Our Team

Our Patrons

Ray Wallace

Hutt City Council Mayor

A principal focus of Ray Wallace’s two terms as Mayor has been the rejuvenation and growth of Lower Hutt. He is committed to seeing the city’s disturbing family harm statistics begin to reduce which is why he became a White Ribbon Ambassador.

Ray served five terms as a Councillor before his election as Mayor in October 2010.

In addition to his council responsibilities, he also serves on various community organisations, including as a trustee of the Vogel Charitable Trust and as patron of Te Whare Tane – House for Men and the Hutt Valley Disabled Resources Trust. He is also national vice-president of Sister Cities New Zealand, a role that has helped him to strengthen relationships with Lower Hutt’s sister cities of Tempe in the United States and Minoh in Japan. He has been a Justice of the Peace for 22 years.

Ray has lived in Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt for almost 30 years. He worked in real estate and the security industry before his strong sense of service to the community and interest in local democracy spurred him to stand for public office.

He and his wife Linda Goss-Wallace enjoy spending any spare time with family and friends.

Wayne Guppy

Wayne is one of the longest serving mayors in the country. He is passionate about Upper Hutt, having lived and raised his family there. Upper Hutt’s concerning family harm statistics have long been an issue he is committed to seeing an improvement in. Which is why he agreed to become a White Ribbon Ambassador.

Wayne trained as a Pharmacist completing a doctorate and ran his own pharmacy for many years before becoming Mayor in 2001. He loves his sport having coached school boy rugby and is now the president of Upper Hutt Rugby.

Wayne and his wife Sue live in Heretaunga where they raised their two daughters.  

Our Board

Ron Vink

Ron is a retired businessman committed to spend the next season of his life making some impact on the concerning state of far too many families in his community. Ron has been happily married for 38 plus years and raised three amazing daughters with whom he has a wonderfully close relationship. He is also the proud grandfather of five grandchildren.

Family is vitally important to him and his faith and gratitude for his own relationships drives his passion to make a difference for those less fortunate than himself.

Deb Robinson

Deb Robinson has worked with Te Whare Tane since its inception. Her passion for Social Justice has meant that she has worked in the Family Violence Arena for over two decades. Her role is the Coordinator of Ahuru Mowai O Te Awakairangi, The Network for a Violence Free Valley, and she also facilitates a Women’s Information Support and Education Group as part of the Upper Hutt Women’s Centre. When not working she laughs and plays with four generations of her family.

Heker

Profile coming soon

Our Staff