About Steiner Education Development Trust (SEDT)

The Steiner Education Development Trust (SEDT) was formed in 2014 to develop and manage the Certificate of Steiner Education (CSE) for use in New Zealand and world-wide.

This CSE provides Steiner schools globally with a contemporary and rigorous secondary school qualification. High-school graduates can use this to gain entry to university and other tertiary education while retaining the Steiner curriculum and pedagogy.

Our People

SEDT has a board of independent trustees/directors who have a long association with Steiner education and are ultimately responsible for its governance and operation. SEDT also employs a General Manager of the Trust who runs the operation.

NOEL JOSEPHSON
NOEL JOSEPHSONTrustee
Noel is the Managing Director of Ceres Enterprises, widely recognised as the premier distributor of certified organic and biodynamic products in New Zealand and Australia. He is also a board member of Greenpeace New Zealand Incorporated.
ELAINE BEADLE
ELAINE BEADLE Trustee, Board Chair
Elaine is a former international organisation and social development consultant. She co-founded two of New Zealand’s Steiner schools.
She brings management and governance skills and as a fluent German speaker is currently supporting our expansion into Europe.
TRISHA GLOVER
TRISHA GLOVERTrustee
Trisha Glover is currently the Culture and Development Manager at Hohepa Hawkes Bay. She has 23 years’ experience as a Waldorf parent and has served as a member of the Michael Park Steiner Schools Trust both as a Trustee and as Chair. Trisha is currently Chair of the Anthroposophical Society of New Zealand.
SANTIAGO DE MARCO
SANTIAGO DE MARCOTrustee
Santiago De Marco has lived and worked across the globe. He currently lives in Hawkes Bay New Zealand.

He is the CEO of Hohepa Hawkes Bay where he worked for 23 years. Santiago is a Steiner School alumni and his three children attended the Steiner School. He has a broad range of skills with extensive experience in the health and education sector, as well as in governance and management. He served in a number of organisations over the years and has a strong strategic, communication and development focus. Santiago has vast experience networking in the international anthroposophical movement.

MALCOLM COX
MALCOLM COXGeneral Manager
Since 1995 Malcolm’s has been part of the parent community at Taikura Rudolf Steiner School in Hastings, NZ, with his youngest son graduating in 2021.
He’s delighted to continue his involvement with Waldorf Education through SEDT, after completing over 30 years operating a successful local real estate business.
During his decades in business Malcolm honed his leadership and management skills.
His contribution to SEDT includes facilitating a collaborative approach to the tasks at hand, implementing project management protocols, and a capacity to investigate and resolve problems and challenges along the way.

Email: generalmanager@sedt.co.nz
Phone: (+64) 21 835 437

Co-workers

KAREN BRICE-GEARD
KAREN BRICE-GEARDEducation Director
Karen has worked in Waldorf Education for 35 years as an eurythmist, teacher and principal. She has been instrumental in the development of NZCSE as a recognised NZQA qualification.

Karen oversees both the national and international development of the NZCSE. She chairs the Qualifications Committee which is responsible for the educational management and development of the certificate. She also promotes the CSE in Europe and manages its implementation in schools there, along with establishing a close working relationship with the European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education (ECSWE).

Phone: +64 27428 4477
Email: Kbricegeard@sedt.co.nz

MARK MCGAVOCK
MARK MCGAVOCKSystems Director
Mark has worked in Steiner Education for 30 years as class teacher, high school teacher and administrator.

In his role, he is responsible for further developing and maintaining the SEDT website and the student results database.

Phone: +64 27773 1646
Email: mmcgavock@sedt.co.nz

ZSOFIA KENNEDY
ZSOFIA KENNEDYFinancial Administrator (Part Time)
Zsofia is a CPA with over 35 years’ experience in various business and financial management roles in large Multinational Organisations, and the last 12 years in Waldorf Education in both Queensland and New South Wales (Australia). Zsofia currently works part-time at the Newcastle Waldorf School. She is also currently the Treasurer of the Anthroposophical Society in Australia. Zsofia has a passion for and commitment to Waldorf Education and is very excited to be a part of the SEDT team and be involved in the continued growth of the NZCSE.

Email: zkennedy@sedt.co.nz
Phone: (+61) 411 027 756

KATHARINA WENDT
KATHARINA WENDT Recognition Tertiary Liaison
Katharina works as a consultant in the field of not-for-profit and manufacturing organizations . Prior to her current role she was SEDT’s Country Manager in Germany.
Her experience as a Steiner / Waldorf teacher, as well as being associated with the development of schools for many years, have helped to inform her work as a consultant.
Katharina is a specialist in organization development and leadership. She also works with young people as they transition from school into the workforce.

Email: kwendt@sedt.co.nz

TANJA HANSEN
TANJA HANSENCountry Manager for Germany and Switzerland
Tanja has worked in Waldorf education for 16 years as a teacher of biology and physical education and is still employed at the Freie Waldorfschule Berlin-Südost. She took the initiative to introduce NZCSE at her school and has extensive experience as an internal facilitator.
Tanja knows both the internal (school) and external (SEDT) processes of NZCSE. As Country Manager, she promotes CSE in Germany and Switzerland, leads the implementation at interested schools and accompanies them in the first years of their NZCSE experience.

Email: thansen@sedt.co.nz

IAN POWELL
IAN POWELLCountry Manager for the United Kingdom
Ian’s role is to lead and manage the NZCSE in the United Kingdom.

Ian was part of the team that was instrumental in introducing the NZCSE to Waldorf Schools in the United Kingdom, and he has been involved in implementing the qualification at both South Devon and Cardiff Steiner Schools.

Ian has an enormous amount of experience as a Waldorf teacher. He was a teacher at South Devon Steiner School for over thirty-years and founded the Upper School there.

Since 1998 he has played a leading role in the Upper School at Cardiff Steiner School where he also co-ordinates the delivery of the NZCSE.

Email: ipowell@sedt.co.nz

STEFAN FRICKE
STEFAN FRICKEModeration Coordinator for Europe
For over 20 years Stefan taught at Waldorf Schools in Germany, New Zealand, and Australia. His tenure at Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School in Lower Hutt, NZ spanned 15 years.

As a Masters Graduate in Science he was able to share his passion for Physics, Chemistry and Surveying with his students. Later, he became a mentor for teachers at Taruna College, Havelock North and Nanshan Steiner School, Beijing.

Stefan first became involved with SEDT writing assessment exemplars, and translating them into German. He then joined the Qualifications Committee, which is responsible for maintaining the standard of NZCSE.

Email: sfricke@sedt.co.nz

HEIDRUN WEBER
HEIDRUN WEBERRecognition and tertiary liaison
Heidrun has a diverse background in commercial and family law, mediation and as a publishing editor.
However, her commitment to Waldorf education has also seen her contribute toward the establishment, governance and development of schools in Austria, Germany, United Kingdom, and South Africa.
Since 2017 Heidrun (a mother of two) has been Principal at Rudolf Steiner School, St Gallen in Switzerland which provides her with the opportunity to use her skills as a coach, mentor and leader.

Email: hweber@sedt.co.nz

AMELIA MINOGUE
AMELIA MINOGUEModeration Coordinator (English)
Amelia Minogue has been involved with NZCSE since its inception and helped implement the qualification at Raphael House, in Lower Hutt (New Zealand). She has also contributed to and co-facilitated SEDT’s Certificate in Assessment Design and Practice (CADP) course to support Steiner school teachers.

Amelia was a student at Raphael House, returning there in 2008 as an upper-school teacher of English, Social Science and Drama. She continues to actively teach at Raphael House because she loves working with young people.

Her practical experience and pragmatic approach contribute to the effectiveness of SEDT’s moderation arrangements.

Email: aminogue@sedt.co.nz

Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives. The need for imagination, a sense of truth, and a feeling of responsibility—these three forces are the very nerve of education.

― Rudolf Steiner