New NRCCT trustees a blend of existing and new faces

3 March, 2009

ENTERPRISE NROTHLAND : MEDIA RELEASES 2009

The newly-convened board of the Northland Regional Council Community Trust – which governs Enterprise Northland and Destination Northland – is a blend of existing trustees and new faces.

Enterprise Northland is the region's economic development agency, while Destination Northland is the regional tourism organisation.

Existing trustees Andy Britton and Rawson Wright have been re-appointed for new three-year terms. Mr Britton is a former PricewaterhouseCoopers partner, while Mr Wright has extensive experience in forestry and pastoral farming and chairs a number of trusts.

Fellow existing trustees Bill Shepherd, a farmer, former Federated Farmers representative and Northland Chamber of Commerce chief executive, and Irene Durham, a financial planner, business consultant and past winner of the NZ Business Woman of the Year award, are part-way through their current terms and are also continuing on the board.

They have been joined by two Northland Regional Council staff members – chief executive Ken Paterson and director of strategy and planning Lawrayne Hughes, both appointed for two-year terms.

At its first meeting, the board elected Mr Britton as chairman and Mr Shepherd as deputy chairman.

Mr Britton highlighted the contributions of three previous trustees who have stepped aside – long-serving chairman Mike Simm, Richard Drake and Jane Hindle.

He noted that both Enterprise Northland and Destination Northland were continuing to actively assist Northland business sectors and promote the region, although constrained to some extent by reduced budgets and lower staffing levels this year. Enterprise Northland had recently produced a guide to help small to medium-sized businesses survive the recession.

Mr Britton said the appointment of the two new trustees would allow for a closer working relationship between the NRC, Enterprise Northland and Destination Northland, as well as opening up a new perspective into Northland's economic needs for the regional council.

The working relationship had already been reinforced by the secondment of Enterprise Northland strategic development manager to the NRC to work on establishing needs and potential areas of further economic growth as part of the development of the regional council's growth strategy.

Mr Britton added that a high priority for the board is to continue communication with all stakeholders throughout Northland's three districts.