TRUSTEES
Michael Barnett - Chair
Michael Barnett is Chief Executive of the Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and a Director of both the Auckland Chamber and NZ Chambers of Commerce & Industry.
Michael is:
- Chair of the Local Government Business Forum
- Member of the Port Future Study Group
- A board member of Rotorua Economic Development CCO
- A board member of TOI Economic Development Agency
Michael was recognised by the Queen in the 2011 New Year’s Honours with a New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to Business.
John Galbraith
John has extensive experience developing and leading economic development strategies and projects in the Bay of Plenty over the past 8 years. He served as Executive Chair of Toi-EDA from 2015 to 2017.
He is currently Project Manager for the Opotiki Harbour Transformation and holds a number of governance and advisory roles:
- Director, Fenglin Wood Industry (New Zealand) Ltd (constructing NZ$ 180M particle board plant, Kawerau)
- Chairman and independent Director: Patchell Industries Ltd, Rotorua. (Transport manufacturing)
- Trustee, Eastern Bay of Plenty Regional Economic Development Agency
- Chair, Bay of Connections Freight Logistics Action Group
- Freight Advisor, BOP Regional Transport Committee
Mark Law
Mark Law is the owner of Frontier Helicopters, based at the Whakatane Airport and operating since 1998. His work experience includes, farming, military, security consulting, engineering, aviation and tourism. Today Frontier Helicopters undertakes many roles from training, SAR, firefighting, lifting, wild animal management, charter, hunters and White Island tours. The company owns its own aircraft, employs 5-6 staff and is looking to add one more capability then grow internally.
Anthony Olsen
Anthony works as an Independent RMA Commissioner, Cultural & Community Engagement Consultant and Treaty Negotiation Project Manager.
He has a demonstrated knowledge of corporate governance, director and trustee responsibilities and obligations; and has held a range of positions in the geothermal energy, fisheries, investment, treaty settlements and Māori development sectors, as well as the wine industry.
He is passionate about increasing investment in innovation and capability in these sectors, primarily increasing involvement of Māori in all sectors of the wine and tourism sectors as a pathway to future regional growth and success.
Paula Thompson
· Over 30 years resident of Western BOP and Tauranga.
· Qualified as lawyer. Post Grad Dip in Bus/Admin(Management)
· Worked for approx. 25 years in local government in Tauranga.
· Was CEO Tauranga Council 1995-2002.
· Am in my 3rd term as a BOP Regional Councillor
Have been :
· Chair/Trustee BOP Community Trust.
· Chair/Trustee Sport BOP.
· Member BOP Polytechnic.
· Member BOP DHB.
· Director Magic Netball Franchise.
· Director Whakatane Town Vision Board.
I am currently:
· BOP Regional Councillor and Chair the Councils Strategy and Policy Committee.
· A trustee of EnviroHub
David Turner
OUR TEAM
Frances Pauwels - General Manager
Francis is a senior executive and company director with experience in manufacturing, exporting, tourism, horticulture and local government sectors. Formal qualifications include a BSc in Biochemistry and MBA from Canterbury University.
Francis has broad networks at global levels as well as being connected with the Maori Economy, Government Agencies and Investment entities.
Current projects include Maori kiwifruit investment, logistics/Container Terminal, tourism product development and international education as well as specific interests in timber processing and manufacture.
Francis is well connected with the Regional Growth Strategy for the Bay of Plenty and the EDA’s and Action Leads that support the program.
Mark Smith - Commercial Projects Manager
Mark Smith has worked for the last four years in economic development for Grow Rotorua, a CCO of the Rotorua Lakes Council. Key projects were investigated across a number of sectors but in particular; tourism, wood processing, geothermal and agribusiness. There was a strong involvement with iwi in evaluating these initiatives.
Most of Mark's career has been in the forest and forest product sectors (Fletcher Paper and Carter Holt Harvey) in roles across strategic planning, operations management, R&D, new product development as well as running start-up businesses looking to commercialise new product and process technologies in the timber industry.
Mark has a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
Geraldine Hulbert - Secretarial and Administration
Geraldine has been providing secretarial support to Toi-EDA Board meetings since 2008. This position is funded by Ōpōtiki District Council. From September 2013 Geraldine has been employed directly by Toi-EDA to also provide secretarial and administrative support to the Board itself. Prior to moving permanently to the sunny Eastern Bay, Geraldine provided secretarial support to the Judiciary for Te Kooti Whenua Māori for the Waikato-Maniapoto Registry in Hamilton.
Barbara MacLennan - Project Manager Workforce Development and Pathways to Work
Barbara has been actively involved in the Ōpōtiki Harbour Development Project for nearly a decade, and has helped catalyse a sub regional focus on creating more vocational pathways at local levels for existing and emerging jobs. Rangatahi and youth development, and employment, have been recurring themes within Barbara's work over the years.
She has management experience in local and central government, community organisations and the private sector. Barbara specialises in cross-sector collaboration to achieve results around community-led aspirations and plans at local and regional levels.