Wendy Hawke | |
|---|---|
 Hawke in 2014 | |
| Born | Wendy Ruth Hawke New Zealand |
| Years active | 1995 – present |
| Spouse | David Hawke (died. 2013) |
Wendy Ruth Hawke ONZM [1] is a New Zealand adoption advocate. [2] [3] [4] She has been the executive director [5] of Inter-Country Adoption New Zealand, also known as ICANZ, [6] [7] [8] since 1995. The organisation was founded in 1989. [9]
In 2014 she was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to inter-country adoption. [10] [11] [12]
Hawke was a teacher at St Cuthbert's College, Epsom. [13] [14] After adopting her children from Russia in 1992 through ICANZ, she then went onto volunteering at ICANZ. [15] [16] [17] In 1995, Hawke then became the executive director. [10] Before 1992, ICANZ was facilitating adoptions from Peru and Romania under its original founders. [9]
Hawke and her husband David were the first New Zealand couple to adopt from Russia in 1992. Hawke has five children. Four adopted from Russia and one son by birth. [18] Her husband died in 2013 after a long illness. [19]