I am a landscape architect.

I see a big part of my role as advocating for the landscape.

As part of my role, I have a goal to improve the health of our landscapes, improve the quality of the public realm and to deliver the enduring spaces.

I am working on saying 'no' more often and focusing on providing a calmer family life amongst our busy schedules.

I have recently changed jobs after 9 years in the same role so I feel like I am embracing change and new challenges at the moment which is something I was needing. I am on a Te Ao Maori journey. I am also interested to learn more about green infrastructure.

I feel like I have invested very little. I graduated from university 19 years ago. I undertook a two year OE to the UK where it was important to me to gain experience in my profession, while travelling to places I had studied or heard about in my career, so that I could bring those firsthand experiences back to NZ. I actively seek out new spaces or places to explore where I am constantly being inspired. I actively seek to attend Landscape Institute conferences where I am engaged and leave enthusiastic from the shared experiences of presenters from throughout NZ and internationally.

Two of the most influential books for me has been Design with Nature by Ian McHarg and Life between buildings by Jan Gehl. I also have an interest in geomorphology, particularly Auckland's volcanic landscape.

My role as a landscape architect has informed many of my views and beliefs. I have also worked in the public sector for most of my career. I like to think I contribute to the enjoyment of my city and this leads me to enjoy a lot of the spaces and places within it. Particularly the natural landscapes, maunga, ngahere and beaches. I get a lot of enjoyment from experiencing these places with my children (two daughters 6 and 9) and seeing things through their eyes.