Yvonne joined NSCSS in May 2009. She has a B.Soc.Sc. and has completed all the papers towards a M.Soc.Sc. and Dip.Com.Psych. (University of Waikato). Moving to Auckland in the early 1980s Yvonne has held numerous management positions including General Manager of Auckland New Ventures from 1994-2001. Since moving to the North Shore, Yvonne became the Director of Northcote College Community English School and Campus Manager of Sir George Seymour National College of Travel & Tourism.

In 2006, Yvonne set up her own business Pacifi c Research & Development, working for three years on various projects in the Pacifi c. She undertook a disaster assessment mission in the Solomon Islands after a tsunami and earthquake; worked with the Caritas Offi ce of Justice and Peace in PNG; made a risk analysis for Oxfam of going into West Papua, and worked on a UNICEF project looking at the preparation for Avian Infl uenza in Samoa. Yvonne is a Board member of RedR NZ and EWPANZ.

Yvonne has been awarded honours; APSNZ (Associate of the Photographic Society of NZ); has a Diploma in Photojournalism and studied Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland Graduate School of Business. Yvonne lives in Birkenhead, is married, and has two children and three grandchildren.