We are delighted to announce the appointment of two new members to the Āpōpō Board, bringing a wealth of expertise and fresh perspectives to our organisation as we continue our mission: sustainable communities enabled by infrastructure asset management excellence.
Kushla Tapper – Board Member
Kushla Tapper brings over 20 years of experience in public infrastructure and is passionate about fostering life-long learning to advance the industry. Her career path is a testament to non-traditional success, as she didn’t originally study engineering but has become a strong advocate for public infrastructure and education. Kushla currently serves as the Secretary of the Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia (REAAA) New Zealand and is on a journey to become a chartered member of New Zealand’s Institute of Directors. Kushla has recently started a new role at Department of Conservation as the Strategic Asset Manager South Island.
Mark Baker – Board Member and Branch Chair of Otago/Southland Branch
Mark Baker is a highly experienced chartered professional engineer specialising in three waters asset management and strategic planning. With over 17 years of experience, he has worked extensively in the local government infrastructure sector, both as a client and a consultant. During his time at Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), Mark led a multi-disciplinary team, managing long-life infrastructure assets and overseeing long-term infrastructure planning for one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing districts.
Currently based in the Queenstown area, Mark works with Morphum Environmental. He is deeply passionate about the outdoors and dedicated to preserving the unique environment and lifestyle of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
A warm welcome also to the new faces joining the Āpōpō Board, who started their roles today, immediately following the 2024 AGM.
The Āpōpō Board 2024 – 2025
- Gary Porteous (President)
- Steve Browning (Vice President)
- Parvati Patel (Northern Branch Chair)
- Darren de Klerk (Bay of Plenty / East Coast Branch Chair)
- Raj Suppiah (Wellington/Taranaki Branch Chair)
- James Thorne (Upper South Island Branch Chair)
- Mark Baker (Otago Southland Branch Chair)
- George Bowman
- Kelly Churchill
- Kristina Hermens
- Nicola Chisnall
- Kushla Tapper
Get to know the Āpōpō Board members here
