Pictured above - our small but enthusiastic team of five staff. Left to right, Anna Kenna, Jacqui Eyley, Sasmita Kumar, Lisa Theron and Jess Sims.

'He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!' 

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people!

Yes for Success is its people.  However you engage with us, we're here for you and because of you.

We have a volunteer board, a small team of part-time staff, and many volunteers who deliver our programmes, manage our clothing donations and run our 'dressed' boutiques. We'd like to introduce you to a few of our key team members.

Our Staff

Jacqui Eyley - Executive Manager.  

Jacqui has a history of running not-for-profit organisations. She is passionate about creating positive change in communities and is constantly inspired by the volunteers she works with. She works closely with the Board on strategic direction and is responsible for all aspects of the charity's operations.

Lisa Theron - Programmes Manager

Lisa brings a rich background in community development and non-profit work, paired with a strong foundation in fashion design and fine arts. Her passion lies in empowering individuals and enhancing community well-being. Lisa's unique blend of creative and social expertise allows her to create impactful programs that foster growth and support. With her diverse skills, she is dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those she serves.

Jess Sims - Hutt Hub Coordinator

Jess has a background in retail management and recruitment for people with disabilities. Jess chose to work at YFS to support and give back to the community. Building a stronger community and networks is something she is very passionate about. 

Sasmita Kumar - Wellington Hub Coordinator

Sasmita has a background in social work, HR management, and project management. She has worked for 8 year's in retail, public health and public service organisations in New Zealand. She is super-organised, self-motivated, and result-oriented team player.

Anna Kenna - Fundraising & Grants Officer 

Anna is a journalist and published author. After a long career in radio and television, Anna now works as a freelance writer and children's author.  Her award-winning series of novels for teens, the Viola Vincent Reporting series,  features a tenacious young reporter who is driven to expose scandals and scams and get herself into a fair bit of trouble along the way. Anna is a mum and step mum to five grown children and has five grandchildren. She is married to John and lives in Kāpiti. She is a keen runner, tramper and dog enthusiast.

Our Board

Jane Fanselow-Price - Chair

As a Life Member and former President, Jane brings a wealth of knowledge to the organisation. Jane has over 30 years' experience as a recruiter, career coach and facilitator and has considerable board experience. She is passionate about the success of DFS/YFS and would like to see our services more widely used for the huge benefit of job seekers across the region.

Merissa Parkinson - Treasurer

Merissa's mission is to build services and technology that benefits diverse communities and contributes towards a more equitable and inclusive society. She is currently the Head of Product at Thankyou Payroll and has previous wide consultancy experiences, including in PwC and EY. She is passionate about empowering others to become their best selves and this is why she loves the work of Yes for Success and wants to be involved in driving change.

 

Rebecca Burton

Rebecca has a range of marketing, communications and design experience in the health and education sectors. Prior to joining the Board, Rebecca volunteered design services for Dress for Success Wellington during our launch of Yes for Success. Through past experiences she has been involved in starting up free community courses for adults and children and saw the clear benefits and enjoyment these offered, inspiring her to support similar initiatives through involvement with Dress for Success Wellington.

Jodie Williams

Jodie has a background in health and wellbeing covering many modalities including as a registered nurse, training in psychotherapy and ACT with a focus on mental health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on supporting woman in midlife. Her works spans private practice and a role in primary health working with at risk populations with a focus on mental and behavioural health management. She helps people get unstuck and live aligned with their values. She believes her skill set, openness and strong sense of values will benefit Dress for Success and its mission.

Jane Heynes - Board Secretary

Jane is a successful entrepreneur with over 30 years’ business experience. Having previously started her own recruitment business in regional Australia and growing it to having National presence, Jane appreciates the importance of building and maintaining business relationships, teams, and networks. Having commenced her career working within community organisations focused on support services for jobseekers, her business consulting roles have also included the Global Director of People Performance & Culture. Jane has been supporting others, particularly women, throughout her career and is a current angel investor, mentor and advisory Board member.

Karen Kelland

Karen has been part of businesses that have a strong retail presence, both in bricks and mortar and online (in global markets) – namely Icebreaker Merino Clothing and Weta Workshop’s Consumer Products. She has learned about sales strategy, activations and tactics from some very clever people. Since joining DfSW she's been energised by the enthusiasm of our volunteers.

Esther Williams

Esther has a background in technology and operations management across a range of industries, specialising in system and process improvement thanks to her passion for making people’s jobs easier. Esther discovered Dress for Success during a brief break between jobs. Having experienced the amazing styling session and interview outfit, Esther joined the Wellington Professional Women’s Group. She organised and led a Community Action Project for teens in the local area, which was very successful and earned a trip with Kristeen Johnson to the Dress for Success Summit in Minneapolis, Minnesota – an inspiring experience!

Esther has 10 years of leadership in the Public Service, one year was at MSD during the very challenging time of Covid lockdowns and the threat of job loss. Her unwavering desire to help others increase their confidence and achieve independence is her driving force.

Geeti Faramarzi

Geeti is a Senior Associate in the Public Law team at Duncan Cotteril’s Wellington office

She has extensive experience in public, administrative and regulatory law matters and regularly advises government departments, agencies, SOEs, Crown entities, local government and private businesses on their statutory powers and obligations across a variety of industries including energy and resources, transport, infrastructure, health. Geeti is also part of Duncan Cotterill’s specialist not-for-profit team, advising not-for-profit organisations on a variety of governance, regulatory, privacy, and official information matters.

Marcia Skinnon

Marcia was born and raised in Wellington until she was 18yrs old when her whanau moved to Wainuiomata where, aside from work secondments, she has lived ever since.

She has four adult children and ten mokopuna. Her career started in the private sector progressing in sales and management. In 2005 she took on her first role in the NFP sector where she has mostly continued to work. She has walked in local and central government circles, iwi and hapu, business communities, and funding committees, advocating to bridge the gaps many of our whanau face. She has the drive for successfully leading community, social development and business projects in the Wider Wellington Community.

Rosaleen Smith

Ros is a highly experienced governance and strategy professional with a deep commitment to leadership, operational excellence, and stakeholder engagement. With a strong background in risk management and community outreach, she is well-equipped to support our strategic vision and long-term sustainability. As a dedicated volunteer at the Hutt Hub and an experienced coach, Ros understands the critical role workforce readiness initiatives play in empowering individuals. Her hands-on experience at both governance and operational levels enables her to contribute meaningfully to DfSW’s mission, ensuring that its services remain impactful and accessible to those seeking employment and financial independence.

Cassy Kenworthy

Cassy is a lawyer with over 10 years’ experience. For the majority of her career, she worked as a barrister, specialising in employment law and civil litigation. She worked with a range of clients, including public sector and in-house advice, SMEs, international companies, a 20,000 member strong trade union, and a refugee focussed NGO. She volunteered for five years with the Wellington and Hutt Valley Community Law Centre, providing on the spot employment advice, and was trusted enough to receive referrals for some of their more vulnerable clients, primarily queer and trans clients, and those who had experienced sexual harassment or violence in a manner that affected their employment. She has served on several Committees including four years as the Vice President of the New Zealand Animal Law Association and two years on Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc’s committee.