Ara Subsidiary Board of Directors appointed

News

Ara Subsidiary Board of Directors appointed

May 27, 2020 | 6 min read

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 Ara from 1 April 2020:

Thérèse Arseneau – Chair

Melanie Taite-Pitama (Ngāi Tahu, Tauranga Moana) – Deputy Chair

Jane Cartwright

Nettles Lamont

Andrea Leslie

Bryn Thompson

“The appointment of this Board of Directors is a significant step forward in the journey towards a cohesive, sustainable vocational education system,” says the 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.

Ara Board Chair Thérèse Arseneau says, “the new institute offers a great opportunity to deliver multi-generational benefit by clearly linking and coordinating the needs of industry and the ambitions of our learners, iwi and communities, in Canterbury and across New Zealand.”

“Ara supports this vision, which if well executed will deliver huge benefit to our region and country.”

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.

Thérèse Arseneau – Chair

Thérèse Arseneau is currently Chair of the Board of ChristchurchNZ, Council Chair of Ara Institute of Canterbury, Chair of Regenerate Christchurch, Director of J Ballantyne Company Ltd and Chair of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

A political scientist, she has worked as a political and election night analyst for TVNZ and TV3 in New Zealand and for CBC TV and Radio in Canada. She was also a member of the NZ Electoral Commission’s Expert Advisory Panel for the 2011 Referendum on the Electoral System and the post-referendum review of MMP.

Therese has over 30 years of experience in the tertiary education sector, including as a university lecturer in Canada and New Zealand, and is currently an Adjunct Senior Fellow in Political Science at the University of Canterbury. She holds a Doctorate from the University of Oxford.

Melanie Taite-Pitama – Deputy Chair

Melanie (Ngāi Tahu, Tauranga Moana) is a primary Principal and co-Director of Tuahiwi Education Ltd. With over 10 years’ experience in governance, she was a most recently a councillor on the Ara Institute of Canterbury board. She was a recipient of the New Zealand Māori Women's Governance Award in 2019.

Melanie's passion to enhance and create opportunities for people is driven by a commitment to better outcomes in education for learners, an innate responsibility for Māori and success for all.

Jane Cartwright

Jane was appointed to the Ara Institute of Canterbury, previously the CPIT, Council in 2011. She currently chairs Brackenridge Services Ltd, is Deputy Chair of Nurse Maude Association, a Member of Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal and a Chartered Member of the NZ Institute of Directors.

Jane is in leadership roles for the Canterbury Clinical Network and NZ Breastfeeding Alliance. She has held executive and senior roles in the health system and local government leading developments in community, mental and public health.

Jane holds an MBA from the University of Otago and NZ Dietetic Registration.

Nettles Lamont

Nettles is a professional Company Director and Chair providing governance and leadership to Company Boards across the business spectrum in Aotearoa. Utilising entrepreneurial skill and strategy Nettles works to develop people and companies towards sustainable growth.

Nettles heads up Conquest Training, a company dedicated to upskilling NZ’s workforce, providing literacy and numeracy upskilling, professional development, and strategy.

Working across industries including construction, manufacturing, service industries, retail, forestry, fishing, and transport, Nettles is passionate about enabling the workforce to grow and develop their skills. She is also active in the charity sector across the South Island.

Andrea Leslie

A resident of South Canterbury, Andrea has broad governance experience from several boards locally and nationally and most recently as a Timaru District councillor.

With a deep connection to New Zealand’s agriculture and processing sectors and a lifetime career within vocational education, she is currently employed by Primary ITO in a senior leadership role.

Andrea has a keen interest ensuring the new world of vocational education further connects industry, employers and students to ensure that all education is future focussed and fit for purpose.

Bryn Thompson

Bryn is a product of New Zealand trade training, after completing a L5 Fitter/Welder B apprenticeship 1981- 1986 with a mix of on job and off job learning through the then Christchurch Polytechnic.

After founding Metalcraft Engineering Company in 1991 Bryn has championed trade training through his company, mentoring other small-to-medium enterprises to do the same with a train for industry attitude which has strengthened the trade pool within Christchurch.

Bryn chairs local manufacturing groups and has served on the board of an Industry Training Organisation since 2014, giving back to an industry that has given him and his family so much.