Our Governance
The BRCT board combines representation from various communities around Blueskin Bay with excellent individual experience in business management, accounting, local government, academic work and community development projects. The Trustees bring access to various relevant networks. BRCT Trustees are:
Dr Craig Marshall: (Chair 2013 -)
Craig is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Otago. He has a particular interest in how people adapt to their environment and how communities make decisions and resolve problems. His work focuses on cold-adaptation in plants and animals and the way organisms interact with the environments in which they live. Most of the world’s organisms tolerate freeze-thaw cycles—some freeze, others super cool; all have strategies to cope with sub-zero temperature. Outside of work Craig volunteers for a number of organisations including as President of the Blueskin News. Dr Marshall stepped back into the Chairperson role in 2018.
Dell McLeod (2018 – )
[Bio to follow]
Metiria Turei (2018 – )
Āti hau nui ā Pāpārangi, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa. Metiria Turei worked as a resource management lawyer and spent 15 years in the New Zealand parliament as a list MP and Coleader of the Green Party Aotearoa New Zealand. She brings 20 years of governance and management experience to her role as a Trustee. She is currently the Chair of the Arai Te Uru Kokiri Trust in Dunedin and works as the Secretary of the Asia Pacific Greens Federation.
Toby White (2018 – )
Toby White is a resident of Waitati, having moved from Taranaki in 2016. He was previously employed as a Police Constable in both urban and semi-rural environments. Since leaving the Police, he has completed a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts in Criminology. Most recently he has completed a period of several years as a stay-at-home father for his young children. Toby has a keen interest in sustainability, energy independence, and renewable energy. He is a volunteer for the Orokonui Halo project and is involved with Blueskin Playcentre.
Previous Trustees/Officers
Charles Abraham: Treasurer (2011 – )
Charles is an investment advisor with Craigs Investment Partners. He has an interest in assisting his clients in making socially responsible investments. After attending Otago university, Charles spent some years working in Wellington and other North Island places before finding his way back to Otago. Married to Monica, outside of working hours Charles time is divided between learning about bee keeping and seeing what can be achieved with a windswept five acre lifestyle block. Charles is also a Station Officer with the Waitati Fire Brigade and part of the co-responders medical emergency team. He has also represented New Zealand in Powerlifting and held various weightlifting records.
Dr Jacinta Ruru: Secretary (2014 – )
Jacinta (Raukawa, Ngati Ranginui, Pakeha) is a Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Otago where she teaches and researchers legal possibilities to better recognise Indigenous Peoples’ connections to land and water, and is Co-Director of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence. She often works with researchers from across disciplines to explore issues relating to landscape and identity, coastal environments including spatial planning and offshore mining. Jacinta is general editor of the national Resource Management Law Association. Along with her husband Andrew Geddis, and children Ariana and Nicholas, they live in Purakaunui and are closely aligned with the Purakaunui school, and Jacinta is a member of a local monthly bookclub. Jacinta served as our Chairperson before stepping up as Trust secretary at the AGM in 2018.
Anna Marsich (2014 – )
Anna was formerly a teacher and lecturer and Associate Principal at Dunedin College of Education from which she retired in 2007. Born and raised in Northland, she lived and worked in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin before discovering Blueskin Bay. Since 1980 she has been able to practice very part time small farming and gardening in Warrington. As grandmother of three she is interested in sustainability for society in general and of the land in particular. She is involved in local biodynamic farming and gardening groups and in a Dunedin natural health care company manufacturing organic remedies from medicinal plants. Anna is a founder of the Warrington Community Garden, a volunteer at the Orokonui Sanctuary and a member of the Waitati Warblers. Anna retired from the Trust at the 2018 AGM.
Ross Johnston (2010 – 2018)
Ross was the Director of Film Making at the University of Otago’s Centre for Science Communication. He had been involved in the television industry as a producer and director for over thirty years and is a resident of Purakaunui. Ross has been involved in School Committees, School Boards, the School Jubilee Organising Committee, the Purakaunui Environment Group, The Mopanui Ecological and Environmental Society and ‘Get the Train’. He moved to Purakaunui in the early 70’s – initially renting a crib, before falling in love with the place, buying a section, building a house and helping to raise three children. Ross’ established links with the wider Blueskin community drives his interest in the BRCT flagship ‘Blueskin Energy Project’ with its potential to sustain Blueskin Bay’s social and economic base. Ross served as our Chairperson from 2010 and stepped into the Secretary role in 2015, before stepping down from the Trust in 2018.
Dylan Robertson (2015 – 2016)
Dylan lives in Waitati and grew up in Dunedin. He gained a Master of Science at the University of Otago but undertaking the research on a German island in the North Sea focussing on intertidal Ecology. He lived in Germany for 8 years and returned to Dunedin in 2009 with his German wife and child. Together with his family he has have lived in Waitati since 2011. Dylan works in the sustainable agriculture field with an irrigation company in North Otago ensuring that the irrigators’ farming practices meet the best environmental outcomes with a focus on freshwater and biodiversity. The community in Waitati and the Blueskin Bay area is what really motivated him to get involved with BRCT, “There is a really caring and lovely bunch of people around this Bay and I want to help make sure we keep going in this same community spirited manner as we always have”.
Dr Nicola Mutch (2015 – 2016)
She brought a strong interest in corporate social responsibility to the Trust, and holds a PhD exploring the area of power relationships in corporate/non-profit partnerships. She has held numerous governance roles for Amnesty International, including as former chair of the New Zealand section, and a member of the international Chairs’ Forum Steering Committee. Dr Mutch has lived in Warrington since 2000, raising two daughters in the village and continuing to work away on her house and garden. She is especially fond of godwits.
Jenny McDonald (2011 – 2014)
Jenny is a Lecturer in the Higher Education Development Centre at the University of Otago and has particular research interests in natural language processing techniques for educational applications. Jenny has had a varied career having trained initially as a medical doctor, then worked in video production, asset mapping and educational computing. Outside of work, Jenny is an alternative energy enthusiast and lives off the grid on a lifestyle block where she attempts to farm a small herd of goats, two cows and chooks together with a dog and an acerbic and occasionally demonic cat.
Tony Wilson (2010 – 2014)
Tony is a director and principal consultant of Pellucid Consulting Limited. He was part of the project team that conducted the initial feasibility study on the proposed Blueskin Wind Project, and is now one of the directors of Blueskin Energy Limited, BRCT’s wholly owned company to develop the Blueskin Wind Farm. In his spare time, Tony enjoys playing social soccer. He is currently the Secretary of the Wild South Branch of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand and of the Highgate AFC.
Katie Parker (2011 – 2014)
Katie lives in Warrington and works part time in administration in Dunedin hospital. Her background is primary school and itinerant music teaching. She and her husband spent many years running small rural schools in the Far North, before moving to Dunedin in 2002, then Warrington in 2006. Katie continues to be involved with the Warrington Community Garden, Warrington School, Warrington Play Centre and the Waitati Warblers. Katie is committed to Blueskin Bay and highly supportive of BRCT initiatives.
Dr Katherine Dixon (2013 – 2014)
Katherine has worked in the area of sustainability and environmental conservation for almost twenty years. Much of her work has been in the charitable sector, with a focus on capacity building small environmental NGOs in developing countries. Family committments took Dr Dixon back to the UK early in 2014 and we hope to regain the value of her rich experience and passion on her return.
Chris Skellett (2011 – 2013)
Chris lives in Warrington and worked as a Registered Clinical Psychologist for over 30 years. Chris has his own consultancy, offering supervision, coaching, counselling and group work in Dunedins CBD. Chris has chaired the Warrington School Board of Trustees and was co-chair of BRCT from 2011 – 2013. He is committed to encouraging a sustainable lifestyle for residents of the Blueskin Bay area, and has written a popular self help book on Lifestyle Balance.
Dr Gerry Carrington (2010 – 2013)
Gerry is an Emeritus Professor of the University of Otago. He is committed to bridging the gap between science and its applications. In recent years he worked with colleagues to establish a national energy research network to promote inter-institutional collaboration and cross-disciplinary research, as well as good relations with industry. Since the 1980s Dr Carrington has endeavoured to provide objective analyses of the energy issues facing New Zealand for the public and government. He was a member of the Royal Society of New Zealand president’s panel on energy in 2005-06 and continues as a trustee of the National Energy Research Institute.
Antony Deaker (2008 – 2012)
Antony lives in Waitati with his partner and their five children. He is on the Waitati School Board of Trustees and Antony runs a small business that provides coaching and mentoring for new businesses and self-employed primarily in the arts and cultural sector. He also provides management support to various Social Work, Community and Arts organisations.
PJ Clark (2011 – 2012)
Born in Invercargill, PJ spent much of his working life bouncing around the ocean. This included twenty years fishing at Stewart Island, where, amongst other things, he survived three terms as a local body politician and was a director of a community-owned power company. In 1995 he moved to Waitati with partner Jenny and their two daughters. He is currently employed as a forensic scientist with the Ministry of Fisheries, and thus qualifies as a poacher-turned-gamekeeper. He graduated MSc in Environmental Science from the University of Otago.
Lynnaire Johnston (2010 – 2011)
Lynnaire Johnston is a professional business writer who runs her own business, Word Wizard. Lynnaire is interested in sustainability, climate change and local food. After 18 dynamic months as BRCT Chair, Lynnaire stepped aside in December 2011. Lynnaire is secretary of the Waitati Edible Gardeners, vice-president of Blueskin Bay Garden Club, and president of Blueskin News. She also runs a small nursery from her Waitati property, the Village Potager, from where she sells a range of locally produced food products.
Simon Sheppard (2010-2011)
Before joining the trust Simon worked as a Fund Manager in London and Business Analyst in South Africa, before working for a consulting firm in Dunedin. A keen birder and fly fisherman, Simon is also a committed environmentalist and budding zoologist.
Mark Dickson (2008 – 2010)
Co-Owner and Manager of Taste Nature – Organic Shop (Dunedin) with extensive organic market gardens in Waitati, and a member of Otago Organics. Mark ran other businesses in Waitati and brought entrepreneurial experience and extensive knowledge of food production, distribution and regulation to the Trust, and dealt with employment. Mark and partner Rayna provided office space for Trust on the main street of Waitati when the Trust was first established.
Geraldine Tait (2008 – 2010)
Geraldine was also Deputy Chair of Waikouaiti Coast Community Board with extensive knowledge of local government processes, social work and community organisations. She has a lasting commitment to environmental and social change.
Scott Willis (2008 – 2010)
Scott was both a Trustee and an employee of the trust. In 2010 he stepped down as a Trustee to concentrate on wearing his Manager’s hat and is enjoying being part of an evolution in capacity for the Trust to deliver positive community outcomes, and enhancing BRCT’s strengths and actions.
Chris Young (2008 – 2010)
Chris, previously the trust’s treasurer, is a Chartered Accountant, and has worked predominantly with smaller businesses in New Zealand, China and England in the areas of finance and accounting. Chris provided consultant services to Otago Polytechnic for sustainable business development. He now works for businesses and organisations in the wider Otago area.