The Seniors Advisory Panel offers advice based on their experiences living as senior citizens, to help us improve outcomes for this community.
They will:
Anne is an experienced governance contributor with a background in strategic leadership, public policy engagement and community advocacy across Auckland. Her career spans more than two decades as a company director. Following the Auckland Council amalgamation, Anne was appointed to the Ethnic People’s Advisory Panel. In association with the Whau Local Board, she led the establishment of the Whau Ethnic Collective.
Anne brings a strong commitment to community engagement, ensuring security and care for all. She engages closely with organisations in health, education, not for profit and community sectors, building deep insight into the needs of diverse populations.
In her new role on the Seniors Advisory Panel, Anne aims to ensure that voices of older Aucklanders are heard, respected and reflected in Auckland Council's decision‑making.
Anne is dedicated to strengthening outcomes for seniors across Tāmaki Makaurau through collaborative governance, strategic insight and a focus on long‑term wellbeing.
Debbi was born in Te Awamutu and moved to Auckland at the age of six weeks.
Recently retired from full time employment, Debbi has had a thirty-year career in senior management roles in mental health and addictions and sexual violence prevention, as well as contributing to many local and national not for profit boards.
While much of her work has focussed on youth, Debbi is embracing the change in life to ensuring a confident older age and considering how Auckland’s vibrant city can meet the needs of seniors to live their best lives. She is looking forward to contributing to the panel.
Janis McArdle is a Waiheke Island resident, leadership coach, consultant and experienced general manager with a background in marketing, fundraising and organisational development.
She has held senior roles supporting leaders, teams and boards through change and growth. She brings strong governance, community engagement and strategic capability to her work.
Janis has a longstanding involvement in the arts on Waiheke, including directing and supporting local theatre productions and is co-founder of the Waiheke On Stage Foundation.
She is returning to the Auckland Council Seniors Advisory Panel for a second term.
Julie Watson started her working in a teaching career, mostly at Auckland Girls Grammar. Following this, she worked for two decades at the Human Rights Commission.
One of the highlights of that time was working on the Transgender Inquiry To be Who I am, and being part of the Intersex Roundtable. Julie was then a programme manager for Silver Rainbow and Rainbow Tick and a Grievance panel chair for a youth justice facility and a care and protection facility.
Julie runs an education, advocacy and programme consultancy organisation, Tap In. She is working with a team at the University of Auckland on a project called ‘Aging Proud’ and is a casual contractor for InsideOUT.
Julie lives in Ponsonby with her partner, two cats and a dog and has two adult daughters. She also runs Auckland Playback Theatre, a community improvising group who retells the stories of the gathered audience.
Previously serving on Auckland Council’s Rainbow Communities Advisory Panel, Julie is now joining the Seniors Advisory Panel, bringing a senior rainbow lens to the panel.
Irish-born Lucy Slater lives in Ōrewa, Hibiscus Coast after many years of living in west central Auckland.
Lucy's background is in education, with experience working with refugees and migrants and work-based vocational tutoring and mentoring.
Recently, Lucy has worked in operational management with the Electoral Commission and Stats NZ, with extensive volunteering experience with a focus on seniors.
Martyn McKessar is an active retiree working within a wide range of community groups and networks. Throughout his career, he worked as a business consultant specialising in organisational learning and development and later owned a consultancy dedicated to helping companies and organisations perform better.
Martyn currently serves as chair of Genesis Youth Trust and is a volunteer driver for St John.
He is interested in looking at how Auckland Council can ensure Auckland continues to be a good place for older people to live, connect and thrive.
Misa Fia Turner was born and raised in Samoa and speaks fluent Samoan. She enjoys living in Māngere Bridge with her family, where they have lived for the last 28 years.
Passionate about health and wellbeing and with a career in psychological counselling, Fia worked for many years in the development, management and provision of counselling services in the community.
She studied and graduated with a Bachelor of Counselling and Master of Indigenous Studies (Counselling) with honours.
As a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors since 2009, Fia has held governance and leadership roles on various local, regional and national advisory committees and boards of trustees for the government and non-government organisations.
Currently, she works as a Senior Academic Research Lecturer at the Manukau Institute of Technology, teaching the Bachelor of Applied Counselling programme.
Fia is passionate about the wellbeing and safety of the people, especially the seniors in our communities.
Fia was a member of the 2022-2025 Seniors Advisory Panel.
Susanne Tapsell has whakapapa to Ngāti Whakaue and Ngāti Rangiwewehi.
She has had two careers over her working life. The first in education as a teacher, and then in local government: in Auckland City with City Planning and then in the new Auckland Council in Plans and Places.
Susanne was an active delegate for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA) and still maintains membership. She has also represented council staff as the Hinonga Māngai Māori and as the chair of the delegates committee.
In 2018, Susanne was awarded the Marlene Pitman Prize for work at Auckland Council by Te Rūnanga o Ngā Toa Āwhina o Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi / Public Service Assosciation (PSA). Towards the end of her time at council, she was employed as one of the two PSA delegates for all PSA staff.
Susanne participated in the Auckland Council Research Ethics Committee and is currently on the Ethics Committee for Kāinga Ora research projects.
Susanne is a volunteer interviewer at the Citizens Advice Bureau and the building manager and committee member of her body corporate.
Susanne is delighted to be able to return for a second term with the Seniors Advisory Panel.
Terry Moore is an American New Zealander, born in Texas in the 1940s and a permanent resident of New Zealand since arriving in 1974.
Terry co-founded Mens Shed Auckland East and the Community Wellbeing Network, which in 2023 became Auckland East Community Network, where he serves as Chair.
The Community Wellbeing Network delivers age-friendly local events, monthly community network meetings and promotes volunteering through its Volunteer Expo.
In 2025, Terry worked to develop PhD project proposals for expanding the capacity of Mens Shed in Auckland with:
This work would allow thousands more older men to serve their communities and gain friendships. Terry hopes to support these PhD programmes as they get underway in 2026.
Vitale Lafaele (BBS, Dip Pol, MInstD) is a business consultant with experience and skills amassed over many years in the public and corporate sectors. He has over four decades of professional experience in the New Zealand Defence Force, New Zealand Police, public and corporate sector environments and over 20 years as a senior manager and community leader in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Vitale suffered multiple strokes in 2014 and 2015, which left him partially blind. He shares his professional knowledge and personal experience as a stroke survivor and redundancy to resetting and living with a disability. He is a keynote speaker and leadership and performance coach in the public sector.
Vitale says: “Giving back to our communities especially life changing events is something I am passionate about. By reflecting on my own journey and being part of an organisation that I can continue to contribute and add value is what matters most”.
The panel has a mixture of open formal business meetings and closed workshops each year. The panel meets approximately every six to eight weeks, excluding December and January.
Formal business meetings are open to the public and any elected members of Auckland Council.
Workshops are used for discussion between panel members, Governing Body members and relevant council staff.
For dates, agendas and minutes, visit Agendas and Minutes.
Email seniorsadvisory.panel@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to:
