Taupō District Council has made three appointments to the governance board of its regional tourism organisation Destination Great Lake Taupo (DGLT).
New board members Nicola Harvey, Andrew Te Whaiti and Tim Castle have been appointed to three-year terms, replacing outgoing members Jonathon Cameron and Glyn Williams.
They will join current board members Cushla Clark, Torben Landl (acting deputy chair) and Dennis Christian who is currently acting chair and was elected following the resignation of board chair Ray Salter after 11 years of service.
Taupō District Council Mayor David Trewavas said the new board has a wealth of knowledge and expertise to guide DGLT.
“Alongside our existing board members, I’m confident Nicola, Andrew and Tim’s impressive leadership skills will serve us well to market the district as a world-class destination both nationally and internationally,” he said.
“I’d also like to take this time to personally thank Ray for his many years of service on the board. His contribution has been incredibly important during the challenges and successes over the past 11 years.”
Ms Harvey is a media executive, writer and award-winning producer. She’s held senior leadership positions at media organisations including BuzzFeed and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and now runs the independent production company Pipi Films. Ms Harvey also manages a cattle farm north of Taupō with her husband.
Mr Te Whaiti has been involved in the tourism industry globally, including Northern Ireland, USA and Asia, developing attractions and destination strategies. He has an MBA from Massey University and was previously CEO of Te Puia as well as a member of the NZ Tourism Strategy Group. Mr Te Whaiti has a long family relationship with Taupō and is passionate about the land, stories and people of the region.
Mr Castle is a barrister from Wellington whose practice includes commercial and administrative law litigation, Maori and indigenous peoples’ rights and sports law. He has been involved in governance and strategic planning in national and international sporting, commercial, regulatory, not for profit and community organisations. He was chair of the Prime Minister’s New Zealand 2000 Task Force responsible for developing tourism, sport and commercial opportunities for New Zealand leveraging off the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Mr Castle has a frequently visited holiday home on the south eastern edge of Lake Taupō.
The appointees were selected by Taupō District Mayor and councillors following an extensive recruitment process. Selection criteria included destination management and tourism industry experience, marketing expertise particularly in the digital tourism field, and an excellent understanding of governance.