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Lynette Pivac (MBE)

In 1996, Lynette Pivac was awarded the M.B.E. (Member of British Empire) for her services in Deaf education and sign language. Her two Deaf daughters inspired her to advocate for Deaf people's linguistic rights to access education for over twenty years. Lynette has taught sign language since 1983, both in Australia and New Zealand. She was the first language assistant at the newly established NZSL interpreting programme at the Auckland Institute of Technology from July 1992 to December 1993. She mostly initiated the development of NZSL resources, the training of NZSL tutors and involvement in NZSL teaching issues at national level. Lynette became fully involved on the Kelston Deaf Education Centre's Board of Trustees since the introduction of Tomorrow Schools, a new parental board body in 1989. She advocated for NZSL and Deaf Studies to be introduced into Deaf education and became the first Deaf Board of Trustees Chairperson from 1992 to 1994. After many years of voluntary work with various Deaf organisations, Lynette began her full-time job as a Deaf Resource Co-ordinator from 1994 to 1999. Her main role was educating staff, educators, parents and students about Deaf awareness as well as representing Deaf people in the DEAF Forum, for the national Deaf educational organisations. Lynette had organised many workshops and conferences including the first and only New Zealand Deaf Festival in 1995.