Est. 1978

Sharon brings a wealth of experience to the Centre Manager role. She has spent 20 years working in New Zealand and overseas in the outdoor education and tourism sector in training and development roles, as well as time with the NZ Police and the Royal NZ Air Force.

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She has taught and managed people, programmes, safety and equipment in areas of ecological, cultural, and historical importance including the Arctic and Antarctic.

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Particularly pertinent for the Boyle is her work as Training Manager at Outward Bound New Zealand.​ There, she was managing teams and being a part of a team. She hired instructors, delivered training, and inducted and mentored staff to build a competent tightknit team.

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In her most recent role with local government, she has increased her skills in project management, gained an understanding of council organisations, and learnt about building relationships with Iwi through managing projects with them. This is certainly a benefit to the Boyle as we continue to navigate our relationship with mana whenua. Her training in urban search and rescue and in emergency operations training are also great assets.

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Her own adventures include self-supported walking and packrafting trips up the west coast of Greenland and crossing north to south through Iceland; trekking on the frozen Zanskar River in India; and rafting and kayaking the Grand Canyon.

Unlike many who call Aotearoa New Zealand home, James did not grow up surrounded by mountains and oceans. Instead, he was raised in Boston, Massachusetts, where the urban environment offered limited opportunities to explore nature firsthand.

 

Despite this, he developed an early fascination with the natural world through documentaries and adventure series from storytellers such as David Attenborough, Bear Grylls, and Les Stroud (Survivorman). Stories of wilderness, resilience, and exploration planted seeds of curiosity that would later grow into a career dedicated to education and the outdoors.​

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After graduating from university, James carried his passion for the outdoors into the field, serving as a Wilderness Ranger with the United States Forest Service in Aspen, Colorado. Over several summers, he educated the public on conservation practices, maintained trails, and enforced wilderness regulations in some of North America’s most remote, high-altitude environments. The role provided firsthand insight into the delicate balance between public access and environmental protection, reinforcing the importance of education and safety management in safeguarding both people and wild places.

 

Nearly eight years ago, he crossed the Pacific to Aotearoa New Zealand — a country that has since become home. During his time here, he has served as a senior instructor and held leadership roles in health and safety, operations, and training and development for two of Auckland’s largest outdoor education and recreation organisations.

 

He is also a founding member and Trustee of Friends of The Great Outdoors Charitable Trust, a registered charity dedicated to engaging Kiwis in outdoor education, recreation, and conservation, while advocating for the protection of Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural environments.

 

Each of these roles has strengthened his expertise in safety systems, risk management, and programme development — but more importantly, they have kept him connected to the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the outdoors in a way that is safe, accessible, and life-changing — an opportunity he nearly missed himself.