Rachel has over 20 years’ experience working within the New Zealand disability industry, from grass roots to senior management with both NGO & corporate organisations. She is herself a wheelchair user and mum of two.

Starting her career at 18, fundraising for CCS, she has gone on to become a Senior Disability Advisor, served on the board of the Muscular Dystrophy Association NZ, has represented New Zealand at international consortiums on disability, along with co- founding Disabled Parents NZ. She briefly played on the New Zealand women’s wheelchair basketball team before retiring to become a Mother.

Rachel's passion is education, training for change, offering peer support, mentoring and creating workshops on self-advocacy. Most recently Rachel was the Disability Strategy Co-ordinator to the Waitemata District Health Board. Rachel left this role join Rex Bionics (robotic walking legs) as a product tester and disability advisor, eventually becoming the Project Manager. Rachel left in 2001 to have her second child and while on maternity leave studied interior design, but missed the disability industry. In July last year just after her youngest started school Rachel was nominated and appointed to the Auckland Council Disability Panel providing strategic advice and building relationships for community engagement. Rachel created and ran the parenting with disability NZ Project. Represented and spoke at IIDL and many global disability events. She is currently in er second term on the Auckland Council Disability Advisement Panel and is a Board member at Skillet NZ & PHAB Nz respectively. 

She currently owns a social enterprise gift box company with her eldest daughter featuring products made by disabled people & is the mum of another daughter with learning needs. Her passion is creating strong teams & management of positive change by educating & creative solutions with a practical no nonsense approach. 

In addition to training many large NZ companies in diversity awareness Rachel has worked with and brings her contacts and networks within New Zealand, and global circuit.

In addition to PHAB Rachel sits on the Board of Skillet Access Maps & is the Disability Specialist to Arise Training Academy. 

Kramer Hoeflich was born and raised in the Cook Islands on the island of Rarotonga. When he was 15, a spinal cord injury changed his life and brought him to New Zealand. He has faced many challenges and overcome a lot of barriers to become the person he is today. This helped him discover a passion to work alongside young people of all abilities, cultures and backgrounds, to make a difference within the community. Kramer has a strong focus on equality, inclusion and diversity, which is reflected in the projects, events and boards is involved with. He is currently a team leader at Vaka Tautua and is a strong voice for both the Pasifika and disability sectors. Kramer's ultimate goal is to lead from the front and become Minister for Disability Issues.

A long time PHAB member, Vincent is representing out PHAB community as part of the board for 24/25.