22 October 2024

Volunteering New Zealand member organisations are invited to vote to select our next board members.

For our AGM 2024 we have three contestable general board positions and one youth Board member position open for nominations.

The nominations for the General Board positions are:

  • Chris Lawton – nominated by Community Patrols of New Zealand
  • Ethan Tauevihi-Kahika – nominated by Volunteer Wellington
  • Leon Hartnett – nominated by IHC NZ
  • Louise Hoban-Watson – nominated by Te Whatu Ora Waitematā
  • Melanie Smith – nominated by Ara Taiohi
  • Rich Easton nominated by Volunteering Auckland

The nominations for the Youth Board positions are:

  • Joshua Taefu – nominated by Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Katie Donald – nominated by Ignite Consultants Wellington
  • Na Liu – nominated by Volunteering Canterbury
  • Nate Whitfield – nominated by Hato Hone St John
  • Taylor Marston – nominated by Rotary Club of Auckland
  • Yasanya Fernando – nominated by St Mary’s College Wellington

In seeking nominations, we noted we were actively seeking candidates with the following skills or experience:

  • NFP governance experience essential, with NFP experience vital
  • Chair experience from a community sector board
  • HR and legal experience
  • Corporate fundraising experience
  • Commercial acumen

General Board Candidates

Chris Lawton

Chris has been the Board Chairman for Community Patrols of New Zealand for ten years. He also chairs a charitable organisation that provides free training to security officers. Read more.

 

Ethan Tauevihi-Kahika

Ethan has been a co-opted member of the Volunteering New Zealand Board for two years. He works as a Kaiārahi – Family Court Navigator, and is an accredited mediator. Read more.

 

Leon Hartnett

Leon works for IHC NZ in volunteer management. He has over 20 years’ experience in governance specifically in the NFP sector. Read more.

 

Louise Hoban-Watson

Louise is involved with the New Zealand Hospitals Leaders of Volunteers Group, and a member of the Volunteer Leaders in Australian Health Care. She has managed diverse volunteer programmes at Christchurch Hospital. Read more.

Melanie Smith

Melanie is a trained lawyer, and a public sector manager. She has eight years of non-profit governance experience, mainly with education/ school property organisations. Read more.

Rich Easton

Rich has been a Board member/chair of Volunteering Auckland for nine years. He has volunteer roles in the education sector, and is the CEO of the Neurological Foundation. Read more.

 

 

Youth Board member candidates

 

Joshua Taefu

Joshua is a law and computer science student. He is a co-opted youth board member with Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, and a volunteer with Auckland Community Law Centre. Read more.

Katie Donald

Katie is studying a Bachelor of Laws and Arts. She is CEO of Ignite Consultants Wellington, which connects students with not-for-profits to maximise their impact. She has had a range of other volunteer roles. Read more.

Na Liu

Na is an international student from China studying a Masters of Science. She was President of the Youth Volunteer Association in Wuhan, including running 40 activities during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Na has continued with several volunteer roles in New Zealand. Read more.

Nate Whitfield

Nate is a postgraduate student of Māori Studies and Strategic Communication. He has experience in governance at Hato Hone St John and as a member of the Hauora Network of Auckland Council. Read more.

Taylor Marston

Taylor is completing a PhD in community studies with a focus on volunteerism. He is on the board of Global Cities New Zealand. He is also on the board of Rotary Club of Auckland and volunteers with Coastguard Titirangi. Read more.

Yasanya Fernando

Yasanya is a year 13 student, and plans to go to University to study for an LLB and BA. She is a school ambassador for UN Youth NZ, and has had volunteer roles with a Salvation Army family store, Challenge 2000 and the Home of Compassion Soup Kitchen.Read more

How to vote

Volunteering New Zealand member organisations are eligible to vote for up to three preferred delegates. The process to cast your vote is set out below.

Things to note:

  1.  Read the candidate summaries highlighted above.
  2.  Please ensure your organisation’s vote is submitted by a suitably authorised person from your organisation.
  3. Your vote will be externally managed and counted.
  4. Your vote must be submitted to elections@volunteeringnz.org.nz and include:
    • Your member organisation name
    • Your name
    • Your title or role
    • A phone number
    • Up to three preferred General and one Youth board candidates
  5. Voting closes 5pm, 5 November.
  6. Successful candidates will be announced at our AGM on 11 November 2024.