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Melanie has been in and around boats for most of the last 20 years so is already feeling part of the family at Yachting New Zealand.
Mel started with Yachting New Zealand last week as the office and CIOR administrator. It essentially means she is one of the main faces, and voices, people come across when they contact Yachting New Zealand and from next month will oversee boat registrations and handicapping.
Mel is a qualified personal trainer, and worked with a number of sailing teams overseas as well as on superyachts. She's also a former representative netball and touch player.
She admits she enjoys going fast so is keen to get into motor cross and mountain biking and intends learning how to surf alongside one of her teenaged sons.
"Working at Yachting New Zealand feels very familiar," Mel said. "When this job came up, I felt like it would be a good opportunity to take what I have absorbed and turn it into something."
Mel is one of a number of new faces at Yachting New Zealand. We introduced you to our new coach development manager Kirsten Moratz recently and Hayley Dorward has also joined as the new high performance programme manager.
Hayley Dorward
Dorward started at Yachting New Zealand in June and oversees the logistics attached with the high performance programme, including the sailors in the NZL Sailing Team and wider high performance teams.
She's a trained nurse but spent 17 years with Bigfoot Adventures, an outdoor education company, where she finished as business manager.
"It's been challenging but nice to be learning something entirely new," Dorward said. "The people here are super-friendly and the sailors are awesome to work with.
"Going to an Olympics and working on one massive project with really clear goals was a major drawcard. If I can play some small role in our sailors winning medals, that will be immensely satisfying."
