Our people
Arts Access Aotearoa is governed by a board of trustees. It has four full-time and one part-time staff members.
Patron
Mel Smith
Trustees
Murray Short (Chair), Terryann Clark, Richard Cunliffe, Claire Johnstone, Doris Kaua, Glen McDonald, Susan Ritchie
Staff
Marianne Taylor, Executive Director
Sally Goyat, Finance Manager
Laura Armstrong, Administration Manager
Iona McNaughton, Communications Manager
Kalimar Donvin-Irons, Administration Assistant
Biographical information
Patron and trustees
Mel Smith, Wellington: BA, Graduate Henley College. Former Ombudsman; former policy and political adviser; former Acting Chief Executive of Ministry of Social Policy; Ministry of Justice, Department of Treaty Settlements; former Chief Executive of Government Superannuation Fund; Secretary for Justice.
Murray Short (Chair from April 2006), Wellington: Relationship Manager, Leadership Development Centre, former General Manager for Department for Courts and for Department of Justice; former Chair of Taupo Marriage Guidance Council, Employment Support Trust and Citizens Advice Bureau; member and former President of Institute of Public Administration New Zealand, member of New Zealand Institute of Management.
Terryann Clark, Auckland: PhD, MPH (Hons), RcPN (Ngāpuhi/NgatiHine). Nurse researcher/lecturer with the Adolescent Health Research Group at the University of Auckland, former adolescent nurse specialist, former sexual health nurse/advisor, former Māori Community Health Worker.
Richard Cunliffe, Queenstown: BE (Hons), LLB (Hons). Partner of Mactodd; specialises in commercial litigation, employment and insurance law with an emphasis on alternative dispute resolution; appears in the District, High and Employment Courts, the Employment Relations Authority, Court of Appeal and before professional disciplinary bodies.
Claire Johnstone, Wellington: Experienced executive with expertise in management, project management, iwi relationship management and international marketing. Currently General Manager Corporate for the Ministry of Transport. Background includes business development and consultancy for Sinclair Robertson Associates; Chief Executive, Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce and Whanganui Economic Development Corporation, and General Manager Central Region for Industry New Zealand. Holds a Master of Public Policy, is a Winston Churchill scholar and also sits on the New Zealand Artificial Limb Board and Transparency International Board.
Doris Kaua, Wellington: BA, MPP. Tribal affiliations are Te Atihaunui a Paparangi, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa. Former Director Māori Development, Family Planning Association New Zealand; currently National Manager Cultural Awareness and Development with the Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation. Extensive public service background, as well as experience in the private sector and community services sector, owned her own business in the hotel and hospitality industry.
Glen McDonald, Wellington: has been involved with Vincents Art Workshop since 1993. Its co-ordinator since August 2000, she has also been a participant, committee member and chairperson, cleaner, support person, administrator and art tutor. In 1996, she was on the Vincents steering group that set up King Street Artworks in Masterton. Has a Diploma of Integrative Psychology from Eastern Institute of Technology (2002) and since the early 1990s, she has been actively involved with many community groups, Vincents stakeholders, and national and local government. She has also given advice to emerging Creative Spaces and has been an executive committee member of WELCOSS since 2004.
Susan Ritchie, Waikanae: MPH RN MRCNA. Consultancy for James Ross Associates; public health and education background as well as former Head of Department, Faculty of Health and Science, Western Institute of Technology, Taranaki; member of the Editorial Panel of Collegian, Journal of Royal College of Nursing, Australia; previously Project Leader, Nursing Research Centre, The Canberra Hospital/Canberra University.
Executive Director
Marianne Taylor: has an extensive background in the art sector, as both an artist and a manager. In 2004, she was the General Manager of Terrapin Puppet Theatre in Tasmania. In 2005, she set up Arts Action in Tasmania and directed the first arts and disability festival, Amalgamation Arts Festival, in Tasmania. She also served on the board of Arts Access Australia for three years. She sees the arts as a means to build inclusive, vibrant and culturally diverse communities.