Our Board
Laverne Robinson (Chair)
Raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, Laverne joined the board in 2022, and brings 20 years of experience in the charity and public health sectors in both Aotearoa and the UK. Initially training as a counsellor and working with rangatahi at risk she went on to work in Young People’s Sexual Health Services before returning to New Zealand and taking up leadership roles in a number of children’s health services. Laverne is passionate about working with rangatahi, supporting a number of youth advisory groups and youth leaders and young professionals during her career. She has been a lecturer in mental health, coach and supervisor in the social care sector, and is a strong advocate for the voice of young people – ensuring that services for youth are inclusive, empowering and a reflection of the times that rangatahi live in.
Laverne brings to the RPE board her leadership knowledge, strategic mindset, sense of humour and commitment to reducing sexual violence and improving outcomes for young people in Aotearoa.
Charlotte Trevella (Secretary)
Charlotte is a GP registrar working in Onehunga. Originally from Christchurch, she studied medicine at the University of Auckland, before working in hospitals in Tāmaki Makaurau and the UK. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the University of Cambridge, and her thesis focused on improving mental health outcomes among homeless women. She has a long-standing passion for the prevention of sexual violence and helping young people to develop a robust understanding of consent and respectful relationships. Outside of her work, she enjoys reading, hiking and travel.
Nalini Dutt
Nalini Dutt, originally from India, joined the board of RPE in 2024, bringing extensive experience in governance, financial management, strategic planning, and marketing from roles in both India and New Zealand. Currently serving as National Manager of AA Home, a joint venture between the New Zealand Automobile Association and AA Insurance, she directs AA Home’s success with strategic leadership and business acumen.
Before AA Home, Nalini held leadership roles at global brands like NZAA, Volvo Eicher, Hyundai, and Yamaha, driving growth and innovation. At Volvo Eicher, she was a member of the POSH committee, enhancing her understanding of addressing sexual violence and fostering inclusive workplaces.
Passionate about empowering women and advocating for equality, Nalini's journey from India to New Zealand instilled a deep commitment to creating inclusive communities. Her commitment to social justice and empowerment drives her work, including her contributions to reducing sexual violence on the RPE board.
Outside work, Nalini enjoys sci-fi thrillers, podcasts, reading, and discussions on geopolitics, women empowerment, and leadership.
Siobhan Patia
Siobhan Patia joined the board in 2024 and has a background in criminal law and family law. She also brings previous governance and board support experience. Siobhan's work in criminal law included jury trials in Crown prosecutions and criminal defence. In her family law work, Siobhan handles a variety of cases including family violence, parenting/guardianship matters, care and protection and relationship property. She adopts a strategic and transparent approach to governance, drawing on her previous experiences working for similar charities and non-government organisations.
Siobhan's guiding values include excellence, care, respect and integrity. She is dedicated to the prevention of family and sexual violence and supports endeavours that amplify consent culture and healthy relationships.
Dr Emma Barker-Clarke
Dr. Emma Barker-Clarke is a Violence Prevention Educator working with young people and adults. Emma works with NGOs in the sexual violence and family violence sector. She was previously a trustee board member and rejoined their Trust Board in 2024. In 2024, Emma was awarded a PhD in Sociology/Criminology from the University of Auckland; her research, co-designed with young people, explored youth experiences of technology-facilitated sexual violence.
Before emigrating to Aotearoa in 2011, she worked in the UK as a probation officer with children, young people, and adults. In the youth justice sector, she specialized in supporting young people using violence and experiencing violence in intimate relationships, which motivated her to design a youth-centric intervention programme. She built on this work with research for her MSc in Criminology & Criminal Psychology. As a result of this research, she has focused ever since on domestic violence and sexual violence prevention.
Emma is of British Caribbean descent; her dual heritage is rooted in the twin Caribbean Islands of St. Kitts and Nevis. Outside of work, Emma loves to spend time with her husband, two teenagers, and the family miniature schnauzer, alongside participating in weightlifting and karate.
Chillion Sanerivi
Chillion (Kil-lee-in) is the Director for RIVI consultancy, a self-owned independent consulting business. He names his way of working as a Youth Ecosystem Strategist, a Youth Development Specialist and a Youth Innovation Practitioner and facilitator for social change. All his work is underpinned by Pacific and Maori indigenous knowledge, values, principles which guides his work.
His strengths are in social impact, leadership development, facilitation, community engagement, community development (place-making), social innovation, event management, systems change, creative arts, faith-based youth engagement, and a strong advocate for the professionalisation of youth work in Aotearoa. This is supported with disciplines such as, critical thinking, systems thinking and design thinking allowing Chillion to work at the youth/young people intersection of Climate Change, Education and Training, Health sector, Mental Health & Wellbeing, Sports and Recreation, Creative Arts, Leadership Development, Community Development, Social Development, Economic Development, Youth Work, Civic Engagement and Participation.
He is a certified Design Thinking facilitator and an Active Citizens (Global) programme facilitator connected to a global network of almost 300,000 members in 77 countries. Chillion holds a Certificate and Diploma in Christian Ministries, National Diploma in Youth Work, Bachelor of Youth Development and Postgraduate Certificate in Leading Change for Good. He will complete his Master in Change and Organisational Resilience at the end 2024 with academyEX.
Chillion has governance & executive experience across the national youth development sector, youth workers in Aotearoa, workforce development, faith-based, social services and sexual violence prevention.
Cathy Mckenzie
I am committed to assisting New Zealand businesses to grow and to develop their personnel through best practice leadership and governance. Over the past twenty years I have been in senior leadership roles internationally, for the United Nations. Much of my career focused on organizational transformation, including leadership efficiency and effectiveness, through innovation.
Now I am returned to New Zealand, I endeavour to combine both national and international best practise methodologies to the benefit of New Zealand businesses; assisting them to benefit members and the communities they support.
My work experience is in risk management, business continuity, emergency planning, personnel development, and corporate sustainability. I am passionate about good governance, integrity, corporate sustainability and ethical responsibility.
I still support International NGOs; managing their risk in both surge and interim management roles, and have recently returned from Gaza.
Join Our Board
To express an interest in joining the board as a trustee, email Debbi Tohill