Kia ora koutou,
Let’s face it AGM’s can be a bit, well, boring. Not so the 2021 IPWEA NZ zoom version! Last week we ushered in a range of changes that are set to take IPWEA NZ into a new phase of supporting the asset management profession in Aotearoa – with resounding support from the attendees.
First, we formalised our new IPWEA NZ Vision and Mission: Sustainable communities enabled by public asset management excellence – (that’s our vision – what we aspire to achieve) by representing, developing and enhancing the public asset management profession for Aotearoa (that’s our mission – what we will do to achieve our vision). Our new vision and mission underpin our Board’s 3 strategies to 2023:
-
- Sustainable communities – drive public asset management as part of Aotearoa’s solution for, climate adaptation, decarbonisation and waste minimisation
- Reform support – lead the public asset sector through reforms to shape member valued outcomes and promote public asset management excellence
- IPWEA NZ evolution – Ensure relevance through member value and sector engagement
Next we (re)established Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to be the working expertise of our organisation. We have four SIGs, focused on NAMS (Asset Management), RIMS (Roading), Land Development, and Waters. Our SIG committees work to identify and fill sector knowledge gaps in their interest areas and to improve practices and capabilities consistent with our 3 strategies to 2023.
We made some changes to our Branch structure too. Bay of Plenty members have now joined their East Coast colleagues to create the new Bay of Plenty / East Coast Branch which will boast over 120 members. We will soon be seeking to elect a new Bay of Plenty / East Coast Branch Chair to lead activity across the branch and to join the IPWEA NZ Board. We also renamed the former Northern South Island Branch, now to be known as our Upper South Island Branch.
We then farewelled and sincerely thanked outgoing President Myles Lind, along with Erin Moogan and Matt Russell for their service to the Board. And we welcomed newly elected Board Members Quinton Penniall, Fleur Tytheridge, Steve Browning, and George Bowman and congratulated Nicola Chisnall on her re-election.
The last agenda item was the (surprise) election of Andrew Brickell and Myles Lind as Life Members of IPWEA NZ – to recognise their distinguished service to the public asset management profession.
Immediately after the AGM our new Board met for the first time, selecting Gary Porteous as Vice President and co-opting Raveen Jaduram to the Board. SIG Board representatives were selected: George Bowman (NAMS), Gary Porteous (RIMS), Hugh Blake-Manson (Waters) and Quinton Peniall (Land Development), and Board committee positions were confirmed.
In the next few weeks our new SIGs (based on their former committees) will meet to select a Chair and review their work plans. Please contact Zelda Botes (zelda.botes@ipwea.org) if you are new to having an interest in being involved in shaping our profession through our SIGs and helping us to achieve our “sustainable communities enabled by public asset management excellence” vision.
Finally, we have some team changes coming up at IPWEA NZ. Freda Wells, Marketing Communications Manager is leaving us this week. Freda has been the kind person and wide smile behind our communications with members and stakeholders for over four years and will be greatly missed. We wish her all the very best in her new role. Recruitment for a new Marketing Communications Manager is underway.
Exciting times! I encourage you to get involved in your professional organisation, by attending Branch meetings, joining a SIG, zooming into our regular Webinars, or signing up for a new Digital Badge or a Forum or Conference. The inaugural Water Asset Management Forum (hosted jointly with Water New Zealand) is fast approaching in November while the Future Fit Aotearoa joint conference with ACE New Zealand is in February. Our call for abstracts for the 2022 RIMS Forum “Our Carbon Equation” is now open too.
Excellence is a purposely high bar designed to inspire – I hope you are keen to join us on our journey.
Kia pai tō koutou rā
Murray
