Meet Shari Tidswell...

What do a ukulele, pilates, travel, cooking and caring for the community have in common? An energetic, experienced and enthusiastic ‘girl’ from Gisborne called Shari Tidswell. She shares some of her life story with us, from her early days on the coast and around the country, to her diverse roles in the community and the work she is currently focused on as the Intersector Relationship Manager at Hawke’s Bay District Health Board.

“My parents come from Gisborne and my father worked the for Ministry of Works so as a family we moved around as the ‘Think Big’ projects were built. I went to university in Hamilton where I studied demography with Professor Ian Pool and health promotion with Ron LaBonte. After that I completed my Masters while starting my working life in the NGO sector working for NZ Family Planning and Waikato Women’s Health Centre.

I moved to Hawke’s Bay to work at EIT teaching community work and social policy, and since then I have worked for MSD, PORSE Inhome Childcare, Kent County Council and HBDHB in a range of roles focused on planning, programme development, policy and project management. The bonus of working in a regional centre is you get to develop a wide range of skills. This work has allowed me to address inequity and work toward social change.

Currently I am Intersector Relationship Manager for the HBDHB, which allows me to work across sectors and projects to support Hawke’s Bay people to improve their wellbeing. It is fantastic to have a role that can make a difference in whanau lives and it is also a huge privilege to work with passionate, dynamic people every day.

I try to bring the skills I have in research, project management, stakeholder engagement and programme development to support the work I am doing with Matariki - HBREDS. I am aware that health/wellbeing have their roots in social inclusion – employment, educational attainment, healthy homes, safe environments and strong personal/whanau identity.

The two Matariki - HBREDS projects I am involved in contribute to Project 1000, to improve pathways to and through employment. One focuses on supporting youth with health and disability concerns into sustainable employment, while the other project is around supporting people to gain a full driver’s licence – this is a key to employment and social inclusion in a region with limited public transport and significant rural employment.

Outside of work my extended family is very important to me, and my crazy lab drags me out for a run each morning – good stress management! To recharge my batteries I travel – as a family we did a year-long working holiday in England which gave us the opportunity to travel all over Britain and Europe. Another interest is cooking – something that requires a little less planning and saving! I also play bass in a ukulele band, have a fantastic book club group, do pilates and can occasionally be seen gardening.”

Want to talk with Shari? Here are her contact details...

Shari Tidswell
Intersector Development Manager Population Health
Hawke’s Bay District Health Board
06 878 8109 extn. 4676

16 November 2017

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