Whitireia Council

The Council is the governing body of the Polytechnic

Council meetings are public and are usually held on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 5.30pm in the Council Room at Whitireia Community Polytechnic, Porirua. The dates for meetings in 2009 are:

28 January
25 February
25 March
29 April
27 May
24 June
29 July (Wellington Performing Arts Centre)
26 August
30 September
28 October
2 December

The role and functions of Council include:

Strategy and future direction planning and monitoring strategy implementation
Measuring and monitoring "business" performance
Chief Executive selection, performance monitoring and succession planning
Stewardship systems to safeguard resources and reputation
Understanding and managing significant business risks
Maintaining the culture and values
Accountability to stakeholders
Compliance with legislation and regulations.

The Council has a membership of 13, including:

The Chief Executive
One permanent member of the academic staff
One permanent member of the allied staff
One person who is a student
One person representing the tangata whenua
Eight people (including four ministerial appointees) who have skills in any of the following areas: education management and administration, private/public sector management, strategic development, compliance regulatory functioning, financial management, community focus.

Current members of Council are:

Dennis Sharman (Chair)

Dennis Sharman operates and owns Sharman Consulting Ltd., a consultancy company that delivers comprehensive technology services to small- and medium-sized businesses. Formed in 1994, the company provides a range of services including technology development, strategic planning, computer consultancy and web design.

Dennis has a background in computer engineering and business, and is a founding member of the National Association of Maori Mathematicians, Scientist and Technologists, and Te Awe - Wellington Maori Business Network. His interest in Maori business has lead to presentations at the Maori Economic Development Conference and the Maori Business Conference. Dennis is also the Chairperson of Tawa School Board of Trustees and President of Star Gymnastics.

Suzanne Snively (Deputy Chair)

Suzanne is a Partner in the Public Sector Advisory division of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Wellington where she provides strategic economic, social and business development advice to people, government agencies, businesses and not-for-profits. Prior to that she served as a Director of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (between 1985 and 1992), at Wellington City Council's LATE Capital Holdings Limited and a private company that managed the largest shoe retailing operations in New Zealand.

Suzanne has a MA in Economics (with Distinction) and is a Member of the Institute of Directors and New Zealand Association of Economists. She was awarded the Fulbright, Reserve Bank scholarship and was honoured by the Queen as along with 100 women with a Women's Suffrage medal and is a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. She was the longest-serving chairperson of Dance Aotearoa New Zealand, New Zealand/US Education (Fulbright) Foundation, the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women and Mary Potter Hospice. Suzanne is a supporter of the Enterprise New Zealand Trust a member of Amnesty's Freedom Foundation, on the Board of Advisors to AIESEC New Zealand and now chairs the External Relations Committee of Fulbright New Zealand.

Don Campbell

Don Campbell brings a wealth of expertise to Whitireia Community Polytechnic. He has a proven track record of sound financial management and strong student growth at Tai Poutini and has demonstrated the ability to establish strategic partnerships with the local community.

Don has a comprehensive knowledge of the tertiary sector at a national and local level and his strategic understanding of the key issues was a significant factor in the Council appointing him to the position.

Don says, "Whitireia is an excellent polytechnic. It is well connected to its community, has highly committed staff, and has also been very successful over the last several years. It is a huge challenge and honour to lead it as Chief Executive. I also look forward to working with staff to develop a world-class centre of excellence in one of the many strengths of Whitireia."

Mr Campbell has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Otago University, a Diploma of Teaching from Auckland Teachers College, and a Masters degree with first-class honours in Human Resource Management from Massey University. His research interests are in organisation culture. In 1999, Don was invested as a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management.

Originally from Dunedin, Mr Campbell was in Northland for 22 years and has lived on the West Coast for six years. He is married to Liz and has three children - two daughters and a son - as well as two grandchildren, who live in Titahi Bay.

Aka Arthur

Aka Arthur, of Ngati Toa, has been a resident of Porirua for over 60 years.

Aka believes in the importance of the welfare of all people and has a strong involvement with many community organisations. He is a kaumatua for the Royal New Zealand Police College (since 2000), a member of the Conservation Board and of the Aratahi (the Maori Regional Representative Group of the Wellington Regional Council), on the Board of Trustees for Mana College, and on the Kaiwhaka Manua for the Department of Courts.

"Hutia te rito o te harakeke kei hea te komako e ko, ki mai ki au, hea te mea nui o te ao, maku e ki atu: He tangata, he tangata, he tangata."

"If you should ask me what is the greatest thing in this world, I will tell you, It is people, it is people, it is people."

Moana Hilliard

Moana was elected to the Whitireia Community Polytechnic Governance Council by the allied staff in May 2009. Moana has worked at Whitireia for over 12 years, based at Porirua, working in various roles with the senior management team.

She brings in-depth Whitireia institutional knowledge to the Council and has had previous experience on Council (2000-2002).

Louise Falepau

Louise Falepau was elected to the Whitireia Community Polytechnic Governance Council by the academic staff. She has worked at Whitireia as a tutor, programme coordinator, programme leader and curriculum developer in community services, youth work, Pacific community health and mental health support work since 1997. Louise is currently a Programme Leader with the Faculty of Health, Education and Social Science and has a background in youth and social services within the Kapiti and Porirua communities. Louise holds a Diploma in Career Counselling and Masters in Education.

Gregory Fortuin

Company Director and former race relations conciliator. Gregory has over 30 years experience in the Financial Service Industry working for Norwich Union and AXA (Previously National Mutual) in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand as managing Director of NMCSS Ltd. He is a current director of New Zealand Post, Kiwi Bank, ACC, Chairs the board of Catalyst Injury Mgt and was formerly on the board of Industry New Zealand. Gregory is a Trustee of the Crown Forest Rental Trust. He was the Founding Chairman of the Youth Suicide Awareness Trust and serves on the Boards of Prison Fellowship New Zealand and Youth for Christ. Gregory is also on the Council of Whitireia Community Polytechnic. Nelson Mandela appointed Gregory as South African Honorary Consul in 1997 (the first resident South African representative in New Zealand of the new South Africa). He is married to Joy and has 3 daughters Carmen, Olivia, Melody and a son Jonathan. Gregory is a proud ambassador of the city of Porirua, his hometown since 1991.

Caroline Mareko

Caroline Mareko was nominated by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions for the Whitireia Polytechnic Council. She is currently the Deputy Principal of Cannons Creek School. Caroline has taught in Porirua Schools for 18 years. Caroline has been a member of the Porirua East community for 37 years.

She is the Pacific representative on the Achievement Porirua Board of Trustees and a parent representative of the Aotea College Board of Trustees. Caroline is a National Executive member of the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), serving 45,000 union members. She represents NZEI as the Assistant Women's Coordinator on the Council of Pacific Education in Fiji. She is also a member of the Talanoa Pasifika Advisory Group to the Central South Ministry of Education.

Barbara Marshall

Barbara Marshall began her association with Whitireia Community Polytechnic, Porirua as a foundation staff member in 1986. With the Maori and Pacific Island Liaison staff she was involved in wide community consultation in the Porirua/Kapiti region to promote the Polytechnic and canvass opinion and expectations. She developed and tutored in Community Education programmes and the Community Service Certificate. Later with Daphne Brasell Associates Press she co-ordinated Whitireia Publishing (now the Diploma in Publishing.) Previously Barbara was a foundation staff member at Wanganui Polytechnic.

Barbara's professional career began in primary teaching. She later moved to the tertiary sector where she worked for 20 years. From 1997 she was employed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and in 2002 accompanied her husband on a diplomatic posting to London. As well as being active in community affairs Barbara has held office in a number of organisations including a primary school committee, high school Board of Governors, National Council of Women and the Mana Arts Council. She is an accredited member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. She has three adult children and presently two teenage mokopuna (Ngati Porou).

Loretta Ryder

Loretta is a student at Whitireia Community Polytechnic and currently holds the portfolio of President of WISA (Whitireia Independent Student Association), where she volunteers her time to the role. She has come from WelTec, where she studied for three years and represented the WelTec Student Association as Vice President.

She chose to study with Whitireia Community Polytechnic while studying at WelTec and was able to do the correspondence course and enjoyed the flexibility of the course she chose to study, which was Tenei Au, Te Reo Maori language. Being successful with Tenei Au she decided to carry on with further studies, which now sees her doing the next level in Te Reo, Te Ara Piko.

Loretta is a mother of eight children, six boys and two girls. She is Yugoslavian and Maori descent and thrives on helping out anyone in need of help. She was born in Auckland and moved to Wellington at the age of 18.

Allan Nichols

Allan Nichols arrived in New Zealand in April 1975 and worked in a number of roles for Associated British Cables Ltd., which was part of the UK-based international company BICC Ltd. He then joined Telecom South Ltd., initially in a Network role, followed by the position of Director of Sales and Marketing. During this time there were great changes within Telecom, particularly in terms of the new technologies introduced to New Zealand.

Since 1993 Allan has been Chief Executive at BRANZ. The business has experienced significant growth during this time particularly in international markets, and now offices in Sydney and Melbourne. BRANZ has recently completed a major restructuring programme that has seen the industry levy component clearly defined in outputs and given a distinctive focus to the commercial activities.

Allan was Chairman of the Porirua Business Development Society (now Business Porirua) for 6 years, is the Manufacturers' Federation representative on the Council of Whitireia Community Polytechnic, and Chairman of Partners Porirua, which assists the development of relationships between schools and businesses in Porirua. He has also had a significant involvement with rugby league in Porirua and is a member of Plimmerton Rotary Club.

Ron Wilkinson

Ron Wilkinson operates his own business, Management Answers, also trading as Media Matters, handling short-term and part-time management, marketing and training projects. He is Chairperson of The Steam Radio Company Ltd. which owns and operates Kapiti's Beach FM; for ten years he was the initial Managing Director for the station. The Queen awarded him a 1990 Medal for services to broadcasting, in recognition his previous work with Radio New Zealand. He is a former New Zealand radio broadcaster of the year.

Ron is a former board member and graduate of the New Zealand College of Management, previously a Fellow and Topic Leader. He is an adjunct tutor for the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, attached to the Workplace Learning Centre. For many years he has designed and led workshops in management and media topics for principals, senior staff and board members of schools and colleges through the Mana Education Centre of the Wellington College of Education. His international training work has taken him to Vietnam, Malaysia, the United States of America, Australia and various countries in the South Pacific.

Ron holds a Certificate in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors in New Zealand, and a Diploma in Business Administration from Victoria University of Wellington. He has chaired and been a committee member of a number of voluntary business and community organisations. In 2008 he was presented with a Civic Award by the Kapiti Coast District Council.