The Project Team

Project Co-Lead, Research Lead, AUT SPRINZ

Mel has a MBus and PhD from AUT and is a Lecturer within AUT’s Sport Leadership and Management team, (School of Sport and Recreation).

In addition to the NSCS, Mel is involved in a variety of projects, such as Program Leader for the Certificate of Sport and Recreation and Secretary for Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand (SMAANZ). Her current research projects cover topics such as gender diversity in community sport clubs, women's major sport event legacy and impact, and innovative practices of sport clubs due to COVID-19.

Project Co-Lead, New Zealand Amateur Sport Assocation Inc.

Gordon has extensive commercial, governance and leadership experience in the financial and sporting sectors, including Chief Executive and Directorship roles. Currently Head of Wealth Management Operations at Forsyth Barr Limited, he is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

A retired Premier (but still active) Rugby Referee, he is a former President of the Wellington Rugby Referees Association Inc., a former Independent Director of Hurricanes Limited and he is a current member of the Centurions Rugby Football Club. Gordon is the current Chairman of the Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council Inc., retired Chairman and Trustee of the Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) Foundation and current Chairman and Trustee of the Ogonowska Education Charitable Trust.

Project Team Member, New Zealand Amateur Sport Association Inc.

Lisa is a Board Member of the New Zealand Amateur Sport Association Inc. and is Cricket Wellington’s General Manager. A former CEO of Wellington Hockey, Lisa also spent seven years at Capital Football as Operations Manager. During this time, she worked across New Zealand Football’s men's, women's and futsal advisory groups, as well as the New Zealand Football National League Review Group.

She has worked with councils and funders to upgrade facilities across greater Wellington, chaired the Affordable Sports for Greater Wellington campaign, and delivered the FIH Pro League featuring the Black Sticks women. Lisa is a former recipient of the Trish McKelvey leadership award at the Wellington Sport Awards.

Project Assistant, AUT SPRINZ

Linden is an international student at AUT from the USA and is exploring ambassadorship in women’s and girls’ sport for her PhD in sport management, particularly focusing on basketball.

She had received an AUT Doctoral Scholarship, and had opportunities to present her research at the 2022 Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand (SMAANZ) conference, the 2023 European Sport Management Conference and the 2023 SMAANZ conference. She has also worked as a teaching assistant, assistant lecturer and as an academic supervisor for students doing their workplace experience.

AUT Researcher

Katharine is an Executive Board Member at Work-Integrated Learning New Zealand Inc. and Project Manager, Health Research at AUT. She is a former Senior Lecturer at AUT’s Faculty of Business and Law.