Susan Devoy

 ( 1964 Births ) 

She married her manager and fellow squash player John Oakley, on 12 December 1986 in Rotorua's St Michael's Church. Together, they have four sons, the eldest of whom is track athlete Julian Oakley. Julian is an NCAA Division I athlete at Providence College, in Rhode Island, United States, and has a 3:57.22 personal best for the mile.

In the 1998 Queen's Birthday Honours, Devoy was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to sport and the community, becoming the youngest New Zealander since Sir Edmund Hillary to receive a titular honour.

In Tauranga, she was the chief executive of Sport Bay of Plenty and held that position for five years.

In April 2009 an accusation was made that the testimonial Devoy wrote for Tony Veitch in support of the return of his passport was edited and used in his support at his sentencing for injuring with reckless disregard in relation to an assault on his former partner Kristin Dunne-Powell in 2006.

Devoy officially began her five-year job on 1 April 2013. During her first few weeks in office, Devoy was criticised for refusing to comment on a number of race-related controversies, including a tirade against Chinese immigrants by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

Through the remainder of her tenure, Devoy publicly challenged some politicians on their race relations positions. She said that politicians are role models and "it’s my job to call them out". She said NZ First leader Winston Peters' retelling of Arthur Calwell's comment that "two Wongs don't make a White" was "outdated rhetoric" with "no place in New Zealand's future". When ACT leader Jamie Whyte equated Māori with pre-revolutionary French aristocrats, Devoy said it was "grotesque and inflammatory" to equate Māori, whose socio-economic status lags behind other New Zealanders, with aristocrats murdered because of their privilege. In 2015, some Chinese people in New Zealand were "dismayed" when Labour MP Phil Twyford released data equating "Chinese sounding" surnames with foreigners while Devoy opined that it was "deeply offensive" for Chinese children to hear MPs insinuating their Chinese sounding surnames meant they were foreigners when their families had, in her opinion, helped and continued to help build New Zealand. Devoy also criticised NZ First MP Ron Mark for telling Korean-born National MP Melissa Lee to go back to Korea if she didn't like it in New Zealand. Devoy argued that New Zealand citizens born overseas are "not second class citizens" and "have a right to an opinion". All politicians stood by their statements with Whyte calling for her resignation. Devoy also called on Prime Minister John Key to meet with New Zealand Muslim leaders as tensions in the Middle East continued to rise.

Devoy also spoke out against what she views as 'everyday racism' regularly supporting those who have spoken out and encourage New Zealanders to "not stand by" while others are racially abused. Māori New Zealander Rikki Hooper was humiliated while shopping in her supermarket, while Muslims and Jews have also criticised abuse and attacks as have rugby players in Canterbury and taxi drivers in Southland.

Devoy regularly called for an increase in the country's annual refugee quota, which at that time had remained unchanged since 1987.

In the wake of the November 2015 Paris attacks, Devoy and Hazim Arafeh, president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand, released a joint statement condemning violent extremism and "standing alongside all innocent victims of terrorism in peace, solidarity and humanity." Following the Christchurch mosque shootings in March 2019, Devoy called on New Zealanders to listen to the voices of vulnerable people, challenge hate, and "stand up for human rights by letting Muslim Kiwis know that you've got their back."

Devoy's term ended in 2018 and she was succeeded the following year by former Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon.