Executive Team
Get to Know Us
The Executive Team are dedicated Pacific educators from across the country. We are teachers, school executives, university professors and professional staff, community educators and advocates with a common purpose and goal to champion Pasifika education and drive the network’s goals.
Founding Director
Bronwyn Williams
Western Sydney University Phd Candidate.
Bronwyn Williams is a proud Niuean and Cook Islands woman, born in Aotearoa and based in Western Sydney. With over 20 years' experience in higher education across New Zealand and Australia, she brings deep expertise in widening participation, community engagement and program design that centres equity and access for underrepresented students. A Co-Founder and Executive Director of Moana Impact Studio, Bronwyn has led major outreach and transition initiatives, including Fast Forward, First Foot Forward, Refugee and New and Emerging Communities, and the nationally recognised Pasifika Achievement To Higher Education (PATHE) program. She is also a Founding Director of the Australian Pasifika Educators Network (APEN), where she co-leads national advocacy and professional development for Pasifika educators and students. Bronwyn is passionate about creating culturally safe, strengths-based spaces that inspire Pacific young people to thrive in education and life. She brings strategic insight, facilitation expertise and a deep commitment to impact-driven work grounded in culture and community. She holds a BA, MA (Hons) and MLit from the University of Auckland, and is currently completing a PhD at Western Sydney University.
Founding Director
Tofa Amanda Moors-Mailei
Moana Impact Studio Pty Ltd
Amanda is the co-Founder and Director of Governance and Strategy at the Australian Pasifika Educators Network (APEN), and CEO of Moana Impact Studio. Her leadership is grounded in relational values and indigenous knowledge frameworks, and is driven by a commitment to justice, representation and structural transformation.
Director
Tuilelepa Paniani Patu
The University of Sydney
Tuilelepa Pani Patu is Operations Manager, Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and APEN’s Director of Research and Advocacy. Pani leads the network’s research agenda, developing data-driven policy papers and campaigns that centre Pacific educational equity.
Director
Esita Sogotubu
University of Technology Sydney
Esita Sogotubu is the Employability Manager at UTS Careers and the Director of Finance and Operations at APEN. She has a strong background in student development and industry engagement and leads impactful programs, including Pasifika mentoring, to support student success and cultural visibility in higher education.
Director
Lamauta Dr Vaoiva Natapu-Ponton
Griffith University
Dr Vaoiva Natapu-Ponton is a seasoned educator and researcher with over 25 years of experience. Her work focuses on Samoan student success and Pacific methodologies. She is part of the APEN Executive team, contributing her expertise to educational leadership and research across Australia.
Executive Member
Uta'ileu'o Charlie Palupe
QLD Department of Education
Uta'ileu'o Charlie Palupe is the Director of Strategic Governance, Queensland Department of Education where he leads governance and policy reform within the Schools and Student Support Division, driving strategic alignment across the Department. Charlie brings strong expertise in public policy, legislative processes, and stakeholder engagement across government and non-profit sectors.
Secretary
Christine Afoa
University of Technology Sydney
Christine Afoa is the Project Officer for Pasifika Programs at the University of Technology Sydney, based in the Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion. She designs and delivers initiatives that build cultural confidence and academic opportunity for Pasifika students. Christine is also a writer and advocate, contributing to Sweatshop, and Fresh Off The Books.
Executive Member
Leilani Fatupaito
Swinburne University
Leilani Fatupaito is the TEQSA Project Manager at Swinburne University of Technology and an Executive Member of APEN, contributing to governance, policy, and decolonising practices. She also holds leadership roles in the National Tertiary Education Union and advocates for culturally inclusive frameworks in higher education.
Executive Member
Dr Gemma Malungahu
Australia National University
Dr Gemma Malungahu is a Pacific Research Fellow at the Australian National University’s Department of Pacific Affairs. She teaches Pacific research methodologies and leads regional research initiatives like the Pacific Research Colloquium.
Executive Member
Kylie Hatch
Monash University
Kylie is a proud Pasifika woman and senior project manager in higher education, with experience delivering cross-faculty initiatives that promote equity, wellbeing, and collaboration. She represents Monash University on MOSAIC and the Faculty Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and serves on the Board of Pacific Connections, a social enterprise supporting the Pacific diaspora. Kylie also sits on the Scanlon Foundation’s Strength to Strength advisory panel and runs women’s health and wellbeing workshops in her local community.
Executive Member
Dr Ruth (Lute) Faleolo
Griffith University/Latrobe University.
Dr. Ruth (Lute) Faleolo, an Aotearoa-born Tongan researcher and educator, with ancestral ties to Samoa, Uvea and Fiji, promotes social justice and transformative progress. Ruth works collaboratively across trans-Tasman and trans-Pacific spaces to empower Pacific voices and to accurately document our collective mobilities and holistic wellbeing narratives.