Nathan Williams is a proud parent to two boys, who both happily attend St Mary’s. 

Originally from the UK, in 2017 Nathan made the permanent move to New Zealand with his family, including his Kiwi wife Alana who currently serves on the PTFA at St Mary's. Nathan is a CIMA-qualified Chartered Accountant by trade, and currently works as the Financial Controller for Worldline, a global payment technology company. Professionally Nathan has a lot of experience of dealing with Boards, and also has a passion for ensuring that young people get every opportunity to achieve their dreams through displaying a solid work ethic and positive attitude. Governance is a key part of any organisation, and Nathan strongly believes that his strong professional skillset, drive and passion to ensure that the next generation of leaders get given excellent opportunities in life adds considerable value to the Board of Trustees

Mrs Audrey Kippen is the proud mother of Dylan and Eryn; and along with her husband, Renay is a member of the St Mary's, Papakura parish community. 

Audrey has worked in education since 1991, as a teacher and since 2003 as a school leader. Her education career spans 3 countries and school curricula, having worked as a teacher and school leader in South Africa and New Zealand, as well as a principal in Doha, Qatar in 2017, after which she took up the role of deputy principal at St Mary's Papakura. She was appointed as our tumuaki/principal in 2020.

Audrey's mission is to bring children to an encounter with Christ, supporting their faith journey. As an educator, she is passionate about engaging children in authentic education, which is relevant to their life's purpose and which harnesses their cultural capital. She values strong, caring learning relationships and works hard to achieve and maintain excellence in educational outcomes, sharing this kaupapa with parents and communities. It is her pleasure and privilege to lead our school.

Tom Varghese, has a diverse professional background, initially qualifying and

working as an orthodontist before moving into the business and governance side

of healthcare. With extensive experience in academia, clinical practice and

healthcare management, Tom has held several leadership roles across the health

sector.

He currently serves as Board Chair for St Mary's Catholic School demonstrating

his ongoing commitment to educational governance. He also serves as a Board

Trustee for the Men’s Health Trust New Zealand, and is an Elected Board Member

of the Digital Health Association New Zealand.

Raised in Dubai and relocating to New Zealand in 2013, Tom, alongside his wife

Sandhya, is a parent to two children, with their daughter Amaya attending Year

4 at St Mary's. This personal connection to the school enriches his role on the

Board, blending professional expertise with a genuine stake in the community's

educational outcomes.

I am a missionary priest ordained in 1992 for the Salesians of Don Bosco, East Africa Province, and now incardinated into the Diocese of Auckland. Since 2009vNew Zealand is my home. I love my vocation as a priest to serve the people of God and to grow in holiness. I am a trained teacher and worked many years in seminaries and educational institutions both as a teacher/tutor and principal. I enjoy long walks, climbing mountains and hills besides the demands of my priestly life. It is a joy to be on the Board of St Mary’s Catholic School and contribute towards the integral formation of the young people of our school. Accompanying young people on their journey of life is something that I always cherished.

My name is Chris Butler. 

I am a third term board member and Bishop’s Representative on the Board of Trustees. Over this time I have sat on both the school property and Catholic character committees. I am a former pupil of St Mary's Primary School, Papakura; an active member of the local parish; and a parent to three children who have attended the school – one of whom is currently enrolled in year 4.

I am an urban designer by profession with master’s degrees in both town planning and urban design. For the past 18 years I have worked across both the public and private sectors specialising in master planning, structure planning, design review /guidance, and designing for safer environments. I am currently a team leader of urban design at Auckland Council.

Outside of my job, I also serve as Chairman and Vice President of Ardmore Marist Rugby Club.

Marhaba everyone! 

My name is Viviane Walker and I feel fortunate to be able to serve on the St Mary's Board of Trustees.  My son is currently in Year 5 and is absolutely loving his time at St Mary's.  My daughter used to attend St Mary's but is now a Year 9 foundation student at St Ignatius of Loyola. 

When I immigrated to New Zealand in 1989 with my family from Lebanon, I started my NZ schooling at St Mary's, Papakura and have had strong ties to our school ever since.  

St Mary's continues to excel as a school, making it a very sought after school in South Auckland.  My vision for St Mary's is to bring innovative solutions to the school board, focusing on creating a challenging and supportive classroom environment for

teachers and students.

Ko Taupiri tōku maunga

Ko Waikato tōku awa

Ko Ngāti Tāhinga tōku hapu

Ko Waikato-Tainui tōku iwi

Kia Ora, my name is Nekoda and I am proud to serve as a parent-elected member of the Board of Trustees at St Mary's Catholic School, Papakura. I bring professional experience from various roles within the public service. 

My son is a student at St Mary's, and our whānau enjoys an active lifestyle- spending time together at the beach, or indoors enjoying board games. I am passionate about contributing to positive outcomes for all, and as a member of the Board, I value the opportunity to support the success and wellbeing of our students, staff, and wider school community. 

My name is Luke Williams, and I am in the fortunate position of being a parent representative on the St Mary's Board of Trustees. My eldest son started at St Mary's in Term 1, and I have another child who will be starting in a few years. My wife and father-in-law attended St Mary's, so there is a strong family connection to the school.

In my professional life, I am a secondary school teacher with over 10 years of experience in Catholic education. Currently, I am the Head of Faculty of Social Science at St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College. My passion and experience in Catholic education is something that I will bring to the Board of Trustees, along with a desire to contribute to the ongoing success of St Mary's School.