The Team.

Nikki loves having the chance to find out her clients’ passions and connect them to opportunities in the community. She has been with Momenta six years and has seen the power of opportunities that enhance a person’s sense of value. Nikki loves bush walks, swimming, and connecting with friends and family. And she’d love to tell you the story of how she ended up driving her Mazda around the Bruce McLaren racetrack at Taupo while wearing her pink bike helmet.

Tania has been CEO of Momenta for seven years and loves empowering her fantastic team to do the important work of supporting disadvantaged people in the Bay of Plenty. When she’s not making the quick dash to Auckland to catch a rock concert, Tania spends her spare time catching up with family and friends over a coffee or wine, reading books, and enjoy the glorious Tauranga environment.

Julie is Momenta’s resident artist, and leads the team of community connectors. She has worked at Momenta for eight years and never tires of seeing people grow and come in to their own. Julie has dyscalculia – the maths version of dyslexia. She loves the Bay of Plenty’s abundant flora and fauna, and nature features frequently in her art.

Kerry is Momenta’s newest recruit. She is tasked with working in collaboration with thought leaders from across the Bay of Plenty keen to shift societal barriers for people who experience disadvantage. Kerry is motivated by the opportunity to work in a team aiming for greater social change. As an 11-year-old, Kerry was once smashed in the face with a cream pie on children’s breakfast TV show What Now – there ended her interest in TV stardom. These days, Kerry is happily at home with the Tauranga lifestyle, with its laid-back nature and proximity to a gorgeous beach.

Kelly is the first person most visitors to Momenta will meet, and she has a gift for making people feel welcome and comfortable. She has an extensive supply of tea and coffee on hand, and is great at remembering names. Kelly and her family spend most weekends doing something involving cars, usually motorsport of some kind. Many years ago, Kelly and her husband Andy even got engaged at Mount Panorama in Bathurst!

Tan keeps Momenta’s back-office running smoothly so front-line staff can achieve the greatest outcomes for the people they support. He and his partner Aleisha and son Blake love to go hiking with their cavoodle dogs Ollie and Bella. Tan loves competitive sport and spends many hours at Fergusson Park playing for Otumoetai FC. He gets outside as much as he can to make the most of Tauranga’s fresh air and big open spaces. Tan grew up in Thailand and says most people struggle to pronounce his last name. He says it’s easiest if you break it down in to three syllables: Phuang-dok-mai.

Paul is Momenta’s longest-serving staff member. He loves making a real difference for the people he supports, here in his hometown of Tauranga. On weekends, Paul heads up the Mount early, then settles in for a café breakfast as the Main Beach comes to life. He loves fishing in the ocean and at Lake Rotoiti, hitting the local bike trails with his wife Bobbie, a spot of DIY, a BBQ with mates, and tending his vege garden.

Sara loves numbers. But what she loves even more is an expedition deep in to the business’s data – exploring ways to better support frontline staff and serve Momenta’s clients. Sara grew up in remote bush villages in Papua New Guinea. One of the only ways to get around was to fly in her Dad’s 7-seater Cessna. These days, Sara and her family go on intrepid travels as often as possible. They’ve been to many adventurous spots, including Thailand, Morocco, and Vietnam. And, after a hiatus of more than 30-something years, Sara has recently decided to take up piano lessons again.

As a community connector, Michael’s job is to help people who have a disability or health condition access opportunities in the community. He enjoys helping people break down barriers so they can achieve their goals. Michael plays squash and golf, and enjoys time with family and friends, walking up the Mount, and going to the beach. He has the exact same shoe size (13) as that other sporty Michael – basketball billionaire Michael Jordan

Kurt works with clients to help them develop their strengths and passions. Kurt has lived and worked in China, the United States and Australia, but he loves being home, close to family, and is a regular visitor to his parents’ farm. Kurt and his partner love reading, listening to music and devouring podcasts. Speaking of devouring, Kurt is an accomplished cook and is now learning to master BBQ cooking.

Michelle is a financial coach, focusing on how mindsets affect money woes and dynamics. She loves supporting the board with guidance on financial stability and sustainability. Michelle loves to travel and has been to more than 50 countries, including Estonia, Faroe Islands and the Baltic nations. There have been numerous precarious and dangerous situations on her adventures like having police questioning her over stolen money on a train (the complainant was drunk and had gambled the money), being on a bus that hit a gypsy in Romania and the driver nearly being taken to jail, under armed guard on the Estonian/Latvian border due to visa issues, but she’s always managed to return home without any injuries.

Tina is a professional director, and PhD candidate, with a background as a contract executive specialising in growth and change in horticulture, with a focus on technology and research development. Tina brings a strategic skillset to the board, which she joined in August 2019. She is a mother of four teenagers and is of Native American Indian descent, through her father who comes from the Sioux tribe in South Dakota.

Sam is the manager of environmental regulation at Tauranga City Council. He’s a lawyer by profession so brings to the Board research, analysis and listening skills, as well as his management experience. He is a rugby referee and loves to get out and enjoy Tauranga with his wife and two sons. In 2017, Sam helped set a Guinness World Record for the world’s longest Chinese whisper by supporting Hearing Support Bay of Plenty to ensure all the requirements for an official record were met by the 1,792 primary school students involved.

Paul brings to the board a long career of public service leadership, not-for-profit sector experience and an MBA. He joined Momenta in 2015, lured by the organisation’s focus on the human potential and social value of those we support. Paul is now semi-retired and spends free time in the company of those he adores – his family and friends. Paul has a major passion for meditation, which has brought him immense peace and gratitude over his last 20-plus years of practice.

Vaughan is a retired company director. Throughout his career he worked in senior marketing and sales roles before managing several companies, including some he owned. He is also a trustee for the Make a Wish Foundation. He has been with Momenta five years, having started as a volunteer support person. Vaughan likes golf, the beach and Tauranga’s climate. He would like the record to show he used to have hair!

Brad is CEO of an economic development agency in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. His commercial focus is helping Momenta develop and grow its assets for a sustainable future, and to deliver on the organisation’s social purpose. He loves working alongside a dedicated team with a true desire to see the best outcomes for people, and says the people he meets through Momenta are greatly contributing to his life. Brad speaks three languages – English, Tok-Pisin (the official language of Papua New Guinea) and Bislama (the official language of Vanuatu) – and spends his weekends chasing sun and good coffee.