Our People

Governance

Skylight's services and activities are guided by a committed and experienced Board of Trustees. We are also honoured to have New Zealanders known for their compassion and understanding of others, as Patrons.

Our Patrons

Louise Nicholas

Judy Bailey

Our Trust Board

Dr. Nicole M. Coupe - Chair 

‘I’ve known of Skylight since 2008, when I worked with the then CEO on research into suicide. From this I gained an insight into Skylight’s great work with tamariki and rangatahi. I subsequently conducted a cultural review of Skylight, and jumped at the chance to become a Board member to make a difference for tamariki, rangatahi and our mokopuna and support their mental health and wellbeing needs. I am committed to seeing Skylight evolve into a Te Tiriti-based organisation operating across the motu – reaching all our kids in need equitably.’

Dr Coupe is an experienced researcher and academic with a deep commitment to improving health outcomes through innovative practices. She holds expertise in public health, mental health, and health equity, particularly for marginalised communities. Nicole is currently the CEO of Kirikiriroa Family Trust and she has worked across academic, governmental and not for profit sectors.

Widely published, Dr Coupe has a PhD in Māori Studies and has contributed extensively to studies focusing on indigenous health, health systems and community-based interventions.

Lesley Hoskin -  Trustee

‘Skylight was the right fit for me. I have a real connection to Skylight and its focus on children and mental health. My friend had a personal experience with Skylight, so I was familiar with its important, helpful work and being in the education sector I was very aware of the growing need for support. The resilience skills Skylight promotes in tamariki and rangatahi are the skills most people need to navigate life. By using specialist trained counsellors and facilitators to work with children, and by targeting mild to moderate mental health issues and risk, we are filling a gap and setting up people and society to succeed.’

Lesley brings a wealth of experience to the Board. She is Chief Executive at the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand – responsible for providing strong leadership, influence and the drive to lift the status of the teaching profession. Her background in IT, e-learning, change management, public service (education) and governance mean she is well placed to bring strategic thinking, planning and delivery experience to the role of Deputy Chair of the Board.

Lesley also has a Diploma in Te Reo Māori, a Masters in Public Sector Management, and a Postgraduate Diploma Management & Leadership from Oxford University.

Nikki Franklin - Trustee 

‘I have a personal connection to Skylight and its grief and bullying work. I also know what my own children faced growing up and what a difference support makes. After hearing the statistics for adolescent suicide rates, I just knew there must be something I could do to help. That’s why I am a Trustee. Skylight’s focus on building resilience – particularly for the smaller things – puts tamariki and rangatahi in a better place to deal with the big things in life.’

With a background in marketing, Nikki has held roles across diverse sectors largely at a general manager level. More recently she has moved into recruitment – she is currently Principal Consultant at JacksonStone – where she specialises in board, CEO, general management, brand and reputation management, government relations, stakeholder management, marketing and communications, research and insights roles.

Nikki has a strong understanding and connections with governance, built up over more than 10 years as part of the Executive Leadership Team of the Institute of Directors (IoD). She has a good understanding of best-practice board and CEO competencies. She looks to champion diversity and bring diverse and emerging talent to the fore.

Brendan Oakley - Trustee

‘With my background in leadership, engineering, governance and coaching I wanted to help young people in need. Becoming a Skylight Board member seemed an obvious choice as I had a personal connection to the organisation, a strong desire to use my skills and a passion for the work. It is extremely important that our tamariki and rangatahi get the help and support they need to thrive and succeed, and Skylight is a high-value organisation focused on this. I feel privileged to work with the wonderful staff at Skylight and alongside Board members dedicated to making a collective difference.’

Brendon Oakley is a senior officer within the New Zealand Defence Force. He has seen and done much during his career, from undertaking management and support positions at Defence Headquarters in Wellington to serving with United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Middle East.

Brendon holds Masters degrees (Business Administration, Engineering and Management), a Diploma in Defence and Strategic Studies, and a Bachelor of Science amongst other qualifications. Skilled in governance domestically and internationally, Brendon is also skilled in Information Communications Technology and is dedicated to service, including sharing his skills and life experiences with the Skylight Board and staff to improve the mental health and wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi.

Tania Vincent - Trustee

‘I’ve always volunteered. Skylight’s mission resonated with me – as a mum supporting kids is very important to me. Too many of our young people are represented in the suicide statistics. I wanted to help. I wanted to be part of something that increased the resilience of young people and built life skills. Skylight’s work with tamariki and rangatahi in their time of need is having an impact and I want to see that impact extended. We are one of the best kept secrets in Aotearoa – given our success we should have a larger national profile.’

With a career that spans high-level advisory and executive roles in both international and domestic environments, Tania understands the complexities of navigating public, private, and non-profit sectors. She is currently a Senior Partner at Tregaskis Brown, focusing on business strategy, business transformation, governance, supporting effective investment management decision making and organisational performance.

A chartered accountant, Tania has Bachelors degrees in Accounting and History. She has a strong network of people within the public and NGO sectors and proven financial capability, reporting, programme, project management and contract management expertise.

Maria Mitimeti-Clark - Trustee

‘As a mum I’m profoundly connected to the work that Skylight does. Grief and loss can be crippling. While from a cultural perspective grieving is done as a collective, and there are structures in place, we all need help to navigate the individual part of grief and loss. And we must remove the stigma around asking for help, especially for kids. I gravitated towards Skylight because I wanted to make a contribution to a better future for tamariki and rangatahi. I want to help our kids navigate the challenging times in their lives so they can continue to thrive.’

Maria is a leader with extensive public service experience – both at the Board level and as an Executive. A passionate advocate for better outcomes for Pasifika, Maria connected deeply with the kaupapa of Skylight. She sees an opportunity for Skylight to be innovative and lead.

Katharine Te Hau Bowden - Non-voting Trustee

‘After getting to know more about Skylight Trust and the support they offer tamariki, I was inspired to become a Trustee. I wanted to help tamariki through tough times, and I knew first-hand the benefits – and had the privilege – of being able to access therapy when I needed it. Therapy has been instrumental in me achieving my goals, and helping me navigate trauma. The difficult topics Skylight deals with – grief, loss, trauma – are experienced by many tamariki and it is important that there is an organisation like Skylight there, to support them when they need it.’

Beyond Skylight, Katharine is a Principal Advisor at Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities and a former Private Secretary for Housing. Katharine has a Bachelor of Business with a double major in Marketing and Advertising and has recently completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Public Management. She sits on a range of governance bodies and is committed to raising Skylight’s profile, so they can continue to support the tamariki of Aotearoa.

Akasha Te Amo Liana Rio - non-voting Trustee

‘I understand what it is to go through grief, loss and cycles of mental health. I support the kaupapa, its focus on tamariki and rangatahi and the importance of Skylight’s work. I am also passionate about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, how we address mental health using a Te Triti-based model, and the journey Skylight is on to become a Te Tiriti-based organisation. I am here to learn from the rangatira on the Board and ensure that Skylight has long term aspirations and intergenerational impact.’

Akasha was drawn to the Board because the people on the Board are passionate about the Skylight staff and the clients and want to make a difference. She wants to go beyond the Crown-Māori relationship and see an authentic understanding of Te Tiriti throughout all facets of society.

Akasha has a Masters Degree in Māori/Pacific and Indigenous People’s Law, a Bachelor of Laws, and a Bachelor of Social Sciences.