Ms Kate Leebody, of Dunedin, QSM, for services to netball and the community
Kate Leebody was a teacher in Niue before moving to Gore High School and then St Peters College in Gore, where she taught until retirement. She led a team to set up the Hokonui Tertiary High School in conjunction with Southern Institute of Technology’s Gore Campus and Telford Farm Training Centre. She has coached and managed netball teams and held executive roles on the Eastern Southland Netball Committee, including President. Ms Leebody was an inaugural member and subsequent Chair of the Southern Team Co Franchise Board, who secured a professional Southern team in the Netball New Zealand competition.