Tertiary council reappointments announced

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Hon Paul Goldsmith has today announced seven reappointments to the governing councils of six institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs).

“I welcome the reappointment of these council members. They are high-calibre appointees, and include three council Chairs and one Deputy Chair” says Mr Goldsmith.

“I thank them for their commitment and continued contribution to the leadership of their institutions.”

The reappointed council members are:

• Manukau Institute of Technology: the reappointment of Mr Peter WINDER as a council member and as Chair.
• Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology: the reappointment of council-appointed member Mr Daryl WEHNER as Chair.
• The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand: the reappointment of Mr Murray BAIN as a council member and as Chair.
• Southern Institute of Technology: the reappointment of Mr Jeff GRANT as a council member.
• Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology: the reappointment of Ms Rahera OHIA and Ms Ngaroma TAHANA as council members.
• Universal College of Learning: the reappointment of Mr Ben VANDERKOLK as Deputy Chair and as a council member.

Biographies:

Peter WINDER is Director of McGredy Winder & Co and has current governance roles as Crown Manager at Kaipara District Council, a Director of Sound of Music Education Limited and a Director of Auckland’s Silo Theatre. He was one of the Commissioners of governing Kaipara District Council, Chief Executive of Auckland Regional Council and of Local Government New Zealand, and Director of Transport at Auckland Regional Council.

Daryl WEHNER is a chartered accountant and the Chief Financial Officer at Port Nelson and has been a member of the NMIT council since 2009. His career has included senior positions with Fletcher Development and Construction, Enerco Gas Central, and the Cawthron Institute.

Murray BAIN is an experienced company director whose governance roles include the TSB Bank Group and Chair of Top Energy Ltd.  His executive career included Chief Executive of the Foundation for Research Science and Technology and of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, an Assistant Governor in the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Head of Banking for the Trust Bank Group.

Jeff GRANT is a former MP who farms deer, beef and sheep at Balfour. His extensive governance experience includes roles with OSPRI New Zealand, AgResearch, Predator Free 2050, SBS Bank, Milford Sound Tourism, Mt Linton Station Ltd. He was previously Chair of the NZ Meat Board, Meat and Wool New Zealand and the Primary Industry Council.

Rahera OHIA QSM (Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāi Te Rangi, Waitaha, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Māhanga) is the CEO and lead negotiator for Ngāti Pūkenga’s Treaty settlements and Chair of the tribe’s post settlement entity, Te Tawharau o Ngāti Pūkenga. This followed a government career that focused on policy development and strategic advice. Ms Ohia was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal in 2014.

Ngaroma TAHANA is a Solicitor with Gordon & Pilditch in Rotorua. She regularly conducts District Court jury trials, regulatory prosecutions for government departments, and appears on a wide range of cases in both the High Court and the District Court.

Bernard (Ben) VANDERKOLK is the Crown Solicitor in Palmerston North and principal of the law practice BVA. His governance experience includes Massey University, where he is also a Ministerial appointee, and the New Zealand Law Society. He is a Fellow of the Arbitrator’s and Mediator’s Institute of New Zealand.