Cross Agency Rainbow Network

Sophie Parker (she/her) is the Co‑Chair of the Cross‑Agency Rainbow Network, driven by a deep belief that the voices of the most marginalised in our Rainbow communities should always lead the way. She is grounded in compassion, authenticity, and the understanding that real inclusion comes from listening to lived experience and honouring the people whose stories often go unheard. Her ‘why’ comes from wanting every Rainbow person to feel safe, seen, and able to show up fully as themselves in their workplace and community. Sophie has been on CARN Governance for 2 years and has led key CARN initiatives, including the 2025 Cross‑Agency Rainbow Network Conference, which focused on elevating under‑represented voices and intersectional experiences.

Sophie works as a Senior Adviser Inclusion & Diversity at Ara Poutama Aotearoa, where she supports people, builds capability, and works at a strategic level helping shape environments where belonging can flourish. Her hope for CARN’s future is simple, that by working together across agencies, we create a public service where Rainbow communities are not just part of the conversation, but at its heart; shaping decisions, influencing change, and feeling truly valued for who they are.

Outside of work, Sophie finds joy in movement and the outdoors, whether that’s at the gym, playing football, or heading out for a hike. These moments keep her grounded, energised, and connected to the things that matter most.

Sunny has a strong drive to achieve better for our gender diverse kaimahi in public service and everyday life. She uses her strengths from her lived experiences to uplift those around her and stand up for what is right while at the same time always offering a kind and compassionate space. She has held a space within the Chair of Whakamana Ira Tangata since very early in its transition and has helped foster and grow the network since first joining the public service in 2022. During this time it has fostered a flourishing network with a strong focus on hearing each others voices and bringing what matters most to her community to be shared in rainbow initiatives fostered throughout the public service and in the rainbow 4 point plan.

Sunny works as a Contracts administrator for ACC managing a wide variety of health contracts ensuring that we have the right providers to service our injured people in Aotearoa.

When Sunny has a little downtime it likes to spend time going second hand shopping with her partners to expand her film collection as well as a little bit of playing video games with friends on the side when she’s not travelling about the country to meet up with other partners and network members.

I chose to get involved with this network and others in the past as having community right now is incredibly important. The most important part of my work is providing a safe space for our transgender, gender diverse and gender questioning people to be themselves and share their experiences. Second to this is promoting visibility of our community and working on initiatives to support our people in the public service. I’ve been a part of this governance group for a year and have previously been involved in CARN governance as well.

I am a Domain Principal (Principal advisor) in Writing & Web Content Design at Te Tari Taake Inland Revenue. I have built my leadership values through my work, as well as through my years of work in the IR rainbow network, CARN and Whakamana Ira Tangata.

In my downtime I love being in nature and crafting. I can be found either hunched over a sewing machine, swimming in the ocean or cycling around the south coasts of Te Whanganui-a-tara Wellington. I value these activities as they help me disconnect from work and social media and reconnect with my creativity and the world around me. I also love dinosaurs, sharks and birds.

Fuimaono Faumuina Lafaele Mapusua (he/him) is a Governance member of the Cross-Agency Rainbow Network (CARN), representing Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Pacific perspectives. His ‘why’ is grounded in ensuring that Pacific Rainbow voices particularly MVPFAFF+ communities- are visible, valued, and meaningfully included across the Public Service. He is driven by a commitment to recognising the richness and diversity within our communities, and the importance of culturally anchored inclusion that honours identity, belonging, and lived experience.

Lafaele serves as a Principal Advisor– Design and Planning at Stats NZ, operating at a strategic and system-wide level to shape transformative approaches that centre equity, accessibility, and the amplification of community voice. His role includes championing the visibility of data needs and strengthening internal capability across LGBTIQ+, Pacific, Māori, and accessibility communities- ensuring these perspectives are not only included, but embedded as critical drivers of organisational practice and decision making. Anchored in Pacific worldviews and values, he brings a culturally grounded and intersectional lens to spaces like CARN, influencing system-level change that honours, reflects, and advances the lived realities of our diverse communities.

Outside of work, Lafaele finds joy in spending time with aiga and close friends, eating good food and then working it off in the gym, watching films, singing in the car, enjoying the breathtaking views of Porirua, contributing to community initiatives, and creative spaces that celebrate Pacific identity and storytelling.

Danielle Calder is the Kaiarataki Whaikaha | Disability and Accessibility Lead of the Cross-Agency Rainbow Network. Her experiences as a queer public servant with chronic pain and her core values of equity, inclusion, and justice drive her work for the network, ensuring that CARN actively seeks, values, and serves the needs of disabled and tangata whaikaha Māori public servants.

Danielle works as a Senior Advisor Accessibility at Stats NZ, where she advocates for equity of access to data, accessibility of information, and working with disabled communities to meet their data needs. Her work at Stats NZ and CARN empower her to advocate for accessibility and disability justice for both public servants and the people of Aotearoa.

In her spare time, you’ll find her knitting, crocheting, reading, volunteering at her local rugby club and school board, or dabbling in one of the many crafts she has on her list to try.

Lukas Rolston is one of the governance members for the Cross-Agency Rainbow Network. He currently works as a central processing officer for centralised services within the Ministry of Social Development and became involved with CARN due to a desire to be able to help and support other public servants from the Rainbow community so they can come to work as their authentic selves. Outside of work Lukas can be found with a book of suspect quality writing, an overly sweet coffee, and a craft that is half done but not forgotten.

Dr Sarah Lamar (she/her) has been a Governance Member for CARN since 2025. Her primary focus is to advocate for tangible results for the rainbow community’s most marginalised groups by cutting through the noise and focusing on real and impactful work programmes. Sarah’s guiding principles for her role with CARN are connection, compassion, and a belief in supporting the creation of a firm vision for CARN’s future guided by the needs of our community.

Sarah works for the Ministry for Primary Industries in the Animal Health and Welfare directorate. Outside of work, she is an avid outdoorswoman and part-time ultrarunner. You can usually find her wherever MetService says has the most sun in the Wellington region.

Kia ora, I’m Rob Earl, I was elected as the Kaiarataki Mana Whakahaere | Governance Member for the Cross-Agency Rainbow Network for 2026. Building on my experience advocating for Diversity Equity & Inclusion issues for Environment Canterbury, saw this as an awesome opportunity to create greater connection and support for rainbow kaimahi in public organisations. I am driven by wanting to see greater meaningful change for our community through inclusion, representation and feeling safe to be their authentic selves in the workplace.

 My formal role is as a Resource Management Officer Implementation for our Water & Land team, but I have taken on voluntary roles to help grow Environment Canterbury’s Pride Employee Led Network and been a part of our Diversity Inclusion Guidance Group for the last three years.  I have worked closely with our Chief People Officer and our People, Capability and Wellbeing Team to grow inclusion for the organisation.

 Outside of work, I enjoy being back on my parent’s farm in North Canterbury, hiking places with a nice view or a more recent hobby of reupholstering furniture.