Dr Russell Wills, Children’s Commissioner 
Russell started his five year term as Children’s Commissioner on 1 July 2011 and he combines the role with his work as a paediatrician at Hawke’s Bay District Health Board (HBDHB).
After training at the University of Otago Medical School, Russell studied paediatrics overseas and gained a Master of Public Health degree in Brisbane. He then returned to New Zealand and worked as national paediatrician for Plunket, a senior lecturer at the Wellington School of Medicine and community paediatrician at Wellington Hospital before moving to Hawke’s Bay in 2001.
Russell’s clinical interests are in general paediatrics, child protection and children with severe behaviour disturbance. He sees many children with autism, ADHD, foetal alcohol effects, and the behavioural and developmental effects of abuse and neglect.
At the HBDHB he led the Family Violence Intervention Programme, Before-School Check Programme and Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee. He has also been involved in the Ministry of Education Positive Behaviour for Learning Programme implementation, Incredible Years strategic group and the Youth to Men governance group in Hawke’s Bay.
Russell has held leadership roles in community paediatrics with the Paediatric Society of New Zealand and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and has contributed to national guidelines and projects on autism, family violence, child abuse and medical aspects of children in Child, Youth and Family care.
Russell is married with two sons.
Professor Carolyn Webster-Stratton
Dr. Carolyn Webster-Stratton, Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington, is the founder of the Incredible Years® Series for Parents, Children, and Teachers. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and nurse practitioner. During her time at University of Washington, Dr. Webster-Stratton was Director of the UW Parenting Clinic. Thirty three years ago she began developing and researching the Incredible Years programs. She has conducted numerous randomized control group studies to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programs for promoting social and emotional competence, school readiness skills and preventing conduct problems in high risk populations. She has also evaluated teacher, parent and child treatment programs for children diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder and ADHD. The Incredible Years programs have been delivered in more than twenty four countries.
The Incredible Years Series include separate training programs, intervention manuals and DVDs for use by trained therapists, teachers and group leaders to promote children’s social competence, emotional regulation and problem solving skills and reduce their behavior problems. The objectives of these interventions are to help parents and teachers provide young children (0-12 years) with a strong emotional, social and academic foundation so as to achieve the longer term goal of reducing the development of depression, school drop out, violence, drug abuse and delinquency in later years. The ultimate objective is to enhance children’s ability to become socially and emotionally competent individuals who succeed in school.
Dr. Webster-Stratton has published numerous scientific articles and chapters as well as three books for parents entitled, The Incredible Years: A trouble shooting guide for parents of children aged 2–8 years, Incredible Babies: A guide and journal of your baby’s first year, and Incredible Toddlers: A guide and journal of your toddler’s discoveries. Additionally, she has written a book for teachers entitled, Incredible Teachers: Nurturing Children’s Social, Emotional and Academic Competence, as well as a book for therapists entitled, Collaborating with Parents to Reduce Children’s Behavior Problems, and four books for children concerning problem-solving, anger management and learning problems (Wally’s Detective Books). Finally, she has written a book summarizing the research of these programs and methods of program delivery, entitled The Incredible Years Parents, Teachers and Children’s Training Series: Program Content, Methods, Research and Dissemination.
The program interventions have been translated into many languages and are being used in over 24 countries. The Incredible Years® Programs and Dr. Webster-Stratton have received numerous awards.