Meet our team: Donna Hooper

Published 26 January 2023

Donna Hooper is a programme manager at Te Mahi Ako. She has been involved in aquatics and education for most of her life, and believes that being safe and confident in the water is central to life as a Kiwi kid.

Donna started out as “a very part-time learn to swim instructor”, she says, but over time worked her way up to senior roles in aquatics facilities across a large council. These days she looks after end-to-end pathways for learners to upskill themselves in a range of industries.

"There are people who may have never gained a certification for their skills and I want to help them do that. I’m always proud to see people complete their qualifications, because I know that those completions come from recognising what people generally do in their everyday work.

“My job is to make those qualifications achievable, relatable, in plain language, and applicable to the work they are doing.”

These days Donna mainly goes to the pool with her five-year-old son. “He’s a little fish,” she says. “Seeing him enjoy the aquatic environment that I grew up enjoying and being confident in, is really important to me. Being safe around water is everything.”