• Jodie Rawle

Assisting aspirations at North Harbour Club

Living on the Shore for over 23 years, Jodie Rawle has immersed herself in community life through schools and sporting clubs. So when the opportunity arose for her to pull her love of community and her organisational prowess together to work in a key role for North Harbour Club, she jumped right in.

A relocated Aussie, and now fully fledged NZ citizen, Jodie Rawle took charge of the Club’s administration at the end of August last year, just after lockdown commenced, meaning she had to learn the ropes remotely. Her background in executive support roles, event co-ordination and retail management have stood her in good stead to take on the behind-the-scenes position she now holds.

Jodie has lived in the Gold Coast, the Hunter Valley as well as Sydney, and met her husband Dean whilst on her OE, but has loved living in Browns Bay and Rothesay Bay since moving to New Zealand in 1998.

She said, “I love the Shore and the Bays, and have always tried to be involved in my local community through volunteering at school - with the PTA and coaching - and sporting clubs.

“The vision and aspirations of the Club are amazing and I’m enjoying being part of it, getting to know the members and helping to organise events.”

The uniqueness and rewarding nature of the North Harbour Club attracted Jodie, following nine years spent working at AUT Millennium.

“I like the fact that not only is it a mutually beneficial business networking organisation, but that their goal/why is to encourage and support our outstanding youth through the AIMES Awards. It definitely is a 'feel-good' role and one that I am extremely proud to be involved in,” she says.

Of all the AIMES awards categories, sport is the one that most resonates with mum-of-two Jodie. Her daughters Tahlia and Brooke are 22 and 18. Tahlia recently graduated from AUT and is working for Zuru Edge as a marketing coordinator. Brooke finished at Rangitoto College last year and will be going on to study Biomedicine at Auckland University this year.

Jodie says, “Not only is the sport award sponsored by my former employer AUT Millennium, but I absolutely love all sport! I was a competitive swimmer in my youth, my two daughters were involved with the Mairangi Bay Surf Life Saving Club, and also North Harbour Waterpolo and school waterpolo from primary school through to college.”

She adds, “As I also worked at AUT Millennium as a Swim Teacher and managed their Speedo Shop, there is very much a personal affiliation with them as they sponsor the AIMES Sports Award. Both my girls were also Swim Teachers at AUT Millennium. Our family even has a sponsored seat at the National Aquatic Centre.”

Jodie is keen to promote the AIMES Awards to more and more young people across the North Shore and has already become a strong advocate for the Club’s work.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for young people to receive not only financial support, but mentoring and promotional support for their careers. They also become part of a proud network of previous AIMES alumni winners as a result.”

The Rawle family has a boat at Gulf Harbour Marina and Jodie enjoys heading out fishing and spending time on the Hauraki Gulf whenever time and weather allows.