Board of Trustees

Alexia Black
Heamana ā-Motu/ Chairperson

Gabrielle Hogg
Mema Poari/Board Member

Vanessa Macneil
Hekeretari/Secretary

Natasha Fernandez
Mema Poari/Board Member

Frank Bristol
Mema Poari/Board Member

Egan Bidois
Mema Poari/Board Member

Renea Barron
Mema Poari/Board Member

Alexia Black
Heamana ā-Motu/ Chairperson

Alexia grew up in the Waikato and experienced first-hand the devastating impact of suicide on whānau during her teen years. She trained to work in mental health and disability support in Otago and her first few roles in the sector saw her working with many people who had returned to the community after Cherry Farm (the local institution) closed. What she saw during this time led Alexia to a career in human rights, including an incredible role assisting Sir Robert Martin KNZM in his role on the United Nations Committee for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Alexia identifies as a proud member of both the rainbow and lived experience communities – having experienced post-natal depression, depression and workplace burnout. She joined the board of Balance Aotearoa in 2019 and has been National Chairperson since 2023. Alexia has held multiple lived experience roles, including as a researcher within the lived experience rōpu of the Mental Health and Addiction Directorate at Manatū Hauora, as Interim Director of Lived Experience and Engagement for MHAIDS, Te Whatu Ora, and as a representative of Balance and the Disabled Persons Organisations Coalition on various advisory and governance groups.

Vanessa Macneil
Hekeretari/Secretary

Ko Rangiuru te Maunga
Ko Te Arawa te Waka
Ko Kaituna te Awa
Ko Tapuika te Iwi
Ko Ngati Moko te Hapu
Ko Ngati Moko te Marae
Ko Macneil toku whanau
Ko Vanessa Toku ingoa.

Nau mai harae mai

I am Vanessa Macneil and my whanau hail from Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty. My husband Ben and I currently live on a farm just outside of Putaruru with our two girls Sienna 12 and Violet 10, our cat Satan, the goats Kooji and twilight and the calf’s freezer and tail-less and I can’t forget our dog Chuckie. I also have two older children Aaron 35 and Jess 29 and three mokopuna Skylar 15, Kaed 9 and Jayden 6.

I am an executive coach and I work alongside Maori and Pacifica on their leadership journey walking alongside them to help them overcome what is holding them back from achieving in their professions.

I also work part time for Oranga Tamariki and for St Pauls Co-operating church as a community co-ordinator running cooking classes, after school programmes and drop in café. In my previous life I have been a sewing machinist, Data entry operator, pricing analyst, Kaiārahi Cultural guide as well as spending 14.5 years working for fletcher building with the last two years as the National Estimation Manager for Humes Pipelines.

Being on the local School board as a trustee for the past 2.5 years as well as being the secretary on one of nga hapu I whakapapa too, and on the charitable trust associated with this helping set the strategic plan for growth for our hapu and finding funding with the other trustees is just some of the things I bring to the table.

I look forward to working with all of you to continue to make Balance an amazing organization.

Gabrielle Hogg
Mema Poari/Board Member

My name is Gabby Hogg. I live in Auckland, but I grew up in Hawkes Bay. I am currently in my late 30s. I am autistic with catatonia and with other neurodivergent needs and mental distress, particular PTSD. I also have chronic physical health needs, endometriosis.

My passions lie in the area of neurodivergent needs which, yes, covers mental distress. I also am passionate about human rights and public policy. I am hoping to bring the lived experience of disability and mental distress and the intersectionality of impairments. I currently study at AUT doing a BA in social sciences/public policy. I am also a part time user of Augmentative and Alternative Communication – I hope to bring that unique experience around accessing mental health services when you use AAC. I have a special interest in high and complex needs. I have had experience of being a support worker and supporting a variety of children and young adults with a variety of support needs, some of whom also had Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, along side their learning (intellectual) disability. As I was doing my job, I discovered the unmet needs of mental distress in the disability community.

I currently work as an advisor with Flying Kites part of a wider team of advisors on their advisory group. and as releaxed performnance consultant contactor, helping to make threatre for accessible for those with sensory issues which includes also those with mental distress who may expereince the world differently too. I am an aunty , too many to count but they are al equally part of my life coming from different cultural backgrounds - i aim to be the best role model to my nieces and nephews. I hope to uphold all the mana of those that are neurodivergent or considered to have a neuro disability.

Natasha Fernandez
Mema Poari/Board Member

Ko Tararua te maunga e rū nei taku ngākau
Ko Waitārere te moana e mahea nei aku māharahara
Ko Fernandez tōku whanau
Ko Natasha tōku ingoa

My name is Natasha and I moved to Aotearoa, in 1998, from Dubai. I live in Levin with my daughter (14), my cat, Nick (16), and my dog, Charlie (3).

I have worked in many fields ranging from accountant to data geek which has helped me to grow the skills that I want to use to help Balance grow. I am passionate about lived experience and while I have not had first-hand experience with it, I have had to self-advocate for a number of years as I am AuDHD and have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and have developed a special interest in educating people on both topics.

Ēhara tāku toa i te toa takatahi, engari he toa takitini.
Our strength is not made from us alone, but made from many.

Frank Bristol
Mema Poari/Board Member

Frank Bristol is a long-time mental health and lived‑experience leader based in Whanganui, Aotearoa New Zealand. With more than twenty‑five years of leadership and management experience, he has been a central figure in the consumer‑governed mental health NGO Balance Aotearoa (formerly Balance NZ and Balance Whanganui), where he served in key management roles for nearly three decades.

Throughout his career, Frank has contributed nationally and internationally—presenting in Australia, Canada, the USA, and the UK on self‑management and group facilitation. He has also held governance and advisory positions across regional and national mental health initiatives, including work with Te Whatu Ora and multiple advisory committees.

In addition to his mental health leadership, Frank is a long‑standing director of Bristol Produce, reflecting his lifelong connection to horticulture and small‑farm life in Whanganui, where he tends heritage apple orchards, Dexter cattle, and heirloom tomato crops.

Egan Bidois
Mema Poari/Board Member

Egan Bidois advocates for users of mental health services and is passionate about helping those in their most vulnerable times. He believes it is a blessing to assist those experiencing times of mental distress.

Over the past 30 years, he has worked in various roles across the mental health sector. He has been a support worker, team leader, and service manager in the public and private sectors. Additionally, he has extensive experience in the mental health community as a cultural training developer, facilitator, and board member. Throughout his work, he holds on to the belief that "if you wish to be a leader - first, foremost, and always remain a servant.

Egan is currently the Senior Advisor Lived Experience, Te Ikaroa, Hauora Maori Services at Health NZ|Te Whatu Ora. In his role, Egan leverages his expertise in public policy, mental health, healthcare, policy analysis, and programme development to ensure that those shaping and delivering health services in Aotearoa better meet the needs of Māori and amplify the presence and influence of the Lived Experience voice. He previously served as the National Director of Lived Experience at Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority.

His passion for his mahi comes from his dedication to Tikanga, ensuring that things are done correctly, respectfully, and honestly. He approaches the concept and context of mental health from a Māori perspective rather than the more widespread hospital-centred understanding. He works to have this approach heard, listened to, and acted upon.

Renea Barron
Mema Poari/Board Member