Diane joined Evaluation Associates in 2017 to establish and
lead the Leadership Advisors’
project supporting beginning principals across New Zealand.
This service continues to provide targeted, tailored, and timely support for
hundreds of beginning principals in their first two years of principalship. In
2019,
the service was extended to offer support for
experienced principals through specific needs-based support and professional
learning groups. There are currently 37 highly skilled ex-principals working as
Leadership
Advisors
in Diane’s team. Work is underway to expand the offerings within
the eadership services portfolio.
Diane has extensive experience as a teacher and school leader in primary and intermediate schools across the country, particularly in the Bay of Plenty and Auckland, most recently as the Principal of Kohimarama School in Auckland. Diane took time out from her role as a principal to work for Cognition Education for 3 ½ years as a School Management Advisor in Qatar in the Middle East, returning to New Zealand in 2010. In this role, Diane supported school leaders in the establishment and first year of operation of new schools.
Diane is a strong supporter of professional networks for
principals and was president of the Auckland Primary Principals’ Association (APPA) in 2016. In this
role Diane focused on building networks to support the complexities of school
leadership and initiated the joint trial project for employing beginning
teachers in Auckland between the Ministry of Education and APPA.
Diane has effectively taken change management theory into
practice and has a strength in developing a strategic focus on lifting student
achievement within a school, building effective cohesion across school systems
and relationships.
Diane has a Bachelor of Education through Massey University
and a Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership through the University of
Waikato.
Diane loves travelling and exploring, spending time with
family, especially her three gorgeous grandchildren and enjoys all the opportunities that Auckland has to
offer in sport, culture, the arts, entertainment and shopping.