindergartens to continue to be an equitable space for any child to benefit from their early childhood education.

Louise McConnel

Board

Ko Louise McConnel tōku ingoa.

Kindergarten is such a rich and diverse early learning environment, and this is something I have experienced first-hand as a past ‘kindy kid’, a current Kidsfirst Linwood parent and in my role as a psychologist.

Through my work with special education, health and community organisations, I see the importance that kindergarten plays in providing affordable, accessible quality ECE.

In a sector increasingly focused on the dollar, Kidsfirst offers important child-centred spaces that are free of commercial imperatives. As a result, the organisation provides a notably more supportive environment that attracts and retains passionate, professional staff motivated to do the right thing for the tamariki, whānau and communities they serve.

I’m excited to be a part of Kidsfirst’s proud legacy, and am honoured to have the opportunity to contribute to its future.

Jocelyn Wright

Board

Ko Jocelyn Wright tōku ingoa.

Joining the Kidsfirst Kindergarten Board is like completing a circle in my career. I have returned to my Kindergarten roots before retiring completely! I am an ex- Kindergarten kid, I trained as a kindergarten teacher, my tamariki attended their local kindergarten and I chaired the local kindergarten parent committee.

My professional involvement in early childhood education spans 5 decades during which I have been driven by my passion for early childhood education and my commitment to advocating for moko and whānau in Aotearoa. I taught in kindergartens around Christchurch for 20 years while also holding part-time roles lecturing at the College of Education. I then moved into the field of MOE funded ECE professional development contracts as a professional development facilitator and team leader at Education Plus, the University of Canterbury and Core Education for the next 20+ years. I spent 18-months in Chennai, India as the preschool Director responsible for establishing a new ‘international’ early childhood centre. More recently I was privileged to be the Preschool director of a culturally and linguistically diverse community-based preschool in Christchurch and a part-time secondary teacher at the adjoining College.

Through my mahi in education leadership roles I bring a broad range of ECE knowledge and experience to my role on the Kidsfirst Kindergarten Governance Board. I have networked widely and value the benefits of working collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds, including community groups, regional and national Government advisory groups and panels, school Governance Boards, teaching teams, whānau groups, Education and Health agencies and ECE management teams.

In this kaitiaki role, I look forward to supporting the vision and values of Kidsfirst Kindergartens, to help build on the highly regarded reputation and community heart of kindergarten kaiako in their mahi with tamariki and whānau.

Dr Tui Summers

Board

Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Tararua te maunga
Ko Otaki te awa
Ko Raukawa te marae
Ko Ngāti Raukawa te iwi
Ko Ngāti Huia te hapu

Ko Tui Summers tāku ingoa

I am passionate and dedicated to early childhood education and I have had a range of roles in the sector including as a Kaiako, Lecturer, Policy Advisor, Academic Leader and Director of Academic Programmes.

Kidsfirst Kindergartens has such a rich history of providing quality ECE for tamariki, whānau and mokopuna. As a board member I am committed to serving the Kidsfirst community and contributing to the strong legacy the Association has.

Arron Perriam

Board

Ko Arron Perriam tōku ingoa

I feel privileged to be included as a member of the Kidsfirst Board, serving such an established organisation nurturing the next generation. Of Rongowhakaata whakapapa, we take an innovative and creative approach to our mahi and service, with people at the centre.

I have CEO experience in child residential and whānau care, and in philanthropy with Community Foundations of Aotearoa NZ. My governance mahi currently extends to independent trustee roles with The Salvation Army NZ, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, with Philanthropy NZ, and Mentoring Foundation NZ. Specific areas of governance interest include strategy, people and culture, audit, risk, compliance and investments.

I am excited to bring my experience and ongoing learning to the Kidsfirst Board and wider organisation, to serve the next generations of tamariki, community and their whānau.