Mike Munnelly RSW (SWRB Chair) 

Mike Munnelly brings experience from across his career as a social work practitioner, health and safety regulator, National Manager Care and Protection for Child Youth and Family, and previously as Chief Executive of Barnardos. He was instrumental in the PSA pay equity settlement for social workers in the NGO sector.  

Mike joined the Board and became Board Chair on 1 January 2025.  

Paula Grooby RSW

Paula brings extensive social work experience from within child protection and served as a SWRB Professional Conduct Committee panel member until her appointment to the Board. She has a longstanding involvement and passion in how SWRB supports social workers and the public to ensure the right people are in social worker roles. This role builds on previous board experience on a school Board of Trustees and the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW).

Paula Grooby joined the Board on 1 October 2024.

Lois Hutchinson

Lois has over 30 years’ senior management experience in the public sector in the areas of social justice regulation as the statutory decision maker for the Video Recordings Authority and Deputy Chief Censor at the Office of Film and Literature Classification; in health as General Manager, Hospital Services at Midcentral DHB; and transport as Chief Executive of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC). Working in these sectors, Lois developed particular expertise in the delivery of mandated services, both domestic and international, that operate to avoid or reduce harms to people and organisational operating environments. 

Through her work at TAIC and alongside associated international treaty organisations, Lois also has expertise in organisational strategy and performance with a focus on assessment of safe systems operations in the aviation, rail and maritime sectors.

Lois is currently the Deputy Chairperson of the Radiation Safety Advisory Council. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety (Hon.) and holds degrees of Master of Public Policy from Victoria University of Wellington, and Master of Science Managing Organisational Performance from Cranfield University, UK.

Ruth Jones QSO, RSW 

Ruth is proud to whakapapa to Ngāti Porou and Rongowhakāta. Ruth has been part of the sector for over thirty years. She is a registered social worker with lived experience of disability. She has held a variety of national Governance positions including chair of the Workbridge Board and co-chair of the Design Group for the redress for Survivors of Abuse in State and Faith-based Care.

Ruth is currently a member of the Ministerial Advisory Board for Oranga Tamariki, TAMA, and is Chair of Disability Leadership Canterbury. She and her husband Gary have their own consultancy firm in Ōtautahi and lead a Whānau Ora entity for tangata whaikaha Māori, Hei Whakapiki Mauri.

Jeff Sanders QSO

Jeff has experience as a senior manager and chief executive in the NGO sector, working in organisations focused on providing services that make a positive difference to people’s lives. These include IHC NZ, the Methodist Church, Relationships Aotearoa and Barnardos NZ, from which I retired as chief executive in early 2019. 

His career has allowed him to be connected to local community needs which has given him a desire and ability to seek out systemic change and ensure excellent provision of services. He has strong relationships across the NGO and government sector and has built effective leadership teams in the organisations that he has led. He has experience and understanding of how governance structures operate and what is required when considering the strategic implementation of programmes of work.

John Willis

John is a Chartered Accountant with experience in finance and executive management in the Commercial and Not for Profit sectors.  This includes senior roles at Barnardos Aotearoa, NZ Post Group, BearingPoint Inc., IHC and Fonterra Co-op Group.  John has governance experience as a current Board Member of the Central Region Health School and the Wellington Methodist Charitable & Educational Endowments Trust.

Originally from Otautahi Christchurch, he has also worked overseas including several years in Tonga with Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA).

Board meetings

The SWRB Board meets throughout the year to approve registration applications. Only a completed application will go forward to the SWRB Board for approval. An application for registration must go through all the required checks and have police results back before going to a Board meeting.

Applications that require reviewing prior to approval i.e. Fit & Proper concerns & Section 13, have specific dates scheduled throughout the year (these exclude electronic Board dates).

Board lists close 10 working days prior to a Board meeting to allow our staff time to process the information required for our Board members.

If you have provisional registration and have now completed the requirements for full registration, this needs to be approved by the Board and you will be added to the next available Board meeting.

You will receive an email when your application is going forward to the Board and again, once the Board has approved your registration.

Board meeting dates – 2026

• 25 & 26 February
• 29 April
• 24 & 25 June
• 28 August
• 28 & 29 October
• 2 December

The SWRB Board also reviews registration applications during their online meetings which are held on a fortnightly basis.

Board committees

Finance Audit and Risk

Complaints and Notifications Committee

Remuneration