Meet the Board
Our Board
Kristine Hammond - Health Practitioner (dispensing optician) & Chair
Kristine has been a Board member since 2015. She held the Deputy Chair role until 2019, becoming Chair in 2022. She is a dispensing optician and a professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland, School of Optometry and Vision Science (SOVS). Kristine teaches optical dispensing to optometry students in part III, part IV and part V. She also supervises dispensing at the University of Auckland Eye Clinic.
In 1997, Kristine completed her Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing (with distinction) from TAFE Digital (previously OTEN/TAFE). In 2014, she graduated with the fellowship diploma at the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO). She is one of the first in Aotearoa New Zealand to attain this bachelor-level qualification. Amongst others, she also holds a certificate in “Train the Trainer” at the NZ Institute of Management, a national certificate at the retail industry training organisation (ITO), and a national certificate in public sector services (Level 4). In 2021, Kristine was awarded the prestigious Robert Maher award recognising her contribution to the dispensing optician profession. She is a current member of the Association of Dispensing Opticians of New Zealand (ADONZ).
Annette Morgan – Health Practitioner (optometrist) & Deputy Chair
Annette has been a Board member since 2016 and became the Deputy Chair in 2022. She qualified with a Bachelor of Optometry in 1985. Annette was in the first class to complete The Auckland Programme in Ocular Therapeutics (TAPIOT), at the University of Auckland in 2004. She was employed in Wellington from graduation until she bought her own practice in Paraparaumu in 1990. She now works for Grylls and Matthews in Paraparaumu.
Annette was a councilor of the New Zealand Association of Optometrists (NZAO) from 1992 until her appointment to the Board. She has also been a member of the Council of Optometry Regulatory Authorities (CORA), and its successor, the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ).
Melinda Calderwood (Optometrist)
Melinda was appointed to the Board as a health practitioner (optometrist) in August 2023. She graduated from the University of Auckland in 1993 and completed her post-graduate ocular therapeutics qualification in 2005. Melinda also holds a Graduate Diploma in Science (GDipSci) in Psychology from Massey University.
Melinda is currently the Associate Head (Student Affairs) and a professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland, School of Optometry and Vision Science (SOVS). She has worked at the university since 1999, and throughout the years have been involved many research projects and clinical trials within the SOVS and Department of Ophthalmology. Melinda has previously worked in both independent and corporate optometry practices in Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland.
Kirsty Pienaar (Dispensing optician)
Kirsty was appointed to the Board as a health practitioner (dispensing optician) in August 2023. In 2019, Kirsty obtained the Fellowship of British Dispensing Opticians (FBDO) awarded by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) in the United Kingdom (UK). She also completed several marketing and management tertiary courses.
Kirsty is the Operations Manager for OCULA, overseeing the operations of five practices located across the South Island. While she has been a dispensing optician since 2019, she has been in the industry as an optical assistant and practice manager since 2005. Kirsty has extensive experience with dispensing prescriptions from both ophthalmologists and optometrists.
Throughout her career, Kirsty has served on several association Continuing Professional Development (CPD) committees, as well as presenting at CPD events. She has a keen focus on safe holistic patient care.
Originally from South African, Kirsty relocated to New Zealand in 2019 and lives in Wanaka with her family.”
Julia Hunter - Lay Member
Julia was appointed to the Board as a lay member in August 2022. She works in an executive advisory role at South Seas Healthcare Trust. This is Ōtara’s largest Pasifika health provider which delivers a range of primary care, community and social services throughout South Auckland.
In previous roles in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas, Julia has dealt extensively with consumers of health care services and a variety of health care professionals. Julia has worked as a legal advisor to NZ’s Health and Disability Commissioner. She was a research assistant at the Harvard School of Public Health and has also worked in Boston over the same period for a health care consumer advocacy group. In London she worked as a policy advisor in the Registration Directorate at the General Medical Council.
Farib Sos - Lay Member
Farib was appointed to the Board as a lay member in August 2022. He has substantial educational and business experience in both the private and public sectors as well as numerous community and international appointments spanning education, energy, environment, health, and resources. He has served as a member of several government and non-government committees and other groups with an interest in South-East Asia.
He currently holds several roles including Deputy Chair of the Board of the NZ Amateur Sport Association, Member of the Expert Advisory Panel of Open Government Partnership NZ, Executive Chair of Asia Forum Wellington, and Trustee of the Asia Pacific Research Institute of New Zealand.
Sophie Woodburn – Health Practitioner (optometrist)
Sophie was appointed to the Board as a practitioner member in August 2022 and is a therapeutically qualified optometrist who graduated from University of Auckland in 2017. Living in Queenstown, Sophie is a co-owner of the Queenstown Specsavers franchise.
With a passion for tackling inequities in healthcare, Sophie is currently undertaking a Master of Public Health at the University of Auckland. She has also completed a Certificate in a Public Health and Leadership in Eye Care from Australian College of Optometry (ACO). She is a current member of Australian College of Behavioural Optometry (ACBO). Through all avenues of her work, she hopes to see eye healthcare becoming accessible, affordable, and safe for all members of the public.