Our people
Arts Access Aotearoa is governed by a board of trustees. Richard Benge is Executive Director.
Founding patron
Mel Smith
Patron
Miranda Harcourt
Trustees
Susan D’Souza (Chair), Terryann Clark, Richard Cunliffe, Howard Fancy, Glen McDonald, Colin Pettigrew
Staff
Richard Benge, Executive Director
Gemma Williamson, Business Administrator and PA to the Executive Director
Pippa Sanderson, Community Development Advisor and Events Co-ordinator
Iona McNaughton, Communications Manager
Michelle Guest, Communications Assistant (part-time)
Moana Tipa, Prison Arts Advisor
Biographical information
Founding patron
Mel Smith CNZM, Wellington: BA, Graduate Henley College Oxford Senior Executive Programme, Templeton College Oxford Leadership Programme and Former Ombudsman.
Patron
A leading New Zealand actor, Miranda Harcourt has worked with the Deaf community. She has also worked in the drama-therapeutic field with physically and intellectually disabled people. In addition, she has worked with men and women in prisons throughout New Zealand.
Trustees
Susan D’Souza, Waikanae (Chair from October 2009): MPH RN MRCNA. A nurse advisor for the Nursing Council of New Zealand and consultant for James Ross Associates. She has a public health and education background, including being a senior lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, a project leader at the Nursing Research Centre, Canberra Hospital/Canberra University, and Head of Department at the Faculty of Health and Science, Western Institute of Technology, Taranaki.
Terryann Clark, Auckland: PhD, MPH (Hons), RcPN (Ngāpuhi/Ngati Hine). 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.
Howard Fancy, Wellington: has an extensive background in leadership and public policy. Secretary for Education and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Education from 1996 to 2006, he led the Ministry through significant organisational and policy changes. Before joining the Ministry of Education, he was Chief Executive of the Ministry of Commerce, an adviser in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and a Deputy Secretary at Treasury. He also runs an independent consulting firm.
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.
Colin Pettigrew, New Plymouth: an accountant and a partner in Duncan Dovico (New Zealand Ltd), an accountancy and business consulting practice based in New Plymouth with sister offices in Sydney and Melbourne. He is also Chief Executive Officer of Yarrows Group, an international bakery company employing 500 staff in Australia and New Zealand. He also serves on the Yarrows board.
Executive Director
The Executive Director of Arts Access Aotearoa is Richard Benge. Read more.