Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum and the Auckland Museum Institute are pleased to announce the appointment of a new Trust Board member, and a new Chair and Deputy Chair to the Auckland Museum Trust Board.
Release date: Wednesday 9 October
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Professor Emeritus Richard Bedford has retired from the Trust Board after six years’ invaluable contribution to Auckland Museum. He became Chair in 2021, after joining the Board in 2018.
Tumu Whakarae Chief Executive David Reeves says “Professor Bedford has been an integral part of the Trust Board, providing the Museum with clear direction, calm and considered leadership, and a wealth of experience to guide the organisation forward. I know he will be greatly missed by his fellow Board members, and on behalf of Tāmaki Paenga Hira, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Richard for his support during my first year as Tumu Whakarae. His long career in the university sector and his particular interests in the Pacific have been of great benefit to the Museum.”
Former Deputy Chair, Rachael Tuwhangai, was elected as Chair at the 3 October Trust Board elections. Rachael is a descendant of the Tainui Waka and of Waikato-Maniapoto iwi. She has an extensive background in education, research and evaluation and has held a range of governance roles for crown entities, private trusts and iwi. Rachael’s passion for improving social outcomes will be hugely beneficial as the Museum embraces its new strategic direction, The Path to 2029, and starts on a journey to becoming a social impact organisation, focusing on ensuring that our engagement with communities is meaningful and impactful.
On her appointment, Rachael says “I am delighted to have been elected Chair during what will be a pivotal time for the organisation, embracing the new strategic direction and taking the first steps on the path to 2029 – the Museum’s centenary on Pukekawa Auckland Domain. The Museum has some big aspirations for the next few years, but I am confident that each step is in the right direction and that we can make a real difference for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.”
Alastair Carruthers has been elected as Deputy Chair. He is a Board member of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Board and Cornwall Park Trust Board. He has recently been appointed to the MOTAT Board. Alastair has been Chair of the Allpress Espresso group, Co-Chair of Te Papa Foundation, Chair of the NZ Arts Council, Creative NZ, and its investment board, and a member of supervision boards for the Transport and Statistics Ministries. He was the Commissioner for NZ’s official exhibition at the 2017 Venice biennale. He recently chaired the NZ Film Commission and is currently chair of TVNZ. He is a member and was the interim chair of Ringa Hora, the Services Workforce Development Council for the Tertiary Education Commission.
Filling the position left by Richard Bedford’s departure, Melissa Firth has been appointed to the Board by the Auckland Museum Institute and began her two-year term on 1 October. Melissa brings with her a wealth of experience as a software sector executive and has considerable governance experience for organisations including NZTech, WeCreate (Creative Industries Alliance), National Museum of Australia and early-stage startup, Again Again. This, in addition to her time on the Senior Leadership Team at Te Papa as Chief Digital Officer brings a new perspective to the Trust Board, at a time when the Museum must embrace technological advancements to both enhance accessibility and global reach and foster deeper and more meaningful relationships between the Museum and today’s increasingly digitally literate youth.