Waitematā Community Law Centre is governed by a Board comprising of members from the local community as well as the legal profession.
Joanne Silcock Chairperson
Joanne has been the Chairperson of WaiLaw since June 2020. Joanne has 20 years experience as a Barrister and Solicitor, with her own sole practice for the last six years. Joanne has a deep understanding of the challenges and needs of WaiLaw as she was the Senior Lawyer at WaiLaw for over two years and has also worked closely supporting other Community Law Centres before returning to WaiLaw on the Board.
Joanne brings first-hand knowledge of the issues facing Law Centres and their clients and has lived in West Auckland for almost 10 years. Joanne is committed to supporting the WaiLaw staff to ensure that we have the right people, who are well equipped to provide quality legal advice and support to each of our clients, who has their own story.
Rob Mackenzie Treasurer Rob is retired and has been a WCLC board member for 2 years. He has a background in retail, procurement, retail, purchasing and property. His previous employers; The Warehouse, Whangarei District Council and Kahui To Kaha. He lives at Manly on the Whangaparoa with his partner Rose. They are in the final stages of a major renovation of their home.
Malcolm English Board Member Malcolm is a lawyer with almost 20 years experience. He is a senior lawyer at the Waitakere Public Defence service.
He has a long history of commitment to access to justice having previously worked for the Grey Lynn neighbourhood law office for around 5 years, and also having spent 2 years volunteering as a legal adviser in the Solomon Islands.
Alana Harris Board Member Ko Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kuri, Ngai Takato me Ngā Puhi ōku Iwi Ko Ngāti Pākau me Te Māhurehure ōku hapū Ko Alana Harris tōku ingoa
Alana has experience working at both national and regional levels pertaining to health, social, education, information technology and social impact & innovation. Early career was predominantly in roles of Finance and Accounting, with more recent endeavours into Relationship Management and Outcomes Measurement & Impact. Being born and bred in West Auckland drives her passion to play an active role in improving the wellbeing for all in our community, with a particular focus to advocate and drive strategy that enables whānau empowerment to impact generational wellbeing and advancement.
Jordan Cole Board Member Jordan has extensive experience in professional services management at a national level, having worked for large law firms most of his career. His experience in operational management means he brings a wealth of knowledge in areas of procurement, health and safety, risk management, strategic planning, sustainability, business continuity, project management and financial management.
Jordan understands the value of access to quality legal services and is committed to supporting the Board and wider team at WaiLaw to feel empowered to serve our community.
Gabby Clezy Board Member
Gabby Clezy is the Chief Executive Officer of Haumaru Housing LP. The housing for older people joint venture was formed in December 2016 as a partnership between The Selwyn Foundation charitable trust and Auckland Council and manages 1446 rental units in villages across greater Auckland.
Gabby extensive governance and operational experience in health, tertiary education, social services and aged care in the UK and New Zealand. She is current a council member for the sector peak body (Community Housing Aotearoa) and the Chair of the Auckland Community Housing Providers Network.
Tim Maurice Board Member
Tim is a proud westie whose passion for access to legal services comes from his work with people seeking asylum and refugees. He has experience in governance from work on school boards, local community boards and community organisations. He hopes to be able to ensure that as many people as possible in our community have access to quality legal services.
Dunja Pjevic Board Member Dunja has extensive front-line and service management experience in social and community services. She has worked in child care and protection, youth mental health and child and family services, with a particular focus on providing specialised support to families and children in need. Dunja also has a special interest in data analysis and continuous improvement, and professional supervision in the social sector.
In her practice, Dunja is driven by ''the best interest of a child'' approach and is a strong advocate for children to be heard, understood and their perspective considered.
With passion for community engagement and development, and as a member of the Board, Dunja is eager to help create safe, caring and supporting communities with equal access to supporting services for everyone.