Board of Trustees

Paul Davidson - Presiding Member - Property (NAG 4b)

I am married to Lorette and we have 3 children aged 10, 8 and 4.

Born and raised on a dairy farm in Waitara, my Iwi is Te Atiawa (Ngāti Rāhiri hapu).  

I am qualified in Sports Turf Management and have been a self-employed Dairy Farmer for the past 16 years.  I have a range of skills from managing budgets to employing staff.  Being self-employed also allows me the flexibility to be available to the school at short notice.  

I was co-opted on to the Board in January 2020, re-elected on in August 2022, and am the current Presiding Member (Chairperson).  I enjoy being involved with the school property management and am passionate about ensuring our school meets the needs of all its students.

My hobbies include multi-sports/triathlons, sports coaching and home DIY!  I am passionate about children being involved in sport, and love seeing the enjoyment they get from active movement.  Coaching various sports teams allows me to be part of a child’s journey in building a life-long enjoyment of sport.

You are welcome to contact me if you wish to discuss anything related to the Board.

Brendon Jones - Finance (NAG 4a)

My name is Brendon Jones and I have been on the Egmont Village School Board since 2019.  I have 2 children, the younger one is currently at EVS, and my older child spent his primary years at EVS before going on to secondary schooling at NPBHS.

I grew up in Taranaki and completed my primary schooling at a small rural school very similar to Egmont Village.  I completed my secondary schooling in New Plymouth, before moving away to university.  My family and I moved back to Taranaki 11 years ago in time for our oldest child to start his schooling at EVS.

I have a diverse professional background in Geology, Aviation, and IT which I feel provides a positive contribution with the governance role of the EVS board.  My wife and I currently run two businesses in New Plymouth, one a uniform/clothing retail shop, the other an IT company that provides specialist IT services to small and medium businesses.

Since joining the EVS board in 2019 I have enjoyed being part of the team helping to shape the future of the school, and I look forward to continuing this work with the returning and new board members, and the staff of Egmont Village School.

Drew Castle - Documentation & Self Review (NAG 2)

Drew has been a Board member since 2017, and has 2 boys at the school. He has also been a Home and School Committee member and helper since early 2017. His background is in IT and has helped the school with IT strategy and decisions during this time.

Drew is also part of other community group governance, being a Trustee for the Taranaki Kiwi Trust, and is also chair of the Taranaki Whanganui Conservation Board 

Caitlyn Hocken

Kia Ora, I’m Caitlin. I joined the Egmont Village Board of Trustees in 2023. I was born and

raised in Cairns, Australia and was lucky enough to be brought back here when I met a Naki

boy, my now husband, Neil while travelling overseas. We are blessed to raise two beautiful

boys just down the road from the school, Harrison born in 2013, and Tom, born in 2017.

I have always had a deep love for and affinity with young children. I started my career with a

B.Ed in Early Childhood, teaching in my homeland, in the UK and in my new home, N.Z.,

where I was Head Teach of Stratford Kindergarten for a few years. I then moved into parent

education for the government-funded programme “Parents as First Teachers” delivered

through Barnardos. When this program was cut, I studied to become a Certified Master

Parent Coach and founded “ChildWise – Conscious Parenting Support” in 2020 to deliver

education, coaching, and support to anyone wishing to improve their relationships with the

children in their lives.

I love being involved with this wonderful school, and being on the board means I can be part

of what goes on behind the scenes to make sure our tamariki and whanau thrive.

Nicola Ekdahl

With a background in policy analysis, Nicola joined the board in 2023 to aid in the board's governance and strategic direction.  All four of Nicola's children have been through Egmont Village School, with the eldest now attending Inglewood High School.  Nicola owns and operates two small businesses; a small construction company and a drystock farm at the end of Korito Road in Egmont Village.