John McKenzie

John McKenzie is the principal advisor for Otago/Southland at Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga. He provides services to beginning principals as well as other work in the sector.

John was until recently principal of North East Valley Normal School, Dunedin where he worked for 15 years. He worked with the staff and community to reverse the declining roll while also opening the school to the community by helping to establish an award-winning community garden, a community centre, and a bi-lingual unit, all on the school site. John introduced the Living Wage to the school, the first school in the country to do so and set up an education council with the surrounding schools. John also helped to establish the North East Valley Community Project which addresses issues of neighbourliness and healthier living in the community. All of these projects were built on a sustainable model and are thriving.

John has sat on a number of executive committees including the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Principals' Council, The NZ Normal Schools’ Association (of which he was the chair for 8 years), the Otago Primary Principals’ Association, The NZ Area Schools’ Association, The External Advisory Committee of Otago University’s College of Education, and the Social Well-being Advisory Group at the Dunedin City Council.

John worked with teachers in North Dunedin and the late Richie Poulton to form He Ao Hou, a trust which aims to address problems facing children and youth in North Dunedin.

John lives in Dunedin and spends most weekends at his family crib in Naseby. One of his daughters, Ellie, is a curler. Ellie competed in the Youth Winter Olympics early in 2024 which were held in South Korea. John and his wife Liz and other members of the family follow Ellie around when she competes.