Civilian of the Year 2022

Keri Brooking’s permanent role is the team leader of the DPSC where she manages the day to day running of the DPSC teams in setting and controlling the appropriate priorities of actions in order to meet NZDF deadlines regarding service delivery (HQJFNZ Operations and Exercises).

Time and time again, late or short notice operational requirements have meant long hours, working late, and working weekends to ensure the essential services (such as travel, accommodation, allowances etc.) are in place for our multitude of operations around the globe. Miss Brooking always considers the predicament of the Service person, and this sense of benevolence in all that she does makes her a stand out figure in how we look after our NZDF people when they are potentially most in need of assistance.

Miss Brooking has always led by example and demonstrates an inclusive and empowering team ethic. Her relatively junior team consistently punch above their weight achieving exceptional results because of Miss Brooking’s courage to empower and trust in them. Her team are always happy - no matter how hard they are working - and this is an outstanding example of comradeship and the benefits of an interpersonal leadership style that many other teams could only aspire to emulate.

As a civilian in a military environment she is a trusted advisor, and is not afraid to speak openly and honestly, and when necessary have the moral courage to disagree and provide an alternative perspective, overall contributing to more robust decision making.

Miss Brooking has proven exceptionally effective in how she engages with Commanders of deployed missions in provision of Personnel advice, and so too the other staff branches within HQJFNZ for the planning and preparation of new and emerging missions. This has been ably demonstrated in her pragmatic and energetic approach, especially to deployments which has seen a raft of disparate teams deployed around the world, at relatively short notice. 

Miss Brooking is extremely well respected in HQJFNZ and is acknowledged at all levels as being an outstanding leader and manager who achieves results that are well above her grade and responsibility level.  She consistently provides excellent results and will always find a way of breaking through the day to day barriers. 

Through her depth of understanding of our dozens of deployed missions, Miss Brooking has always worked tirelessly with her team to present the most effective solutions for international travel at a time when this is far more complex than it was pre March 2020. There are almost too many examples to list when considering the commitment that Miss Brooking displays, but most notably were Miss Brooking’s efforts in the deployment of Op KOKAKO, whereby NZDF deployed approx. 80 personnel within 72 hrs just as NZ was placed in a COVID Level 4 lock-down. With her can do attitude, not being beaten by day to day obstacles and her commitment to support Operations, Miss Brooking worked long hours, with no complaints, to work through all the requirements and achieve the desired result of deploying contingents on time.

Miss Brooking’s overall performance and accepting challenges of the higher positions are well above her substantive Team Leader role.  She has fulfilled these requirements in an exemplary manner which is a significant part of delivering the administrative outputs of missions and exercises in HQJFNZ.