Simon is Chief Executive Officer of BAF - Bishop’s Action Foundation which works as a catalyst for change by supporting changemakers to launch ideas that challenge inequity. 

Simon has extensive governance experience and is currently Chair of Wild For Taranaki and a Director of Catalyst Housing Ltd. Simon is also an accredited mentor with The Mentoring Foundation of New Zealand and has an MPhil through AUT which focused on governance in the community sector. He also holds Post-Graduate Diplomas in Development Studies and Public Health. 

Simon is married to Theresa and has two children Oliver and Amber.

Amanda Clinton-Gohdes is a freelance strategic adviser with experience in policy, governance, research, sustainability and law.

Amanda is a former lawyer with a background in science, and experience in the local government and tertiary sectors.

Amanda previously served six years on the New Plymouth District Council, holding roles as the Chair of the Finance Audit and Risk Committee, Deputy Chair of the Sustainability Working Party, and Chair of the Community Funding Investment Committee. She also previously qualified as a Resource Management Commissioner.

Amanda holds a Bachelor of Science specialising in molecular biology and biochemistry, and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons).

Amanda has a passion for working with the community to regenerate the taiao (environment), acting together with mana whenua to protect and restore ecosystems for generations to come. She is honoured to be part of the Wild for Taranaki team.

Thom is the Innovation Lead for Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki. He leads the Taranaki Applied Innovation Centre project, which seeks to elevate the region's science and innovation excellence and nurture the next generation of brilliance. He's a strong advocate for community science and STEM Education, leading the Curious Minds Taranaki project for several years. 
Thom has a Bachelor of Science (Zoology), a Bachelor of Arts (Theatre Studies), and has recently attained a Master of Education specialising in curriculum and pedagogy. Prior to his return to Taranaki, he was the Engagement Coordinator for Victoria University's Faculty of Science and a playwright for Circa Theatre.

Lauren is an environmental lawyer, specialising in environmental and local government law and civil litigation. She is currently a partner at Govett Quilliam, where she leads the firm’s Environment and Planning Team.

In her day to day work, she regularly collaborates with a wide network of environmental scientists, engineers and planners and provides legal and strategic oversight for a variety of projects. She acts for local and regional authorities, national corporations, local businesses, start ups, iwi and PSGE, community organisations and individuals and families.

She understands the environmental issues within the Taranaki region and is passionate about increasing awareness of these issues within our community and working with stakeholders to design solutions for a more sustainable future. She strongly supports Wild for Taranaki’s vision and purpose, and its region-wide collaborative approach.

Lauren is also a trustee on the Moturoa School Board of Trustees, a committee member of the Taranaki bran

Tēnā koe,
Ko Airani, ko Wiwi, te whakapaparanga mai
Nō Whanganui au
Ko Ngā Motu te whenua tupu
Ko Ōmata te kaingā
Ko Chauncy Ardell ahau.

I have varied work experience in conservation and community engagement with central and local government, and various NGO’s. I am currently working at the Taranaki Regional Council, building collaborative partnerships for a strong collective vision of environmental protection and restoration with Taranaki’s diverse communities, including iwi, hapū, farmers, schools, urban residents, and community groups.

I am also a trustee of the Sustainable Taranaki charitable trust, a member of Permaculture Taranaki, a NZ music history archivist, and a curious nature nerd. My whānau and I are grateful to live in Ōmata where we incorporate ngahere restoration and permaculture food production principles into our busy lives - facing change and uncertainty with wellbeing, connectivity, humour, humility, sustainability, and aroha.

I have supported the collaborative approach of the Wild For Taranaki kaupapa since its inception in 2012 and I am delighted and honoured to now be part of the Wild For Taranaki team.

E Io, e Rangi nui e tū nei, Papatuanuku e takoto nei. Koutou ngā Atua Māori – te mana ō te ao ki a koutou. Ki ngā mate, koutou kua noho āio i te taha wairua – anei te mihi manawa nui ki a koutou. E ōku whanaunga ō Taranaki Whānui, tēnei au e tū pono ki te kaupapa. Ko Tāne Wiremu Houston taku ingoa. Nō Tāngahoe, nō Ngāruahine nō Ngāti Ruanui hoki. Ngā Hapū ko Tupaia, ko Tānewai ko Manuhiakai e ora nei. Mauri ora ki ngā awa, mauri ora ki a Tītohea – Taranaki te tūpuna mounga. Tīhei Mauri Ora!

Kia ora koutou, my name is Tāne Wiremu Houston and I am a descendant of our Mounga Taranaki. It is an honour and privilege to be a part of the Wild for Taranaki Board of Trustees. It is my intent to be reliable, accountable and productive within this shared space of looking after our region’s bio-diversity. I aim to do my best by our members and enjoy doing so. Thank you all for this opportunity, let’s get it done!

Sean brings deep regional knowledge and extensive experience in ecological restoration, resource management, and community partnership to the Wild for Taranaki Board. Stratford-born and raised on farms around Taranaki Mounga, he has spent his career working alongside iwi, hapū, councils, and community groups to protect and enhance Taranaki’s natural environment.

Currently Poutohu Matua Taurua / Co-Project Director for the Taranaki Mounga Project, Sean leads large-scale restoration initiatives across the Mounga and its surrounding peaks, including predator control, weed management, and species reintroduction. His background spans local government, regulatory and strategy roles, and multidisciplinary environmental project delivery.

Since joining the Taranaki Mounga Project in 2017 Sean has championed collaborative approaches and long-term, community-driven outcomes. A NEXT Foundation Fellow, he is committed to ensuring Taranaki’s ecosystems thrive through bold, innovative conservation and strong partnerships across iwi and the wider region.

Danielle Gibas is the General Manager for Wild for Taranaki. She started at Wild for Taranaki in 2018 and has tackled a number of different roles within the trust since then. In her current role, she uses her knack for connecting people, keeping things organised, and thinking a few steps ahead to help the team stay on track and work well together.
With a BSc in Veterinary Medicine and a MSc in Oceanography, Danielle has built a career across fieldwork, community projects, and marine science. She started with the Sea Watch Foundation in Wales, where she got hands-on with marine conservation and developed a soft spot for species-focused work and citizen science. After a stint in the private sector, she picked up a wide range of practical environmental experience that still shapes her approach today.

Lisa is the Taranaki Regional Coordinator for Wai Connection – Tatai Ki Te Wai. She is working with catchment communities across the Taranaki region to facilitate connection and collaboration and empower communities to improve the health of our freshwater ecosystems.
Lisa holds a Master of Arts in Cultural Studies and Communication & Media and brings with her more than 20 years' experience in project management and community engagement. Before joining Wild for Taranaki, she worked as the Public Engagement Coordinator at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/New Plymouth District Council.
Her passion lies with te taiao and in fostering community collaboration which is driven by the belief that community organizations/groups are a powerful motor for social and environmental change.

Emily Roberts is the Strategic Lead for Te Whānau Toroa, a community-based project aiming to safeguard shorebirds, seabirds and their habitats around the Taranaki coastline. She is passionate about the protection of coastal birds having led related Curious Minds participatory science projects including Project Hotspot and Dotterel Defenders.
Emily holds a PhD in environmental microbiology and a Bachelor of Marine Biology (1st class hons). Before joining Wild for Taranaki Emily worked for the Taranaki Regional Council as Environmental Education Lead and Marine Ecologist and for Swansea University as a Marine Biology Lecturer. She is also currently working for Te Kāhui o Taranaki on the Wai Connection project.
In her spare time, Emily is a keen macrophotographer and avid iNaturalist NZ nerd. She’s particularly fascinated by the small wee beasties and plants easily overlooked including wētā, peripatus, springtails, spider orchids and coastal herbs

Victoria is a Taranaki-born journalist and storyteller whose career began in 2006 as a rural reporter in north-west Auckland. She went on to spend many years in documentary filmmaking as a researcher, contributing to projects centred on cultural identity, including films exploring the ancestors of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi signatories, the experiences of returned war veterans, and the stories of mixed-heritage Pākehā/Māori families.
After living abroad in Paris, Victoria felt the pull of home and returned to Taranaki with her husband and daughter, settling at the feet of Te Kāhui Tupua. Today, she is dedicated to sharing the work of Taranaki’s biodiversity restoration champions, crafting both visual and written stories with respect and a sense of awe.

Suki brings a rich and varied background in media, education, and health management across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Her early career in London in advertising, design, and film was followed by solo travel around the world. While living in Australia, Suki worked in the commercial diving industry and taught reef ecology and marine studies.

A lifelong passion for the ocean led to studying marine sciences in North Wales and the Orkney Islands, earning a Masters degree in Marine Resource Development and Protection.

Since moving to New Zealand in 2006 with her young family, Suki has held diverse roles in health management, student coordination, clinical skills and simulation, HR and business systems and operational leadership across health and education sectors.

Suki is excited to support the Wild for Taranaki team as a maternity leave cover for Administration Support.

For the second year of Wai Connection mahi in Taranaki region, the Wild for Taranaki team are joined by a Wai Coordinator, helping to strengthen our members' relationships with local waterways.
The coordinator role supports freshwater monitoring and restoration efforts, offers guidance to build capability in freshwater science, and works collaboratively with experts to enhance biodiversity impacts. It also encourages partnerships by linking schools, iwi, hapū, farmers and landowners, schools as well as community groups, and by aligning initiatives with the work of Wai Coordinators across the region. As part of a collective effort, the role contributes to a cohesive and empowered network dedicated to freshwater wellbeing and kaitiakitanga in Taranaki.