The New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology Establishment Board (the Establishment Board) is today announcing directors for the boards of subsidiary Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs), effective from 1 April 2020.
The following people have agreed to serve as directors on the board of NMIT from 1 April 2020:
Daryl Wehner – Chair
Tracy Johnston – Deputy Chair
Judene Edgar
Toni Grant
Charles Newton
Patrick Smith (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Rangitane, Ngāi Tahu)
“The appointment of this Board of Directors is a significant step forward in the journey towards a cohesive, sustainable vocational education system,” says Establishment Board Chair Barry Jordan.
“In making these appointments we have balanced the need to ensure continuity of operation with sound local and regional relationships. We are delighted with the diversity of thought within each board, alongside the complementary skills and experience that will drive positive outcomes for their respective communities.”
The Education (Vocational Education and Training Reform) Amendment Act requires that the initial board for each subsidiary ITP comprise at least four and no more than eight directors, of which at least half must reside within the region that the subsidiary primarily serves.
NMIT Board Chair Daryl Wehner says, “Our purpose is to collectively prepare work-ready and world-ready graduates and NMIT has a unique role in contributing to this, regionally and nationally.
“I am looking forward to continuing our current momentum in the context of these reforms which are strongly aligned to our purpose. We support a renewed emphasis on the learner journey and are looking forward to deeper partnership with iwi and increased involvement from employers, industry and the community.”
To further drive the shift from competition to operating as one regionally accessible network of provision, the Establishment Board has decided that one NZIST Council member will be a director on each subsidiary ITP board. Each board may also receive a ‘cross-Board appointee’. These names will be confirmed in April.
The IST Establishment Board based its approach to the appointment of directors on the Treasury framework used to appoint directors to the boards of Crown companies. More than 370 expressions of interest were received over the Christmas and New Year period.
All appointments to subsidiary boards are subject to ratification and approval by the NZIST Council on 1 April 2020. Members of this Council will be confirmed by the Minister of Education before the end of March.
Daryl Wehner – Chair
An experienced Senior Executive and transformational leader with a proven track record of establishing strategy and implementing for results, Daryl is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Port Nelson Limited.
He also serves as Director of Trinity Lands Limited, is a member of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. Daryl is married to Andrea, and they have two adult children. Daryl’s interests include the gym, running and motorsport.
Tracy Johnston – Deputy Chair
Tracy is a Marlborough-based businesswoman and tourism consultant, working in New Zealand and abroad. Tracy is a qualified marketer and organisation manager with more than 25 years’ experience working in the tourism sector.
Born and bred in Marlborough, Tracy travelled and worked overseas for Tourism New Zealand, before returning to the region in 2007, with her husband Kevin. She spent eight years as General Manager of Destination Marlborough proudly promoting the region as a visitor destination.
Tracy and Kevin own Dayvinleigh Vineyard, in the Wairau Valley, where they grow award-winning Pinot Noir grapes. As well as operating her own business, Tracy is an elected grape-grower representative on the Board of Marlborough Winegrowers. She is a member of the Institute of Directors and has served on the Council of Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology as a Government Appointee and on several not-for-profit Trusts over the past 10 years.
Judene Edgar
Judene is Deputy Mayor of Nelson City Council, Chairperson of the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit, and Deputy Chairperson of the Regional Transport Committee.
She is a director of Encompass Strategic Services Limited, a consultancy specialising in strategic planning, governance advice, stakeholder engagement and fundraising, as well as a Trustee of Network Tasman Trust and Director of NTT Investments Ltd.
Judene was a councillor and chairperson at Tasman District Council from 2007 to 2016. Her governance experience includes Nelson Airport Ltd, the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand, Habitat for Humanity (Nelson) Ltd and Nelson Bays Primary Health.
Antonina (Toni) Grant
Toni is a Chartered Accountant, a member of the Institute of Directors and a Professional Director. She completed the Institute of Directors mentoring for diversity programme in 2017/18.
Her governance roles include a number of iwi/Māori Asset Holding Companies in Te Tauihu, with investments in the property and primary sectors, particularly forestry, fisheries and aquaculture. Toni Chairs two Audit and Risk Sub-committees (Rata Foundation and Central Districts Cricket) and is a member of the Governance Steering Group for the proposed redevelopment of Port Tarakohe.
Charles Newton
Charles has extensive educational leadership experience as ex-Principal of Nayland College, as the Executive Director of the Nelson Marlborough Loop and, for the last decade, as an education consultant specialising in digital enablement and future-focused learning.
He has a proven track record leading successful collaborative initiatives and has contributed to a range of national educational policy and strategy development. Charles is completing his first term as member of NMIT’s Council where he is recognised as a knowledgeable and pragmatic thinker. He is a vocal advocate for greater system cohesion and the collaborative mindset required to future proof New Zealand’s vocational education.
Patrick Smith
Patrick (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Rangitane, Ngāi Tahu) has operated his own human resources consultancy since 2009 following 10 years as Sealord Group’s Human Resources Manager. He has a strong background in the primary sector and throughout his career has focused on initiatives that improve connections between education and industry.
His previous governance experience includes being President of the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce during a seven-year board term and nine years as a ministerial appointee to the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board.