Meet the Council
Tūtaki i te Kaunihera

The Council consists of a mixture of members appointed by the Minister of Health, and members elected by nurses. Under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003, the Council is required to elect a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson from its members. In meeting its commitment to the principle of Pātuitanga (Partnership), and in order to facilitate goals of shared decision-making, co-governance, and demonstrated leadership through partnership, Council policies require that at least one of these positions is filled by a Māori member of the Council.

Portrait of Dr Sharon Brownie, Deputy Chairperson, photographed against a plain background, wearing a dark top and light‑coloured hair styled to shoulder length.

Dr Sharon Brownie – Chairperson

Dr Sharon Brownie is an experienced nurse leader and researcher whose career spans health, education, economic development, and employment sectors. She has led nursing and health workforce capacity initiatives, driving quality and innovation in public services across New Zealand, Australia, East Africa, Fiji, and the Middle East.

Sharon maintains active nursing licensure in Australia and New Zealand and holds a doctorate focused on New Zealand’s partnership-based public policy model for local and regional economic development. Her further doctoral studies explored the role of nurses in health service leadership. Sharon is widely recognised for her expertise in community engagement and collaboration with professional bodies, industry partners, and government agencies.

She is committed to equitable access to health and education, working extensively in rural and remote settings to improve service quality for marginalised populations. Sharon continues to focus on nursing and health workforce development, fostering the socioeconomic conditions that enable communities and families to thrive. Outside work, Sharon enjoys mentoring emerging nursing and health service researchers and supporting community initiatives.

Alex Gordon, head‑and‑shoulders studio portrait, wearing a navy blazer and light‑blue collared shirt against a plain white background.

Alex Gordon

Alex Gordon is Chief Executive Officer of Hospice Waikato, leading one of New Zealand’s largest hospices and overseeing specialist palliative care services across the Waikato, including Rainbow Place Children’s Hospice. He is an experienced health leader with more than 20 years’ senior operational and strategic leadership experience in New Zealand and the UK, including executive roles with Health New Zealand Waikato and the NHS.  Alex brings strong governance capability, a systems perspective on quality and safety, and a commitment to equity and culturally safe care for patients and whānau.  He has an MSc in Healthcare management and is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.  He is thrilled to be joining the Nursing Council as a lay member.

Portrait of Dr Julia Hennessy, photographed indoors against a dark background, with shoulder‑length light hair and a neutral expression.

Dr Julia Hennessy

Dr Julia Hennessy is a health and education consultant with extensive governance and senior leadership experience across tertiary education, health, and mental health.

Portrait of Anthony Hill wearing a dark suit jacket, white shirt, and patterned tie, photographed against a plain light background.

Anthony Hill

Anthony Hill is an expert in the health system of Aotearoa New Zealand. He served as Health and Disability Commissioner from 2010 to 2020. He held senior positions at the Ministry of Health for 15 years, including Deputy Director-General of Health overseeing funding and performance of District Health Boards, and Chief Legal Advisor.

Anthony brings a strong consumer-centred focus and is dedicated to supporting people and systems to deliver high quality care for patients. He applies a health quality and safety approach to individual and system performance.

Anthony is a member of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Lessons Learned from Aotearoa New Zealand’s Response to COVID-19 (Phase 2). He is a barrister practising in health and public law. In a voluntary capacity he advises religious and charitable organisations.

Portrait of Dr Frances Hughes seated indoors, wearing a patterned black‑and‑white jacket and a necklace, photographed in an office setting with a wooden door and light‑coloured wall in the background.

Dr Frances Hughes

Dr Frances Hughes is a practising Registered Nurse with over 35 years’ international health experience. She has held executive and clinical leadership roles globally, including Group General Manager for Clinical and Care at Oceania Healthcare Ltd, Deputy Director of Mental Health, Professor of Nursing and Mental Health at the University of Auckland, Chief Nurse for New Zealand, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for Queensland, and Chief Executive of the International Council of Nurses (Geneva). Frances has also worked with the World Health Organization across 16 Pacific countries.

She was made an Officer and Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to nursing, mental health, and health. Frances was the first nurse to receive the Harkness Fellowship in Health Care Policy from the Commonwealth Fund in New York, and has been recognised with a Fulbright Senior Scholarship and a Distinguished Alumni Service Award from Massey University. She has served on and chaired boards in New Zealand, Rwanda, Switzerland, Queensland, and the USA.

Portrait of Miriam Manga wearing a high‑neck patterned blouse, photographed against a plain light background.

Miriam Manga

Miriam is from Waikato and is of Ngāti Kahungungu ki Wairoa descent. She is a Nurse Practitioner at Kidz First, Counties Manukau. She has more than ten years’ clinical experience working with tamariki and rangatahi across community, secondary and tertiary settings within Tāmaki Makaurau. She has a Master of Health Science in Advanced Nursing Practice degree and is actively involved in clinical research.

Motivated to become a Nurse Practitioner to be able to better serve her community, Miriam is passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of Māori. Her clinical practice is grounded in pro-equity and Te Tiriti o Waitangi-centric values, and she believes that a culturally competent and responsive workforce is pivotal in achieving better health outcomes for all New Zealanders.

Helen Nielsen, head‑and‑shoulders studio portrait wearing a red top, black jacket and a gold necklace, against a plain white background.

Helen Nielsen

Helen is a clinically current nursing leader and educator with proven communication, management, and organisational skills. Throughout her career, she has held a range of clinical, educational, and leadership roles that have strengthened her understanding of nursing practice, nursing regulations and tertiary education.

She brings a relational and collaborative leadership approach, with a proven ability to build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including nursing service providers and students. Her approachable, enthusiastic, and inclusive style enables her to establish genuine rapport and earn the trust, confidence, and respect of colleagues and partners.

She actively maintains currency of practice as a nurse, vaccinator and supervisor of students in clinical placement settings.

Portrait of Iosefa Tiata Paituli wearing a dark blazer over a green‑and‑blue checked shirt, photographed against a plain light background.

Iosefa Tiata Paituli

Iosefa T Paituli is a Minister at Mt. Roskill’s Congregational Christian Church – of Samoa. He is married with four children and seven grandchildren, has a master’s in theology and is completing a master's in entrepreneurialism.

Iosefa worked as a financial controller for the Church in Samoa for six years and was their chief accountant for five years. He has also worked for the Bank of Western Samoa in Samoa, the Bank of New Zealand and Lion Breweries before attending Theological College in Samoa. Iosefa is passionate about his community. He was inspired to help those he met who found communicating with their healthcare providers frustrating and stressful. Today he is very involved in advocating for members of his community and being a conduit for information for those experiencing language and cultural barriers.

Iosefa enjoys reading and all kinds of sport, especially tennis. He practises yoga to meditate and clear his mind, preaches and loves to serve voluntarily. Iosefa is appointed by the Minister of Health as a lay person member of the Council.

Portrait of Amanda Singleton, photographed in black and white, wearing a dark jacket and a chain necklace, with shoulder‑length light hair styled neatly against a studio backdrop.

Amanda Singleton

Amanda Singleton is a professional director and independent consultant with a background in the electricity, water, and telecommunications sector. Amanda holds several current board and chair roles.

Portrait of Rīpeka Tamanui‑Hurunui wearing a sheer black top and a carved pendant necklace, photographed against a neutral grey background.

Rīpeka Tamanui-Hurunui

Rīpeka (Ngāriki Kaiputahi, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki) lives in Ōtautahi with her whānau and has a large extended whānau in Gisborne near Mangatu Marae which is her tūrangawaewae.

Rīpeka is currently Te Pou Whakahāngai with Te Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha | Environment Canterbury Regional Council.

Prior to this, Rīpeka worked at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury (UC), for 16 years in senior Māori, equity, cultural competency, and pastoral care-focused leadership roles, and served on the UC Incident Management Team as Welfare Manager.

Shortly before the first national COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Rīpeka became the Incident Controller and led the university’s COVID response. Rīpeka also held the role of Kaihautū Taunaki Tāngata | Director of Equity, leading a multi-year work programme that analysed the nature of the equity challenges at the university, benchmarked its equity performance, and engaged staff and students in collaborative strategy building to identify critical levers to accelerate equity.

During her career, Rīpeka has championed complex and challenging transformation aspirations with an inner commitment to a vision and a future in which our tamariki and our communities will flourish.

Portrait of Tony Ward standing outdoors near a modern glass building, wearing a light blue jacket and shirt with a traditional korowai draped over one shoulder and a carved pendant necklace.

Tony Ward

Tony Ward brings over 30 years’ experience in nursing, paramedicine, and tertiary education. He has led the Paramedicine programme and served as Head of Discipline for Paramedicine and Perioperative Practice at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), lecturing widely across postgraduate health curriculums.

Tony holds a Master of Health Practice in Paramedicine, Bachelor of Health Science in Paramedicine, Diploma in Nursing, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Aeromedical Retrieval. He is a Registered Nurse, Registered Critical Care Paramedic, and Registered Extended Care Paramedic, combining frontline clinical experience with expertise in education, clinical systems, and service development.

Tony has worked with Te Whatu Ora, Primary Health Organisations, Westpac Rescue, Hato Hone St John, AUT, and international services in metropolitan and rural environments.

Tony is committed to advancing health systems and supporting community needs.