The Minister of Education announced seven appointments to the first governing council of the NZIST, established from 1 April 2020.
Five of the current Establishment Board will be carrying on as Council members, appointed for a three year term, and four will be moving on to new projects and roles after 31 March 2020.
Murray Strong (pictured), Interim Executive Director of the IST Establishment Unit, has been appointed to Chair the Council. Murray's appointment will provide continuity given his close involvement with the foundational work of the Establishment Unit.
Sam Huggard is a new appointee and brings twenty years’ experience across trade unions, the community sector and students’ associations.
Both Sam and Murray have been appointed for a four year term.
To provide uninterrupted leadership in the period before Stephen Town starts on 6 July, Chris Collins has been appointed Interim Chief Executive of the NZIST, effective 1 April 2020.
Chris has led the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) for the past 15 years. With significant experience in the tertiary sector, he spent several months last year on secondment to TEC, deeply embedded in the groundwork for the reform programme.