Meet the SPPU Team

Bonnie’s connection to SPPU is significant; she was the deputy director of SPPU when it was first established 21 years ago, and now returns as its director. Bonnie has had a long career in the social services sector and was awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2023 for her services to seniors and social services.

Paul Barber is the principal policy analyst with The Salvation Army’s Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit. Paul has worked in the non-profit and social services sector for over 25 years, working on social policy issues with a focus on social justice and social transformation. Before he joined the SPPU team in 2019, he spent 15 years as a policy advisor with the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services.

Ian has served as a Salvation Army officer for 40 years in various appointments. He has been working in The Salvation Army alcohol and other drug addiction programmes in various roles in Winnipeg, Canada and Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland. Ian was the director of the Salvation Army’s Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit and now acts as the co-chair of the Rūnanga.

Antonio is a social scientist and sociologist, born and raised in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Since January 2024, he has been serving as the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research Analyst for The Salvation Army NZFTS. In this role, he supports the organisation’s social mission services in making better use of data to enhance service delivery. He also develops evaluation processes to highlight both achievements and areas for growth for the whānau served. Additionally, he collaborates with internal teams to ensure that programmes are grounded in robust and up-to-date research, working alongside external researchers as needed.

Ana Ika is a senior social policy analyst/advocate in the Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit. Ana comes from a youth work background and is also trained in Public Health and Public Policy. Ana takes on the primary role in the Unit to support and equip local corps, Community Ministries and Bridge with objecting to alcohol licenses or being witnesses in district licensing hearings.