Asking the Questions That Matter
Honouring David Kenkel’s Contribution
David Kenkel is stepping down from the Community Waitākere board after serving as trustee, chair and co-chair.
David has spent his career in community development and social work - in frontline practice, in child advocacy, and in teaching - examining power: who holds it, how it stays held, and what it takes to move it. Alongside this, he brought extensive expertise in family and sexual violence prevention, offering valuable guidance through some of the organisation's more complex moments.
He brought those questions to the Community Waitākere table for 17 years, supporting the organisation through events including Covid-19 and the 2023 floods, as well as the expansion of the scope of its mahi.
"Through times of challenge and triumph alike, he has made himself freely available, his expertise and experience an open book to all of us," says Community Waitākere CEO Kerry Allan. "Under his watch, our team has grown considerably in size and scope while never lost sight of the central pou of social justice and the practice of community development that grounds our work."
David chaired the Community Waitākere board for much of the past decade, and in 2023 co-commissioned the organisation's 40-year history, on the grounds that stories and contributions are too important to be lost in the archives.
His Co-Chair, Charlie Moore, recalls him as someone who often brought a different perspective to the table, challenging assumptions in a thoughtful and constructive way.
"He has always asked the challenging and thought-provoking questions that have given us all pause for thought and reflection. This has been done in a way that has also been positive, linked to possibilities for practical action, and helped us all see things from different perspectives."
Whether discussing strategy, priorities, or emerging challenges, David consistently encouraged Trustees to consider who might be excluded, whose voices were missing, and how Community Waitākere could better support people to take back control over their own situations.
"His practical nous kept our priorities and capability building on track toward a shared vision: a West Auckland where all communities flourish," says Board Co-Chair Charlie Moore. "That vision has always been guided by the same compass - working alongside communities that decision-making has too often excluded, and backing the self-determination and expertise they already hold. It's an approach rooted in reflection. He encouraged us to pause, to understand the why, and to make meaning that leads to better outcomes for everyone."
It is a conviction he holds consistently: when things get hard, you stay alongside people, keeping Community Waitākere steadfast in its purpose.
"We wish him all the very best, and thank him for his knowledge, kindness and service to West Auckland," Moore adds.