Executive Leadership Team

Sarah Hoyle - General Manager

As General Manager Sarah is a senior leader experienced in executive leadership, national health strategy, rural health, and emergency management. With more than 30 years’ experience delivering national and regional programmes across New Zealand Sarah has led teams to develop and deliver systems including prehospital, primary care and rural health, clinical governance, corporate risk, and emergency management. She is accomplished in research with published papers and completed two Masters of Health Science and Post Graduate Certificate in Business. Sarah is committed to equity, strong partnerships, and “driving positive change through collaboration.”

Julie Shadbolt - PA to General Manager

Julie is the PA to the General Manager. Born and raised in Golden Bay and lived here most of her life, apart from 8 years where she lived in Nelson.

Julie attended NMIT and studied Business Administration and then went to work for an accounting firm. Julie started working at GBCH in 2016 as receptionist/administrator and then took on the role of PA to the General Manager in 2019.

Rachael Cowie - GP & Clinical Director

Rachael studied at Otago University Medical School. She has always been interested in rural health. She did the rural emergency programme which meant she spent a year of her medical training in Balclutha. Rachel has worked in rural practices in Northland and Hawks Bay. She is a member of the RNZCGP. Rachel’s special interests are minor surgery, women’s health, including jadelles, mirenas and IUDs.  In her spare time, Rachel likes the outdoors, cycling and tramping.

Sally Howell - Kitchen Manager

Sally studied in South Africa at Christina Martin’s School of Food and Wine. She went on to work as an Executive Chef at a Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sands where her restaurant was rated by Wine Magazine’s Top 100 places to eat out in South Africa.

Sally moved back to KwaZulu-Natal in 2013 and spent some time focusing on her baking. She grew her business making Christmas cakes for corporate gifts and cakes for birthdays and photo shoots. She than branched out and followed her passion of recipe development working with Food wholesalers creating recipes for their products to help create brand awareness.

In 2019 Sally decided to take the leap and move to New Zealand. Firstly, moving to Auckland and working in a large, aged care facility where she spent 18 months. She then moved to Golden Bay in 2021 and joined the Golden Bay Community Health Team as the Kitchen Manager.

Carol Robinson - Property & Facilities Manager

Health & Safety Representative ID829944.

First Line Business Management Certificate.

Career Force Assessor.

New Zealand Health & Well-being Level 4.

Carol is our Facility Coordinator Manager, she is responsible for overseeing all activities, maintenance and upkeep of the GBCH buildings, making sure that health and safety standards are met and arranging for repairs when needed.

Carol was born and raised in Golden Bay, with over 28 years of working and serving the Golden Bay Community. Not only is she passionate about her community but she also brings a wealth of knowledge in Horticulture & Agriculture, Floristry, Professional Cleaning, and Pastoral Care.

Sherwin Subli - Nurse Manager - Aged Residential Care

Sherwin has been part of the Golden Bay Community Health team for more than a decade and brings over 20 years of nursing experience. His nursing journey began in the Philippines, where he worked across Emergency Nursing, Intensive Care and Medical-Surgical wards before moving to New Zealand.

As Nurse Manager, Sherwin leads the Aged Residential Care and Short Stay services while continuing to maintain a strong clinical presence across Urgent Care, PRIME and the infusion service. He is also progressing his practice as a Designated Community Prescriber.

Sherwin’s approach to leadership is centered on supporting people to grow, encouraging accountability and finding practical ways to continually improve care for residents and the wider community. He values the unique challenges of rural healthcare and is proud to be part of a community where people look after one another and find ways to make a difference, even when resources are limited.

Outside of work, Sherwin enjoys tinkering with cars, building and gardening at home, playing guitar and training in mixed martial arts. Most of all, he enjoys spending time with his three young children who keep life busy in the best possible way.

Chloe Zeewoldt - Nurse Manager - Primary Care, Urgent Care & Community

Bio to come

Wendy Nicoll - Associate Nurse Manager

Wendy was born in Nelson and grew up in Blenheim. Wendy returned to Nelson many years later and attended NMIT to complete her nursing degree.

Wendy then spent 17 years working in a remote hospital in the outback of Australia.

On planning some long service leave home she found herself drawn to Golden Bay and everything just seemed to fall into place. Wendy feels very blessed to have found herself living and working in such an amazing community.

When Wendy is not working, she love to travel.

Nina Griffith - Cultural Advisor

As the Cultural Advisor – Pou Ārahi at Golden Bay Community Health and a member of the GBCH Leadership Team, my primary role is to advocate for our Māori community. If community members encounter challenges in accessing the care necessary to improve their health outcomes and goals, I am there to assist whānau to navigate their health and wellbeing journey. My focus is on listening, connecting them with services, and networking on their behalf.

With ancestral ties to Tahiti, I have a deep interest in and connection to Te Ao Māori, alongside a long-standing relationship with many whānau of Mana Whenua ki Mohua. Having lived and worked in Mohua for most of my life and raising my three sons here, I am deeply committed to the health and wellbeing of our community.

In addition to my Pou Ārahi  role, I am leading a Community Engagement Project contracted by the Pae Ora Alliance Partnership Group. I believe this initiative complements my role as Cultural Advisor, as it involves significant engagement and collaboration with our community and partners.

In recent years, I have dedicated myself to acquiring expertise in driving positive and sustainable change. In December 2023, I completed a postgraduate degree in Leading Change for Good with AcademyEX. I also completed a Leadership in Sustainable Business course with the Sustainable Business Network in 2022, and a micro-credential in Sustainability Studies in 2021.

I bring a unique blend of theoretical understanding and practical application, allowing me to effectively implement my learning in real-world situations. Currently, I am studying Te Ataarangi Level 1 and remain a lifelong learner of Te Ao Māori.