PGF National Management Team
Graeme Ramsey - Chief Executive Officer
Graeme Ramsey was appointed CEO of the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) on July 1 2008.
Graeme has previously worked in the corporate, not-for-profit and local government sectors as a CEO and in senior management positions.
Graeme developed an understanding of problem gambling when he was Mayor of the Kaipara District Council. He met a PGF worker at a health hui and later worked with them to facilitate one of the first sinking lid policies.
He has been a member of a number of health, environmental and community organisations involved in social change. He is currently a Councillor on the Northland Regional Council.
Graeme has a Masters of Business Administration from Warwick University and a Bachelor of Arts from Auckland University.
Contact Graeme on graeme.ramsey@pgfnz.org.nz .
John Wong QSM - Asian Family Services Director
John Wong had a business and management background when he migrated to New Zealand in 1992. He has a Bachelor of Commerce and Masters of Education in Counselling (Honors) degrees.
John has more than sixteen years of counselling experience and has been elected to Governance Boards of Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers and the Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand. John was awarded the Queen's Service Medal in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to the ethnic community. John has a strong interest in problem gambling and is committed to help new migrants in their settlement process. Contact John: john.wong@pgfnz.org.nz
Laurie Siegel-Woodward - National Operations Director
Laurie has been with the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) since October 2008. She is a qualified counsellor with over 15 years experience.
Laurie worked for six years in an inpatient psychiatric facility in the U.S.A. That included the treatment of addictions, and three years experience as a counsellor at Petersgate Counselling Centre.
Laurie has an interest in depression, self-esteem and relationship issues with individuals, couples and families. She spent seven years with the Salvation Army OASIS Centre managing the Christchurch Centre for three years.
Laurie has a Bachelors degree in Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin with a double minor in Educational Psychology and Spanish, a Masters degree in Education with a Certificate in Counselling from the University of Canterbury and a Certificate in Supervision from Wel-Tec.
Contact Laurie on LSWoodward@pgfnz.org.nz
Graham Aitken - Business Systems and Quality Director
Graham has worked in the health sector for 35 years. Most of this time has been spent working in, and consulting to, organisations like the latter day District Health Boards (DHBs). Earlier work included marketing and industrial engineering roles.
Graham has managed large organisations and consulted on issues of structure and efficiency. His background in operational research has helped him develop a practice in computer modelling and statistical analysis.
At times Graham has accepted roles that included advising Cabinet Ministers, DHB Board members and senior Ministry of Health (MoH) staff.
His major learning experience in working with the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) is that greed is alive and well in the international gambling industry, and that lateral thinking is required to deal with the widespread problems this causes.
Graham is on the board of Kidney Kids and has an M Com from Auckland University.
Contact Graham on graham.aitken@pgfnz.org.nz
Phil Townshend PhD - Research Director
Philip Townshend is a registered psychologist with a clinical scope of practice and has been involved in the problem gambling area since 1998. He has produced a treatment interventions guide for Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) counsellors and completed and published a number of research projects in the gambling and addiction fields.
In 2008 he was granted a Winston Churchill Fellowship which allowed him to present a paper at the European Association for the Study of Gambling in Slovenia, study Internet Gambling in the UK and observe the gambling experience in Macau. He is a reviewer for the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction and holds a voluntary position on the Board of the St Marks Trust, which operates a residential Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) treatment service in Blenheim.
Contact Phil on phil.townshend@pgfnz.org.nz
Cynthia Orme - Director of Clinical and Public Health Services
Cynthia has a Masters degree from the University of Houston Clear Lake, in Marriage and Family Therapy. She has been a family therapist for over 20 years and has experience in both the U.S. and New Zealand working with a variety of mental health issues. Since moving from Houston to New Zealand her focus has been on problem gambling for the last eight years at PGF.
As Director of Clinical and Public Health Services, Cynthia has been actively involved in integrating a public health approach into PGF's counselling services. This national position is a strategic role overseeing anything to do with PGF clinical services. An additional part of Cynthia's role involves planning and organising an international conference every other year.
Cynthia is currently working on developing and implementing competencies for an integrated approach to working with gambling problems, integrating counselling and public health.
Contact Cynthia on cynthia.orme@pgfnz.org.nz
Pesio Ah-Honi Siitia - Pacific Manager - Mapu Maia
Pesio has a Bachelor of Marketing and Business, a Post Grad Diploma in Health Promotion and is a Member of DAPAANZ. She started at PGF in 2003 and has had various roles as Health Promotions Advisor, Public Health Practice Leader and currently Pacific Manager of Mapu Maia Services.
Pesio has been working with Pacific communities for the past 20 years and in particular within public health and workforce development. She is Samoan born and New Zealand raised with a background in Pacific tertiary education and Pacific media and marketing. In 2001 Pesio developed the first Pacific Gambling project in Manukau with Pacificare Trust as the Project Manager. Her role was to develop Pacific public health programs in Manukau.
In 2002 Pesio took up the role as Pacific Co-ordinator for Niu Developments National Pacific Gambling project and developed the national public health strategies for problem gambling. Pesio currently delivers the Pacific training for the Te Kakano public health project as well as a member of various advisory, organizing and steering committees along with other Pacific and non Pacific providers. She is also an elected board member of the Health Promotion Forum of NZ.
Contact Pesio on pesio.ah@pgfnz.org.nz
Tony Milne - National Manager of Public Health
Tony earned a first class honours degree in English and Political Science from Canterbury University while also working as a youth worker at the 198 Youth Health Centre. Tony spent several years working in Central Government for MPs and Ministers before becoming a health promoter for the Problem Gambling Foundation in late 2008. He became a JP at the end of 2007.
Contact Tony on tony.milne@pgfnz.org.nz
Andrée Froude - Marketing and Communications Manager
Andrée has a Graduate Diploma in Communications and Public Relations from Auckland University of Technology. She has worked in Communications and Public Relations for over six years in both the public and private sector before joining the Problem Gambling Foundation in May 2009.
Andrée is a member of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand.
Contact Andrée on andree.froude@pgfnz.org.nz