Dr Geoff Neal – Chair
My involvement with SPAW began 13 years ago, when I first volunteered in Tongatapu with the Unitec team. What started as a single field clinic evolved into a deep and ongoing commitment to the organisation. Over time I joined the Board, and eventually stepped into the role of Chair – a natural progression shaped by years of hands‑on experience and strong relationships across the Pacific.
Today, I work closely with our Board and team leaders to deliver a veterinary programme that is consistent, high‑quality, and grounded in genuine partnership. I also nurture our on‑island relationships, spending significant time in the region each year and managing our televet programme to ensure continuity of care between clinics.
SPAW’s mission is something I am deeply dedicated to; there is rarely a day without contact from a stakeholder, partner or volunteer. Serving as Chair is a privilege, and I am continually inspired by the high‑performing, highly skilled team that drives SPAW’s work forward year after year.
Karen Schade – Founder, Fundraising, Partnership and Education Lead
My role with SPAW has evolved over many years, and at various points I’ve worn almost every hat the organisation has needed. Now, as we enter our sixteenth year with an experienced and capable Board, my focus is firmly on keeping our charity sustainably funded, strengthening the partnerships that underpin our work while also ensuring humane education remains woven through everything we do.
Having founded SPAW, my connection to the organisation is deeply personal and lifelong. I cannot imagine a South Pacific where New Zealand does not play a meaningful role in supporting animal welfare. Maintaining strong relationships with funders, keeping our partners informed and engaged, and ensuring they feel part of our mission is essential to that vision.
Equally important is our commitment to education – working alongside our on‑island stakeholders, sharing knowledge and demonstrating best practice through action. This approach continues to build capability, confidence and long‑term change within the communities we serve.
Lilian Lawrence – Governance Lead
As Governance Lead, my role in SPAW is to guide strategic planning and ensure the Board monitors progress against our goals and objectives, supported by the right governance processes such as policies, Memorandums of Understanding, and Board secretariat functions. Our 2025 – 2027 Strategic Plan sets out SPAW’s long-term vision, mission and objectives, outlining the actions and resources needed to achieve them. It provides a shared direction for the Board and supports effective, adaptable decision-making.
Over the past year, we have held virtual meetings every two months and one face‑to‑face meeting to review key decisions and assess SPAW’s performance against the plan. The board remains actively engaged in driving our objectives and strengthening our service offerings. During our in‑person meeting, we focused on the key activities required in 2026 to advance our strategic goals, explore opportunities to evolve our services and ensure we have the skills and capabilities needed now and into the future to achieve our mission.
Dr Victoria Chapman – Trustee
Victoria became involved with SPAW in 2016 as part of a partially Zoetis funded trip. Since then, she has returned to ToMy journey with SPAW began in 2016 when I first volunteered thanks to a fellow colleague from Zoetis, Steven Stevenson. He encouraged me to join after being inspired by fellow Zoetis vet, Andy David. Since then, I’ve volunteered every year, except during the COVID years when travel was off the table. By May 2025, I had completed my seventh trip and led a fantastic team for the sixth time.
I volunteer for SPAW because I can see we are making a tangible difference for animals and their owners. Over the past decade, I’ve seen a steady rise in animal welfare. More locals are bringing pets to clinics, and the dogs are healthier, better nourished, and more cared for. It’s a gradual shift, but it is happening.
As a Trustee, I support the volunteer admin team in communications, advocate for SPAWs work within my networks and lead a trip to the islands every year. I’m very grateful to the amazing volunteer nurses and vets I’ve worked with, the SPAW board for their tireless efforts, and Zoetis for their continued sponsorship. It’s a true team effort, which is making a difference.
Aroha Fleming – Communications and Marketing Lead
As Communications and Marketing Lead, my role in SPAW to is help tell our story. We do this mainly through the voice of our amazing volunteers, who share their experiences in our Impact Reports, website stories, newsletters and social media. In 2025, SPAW featured in media including the Bay of Plenty Times, NZME channels and Breakfast Television.
We complete Impact Reports after each clinic, documenting the outcomes achieved including the number of consultations, desexing case, surgeries, parasite treatments and more.
Our goal is also to raise awareness, which helps spread the word to the volunteers, supporters, donors and partners. Without their support, the incredible outcomes achieved on island would not be possible.
Glenda Gouws
My involvement with SPAW began through volunteering on clinics in Tonga and Fiji. Working alongside island communities grounded me in the true, back‑to‑basics essence of veterinary care, where every skill matters and every resource is precious. The gratitude and commitment of local pet owners, often with very limited means, continues to reinforce why this work is so important.
At 46 I had made the decision to retrain as a Veterinary Nurse. Motivated by a strong conviction that I could no longer stand by while animals lacked the care they deserved. And in 2017, while working in veterinary practice I took on the volunteer role of SPAW Programme Administrator before joining the SPAW Board. Coordinating clinics, supporting volunteers, and helping teams deliver essential care has shown me the power of shared purpose and the impact we can achieve together.
Each outreach reaffirms my commitment to advocating for animals and supporting the communities that care for them. It is a privilege to contribute to SPAW’s mission and to play a part in work that continues to make a meaningful difference across the Pacific.