Melanie has experience in a wide range of public policy, operational policy and regulatory environments. Prior to her career as a public sector manager, she practiced as a lawyer for 15 years in New Zealand and the UK.
Her governance experience includes chairing a national education provider for gifted children (NZCGE) and sitting on the Board responsible for all property for two Wellington schools (St Marys College, and St Catherine’s College in Wellington). In October 2021 Melanie was named an ‘Emerging Director’ by the Superdiversity Institute.
She says, “I believe that volunteering is a life affirming practice that is a foundation of wellbeing for communities. All of my governance experience has been as a volunteer and I have volunteered throughout my whole career, starting as a student representative at University.