Board of Trustees

Penny Harrison joined the Board in 2016, has been the Deputy Chair for 18 months and was appointed Chair in June 2019. She also chairs the Planning and Strategy Committee, and serves on the Finance and Discipline Committees. Prior to joining the Board, Penny was Chair of Stanley Bay School Board for six years (2008-2014). She is a self-employed Leadership Coach and Facilitator, and a partner in Communicate Consultants. Her work is centred on adult learning and development and brings her into contact with leaders across a broad range of professional experiences, industries and roles. Penny combines the above with 20 years of business experience, including leadership roles with a major bank and as general manager for two medium-size organisations. Married to Martin Butler, she currently has a son attending the school, as well as three adult offspring. She also serves on the committee of our local Wakatere Sailing Club.

[email protected]
027 281 9502 

Matt Hopkins joined the TGS board of trustees in 2018 and serves on the property committee. Originating from Taranaki and Whanganui, Matt and his wife Tara have lived in Bayswater for the past 20 years, and have 2 teenage children at TGS and a third child at BIS.

Matt is actively involved within the local community, having coached junior basketball for the past 5 years and through the TGS Basketball committee. He is also a committee member of the Devonport Swim Club and competes in ocean swim events.

Trained as a scientist Matt works locally for the New Zealand Defence Force leading a team conducting research into next generation communication systems and cyber security technology. This work involves leading international engagement and collaboration with research agencies.

Rosemarie Close has been the Staff Representative on the Board since 2013, and is a current member of the Planning and Property Committees. She is an ex-pupil of the school and has taught at Takapuna Grammar School for the past 33 years. She is currently a Year 13 Dean. She is married to an ex-pupil, Stephen, and their three sons all attended the school. Rosemarie has lived locally since the late 1960s.

Allegra has been the Student Trustee since September 2019 and is currently in year 12 at Takapuna Grammar School. She arrived from South Africa at the start of 2018. She is a well-rounded member of the school community, involved in both of the school’s premier choirs, Chorale and Leonessa, as well as being an avid Waterpolo player for the senior girls team and Hibiscus Coast Waterpolo club. She also enjoys coaching the Belmont Intermediate team.

Living and being educated in South Africa, England and New Zealand, Allegra has a wide perspective on different education environments and the impact this has on students and their wellbeing. She believes that Takapuna Grammar School needs to be a place where all students feel that they are accepted, their talents and potential are nurtured and their voices are heard. She hopes to bring her knowledge and experience to her position on the Board and assist in making TGS a place where everyone from all backgrounds feels as if they belong.

Han Soul joined the Board in 2018. He grew up on the North Shore and attended Hauraki Primary School, Belmont Intermediate and Takapuna Grammar Schools. As a TGS student, he represented the school in basketball, swimming and waterpolo. He has worked internationally and currently is at Ernst & Young, where he is part of the Climate Change and Sustainability Services team, leading the Health and Safety and Environment service line. His wife Connie is the lead Ethnic Diversity Advisor at Foundation North, where she works to support growth in community-led projects. Outside of work Han Soul is an active participant in the Ocean swim series and Takapuna Beach series. In his spare time you might catch him running with his dog at Takapuna beach.

Andrew Baker joined the board in 2019. He is of Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa, Irish and Scottish descent. Andrew resides in Devonport with his wife and daughter following in the footsteps of his great grandparents and father who were Devonport locals. Andrew is passionate about people development and has been coaching and practicing the non-aggressive martial art of Aikido for more than 25 years. He founded Devonport Aikido in 2014.

Andrew is a Member of the Institute of Directors NZ and has a Master of Business Administration. After a long career at Air New Zealand where he worked in Govt Affairs, Communications and Marketing, he created and delivered their Māori strategy. He retired from Air New Zealand to launch 3degrees Ltd, a cultural consultancy, creating tailored cultural strategies for leading national and international businesses.

Andrew also has an extensive professional background in the Māori performing arts and culture including: kapa haka, waiata and mau rākau. He is passionate about quality time with his family and friends and enjoys coaching, cooking, diving, fishing and singing. Andrew and his family are also avid supporters of the Takapuna Grammar School Rowing Club.

Sam Harris is the TGS Board Secretary. She trained as a bilingual PA in the UK, and spent ten years in various full-time roles in England and New Zealand, working in diverse industries such as tourism, dairy, merchant banking, home textiles/importing, the Channel tunnel and NZ Parliament. As well as working for the school, Sam contracts to NZQA, and part-time to the cruise ship industry. She also volunteers for the fundraising event, Sculpture on The Shore. Sam enjoys languages and speaks French and Spanish well, is taking Italian lessons and recently graduated with a Masters in Creative Writing. Sam and her husband have three children, two ex TGS students and the youngest is in Year 12.