TRUSTEES

The Trust is managed by six trustees, five of whom are elected by Network Tasman consumers, and one who is appointed by the three largest electricity consumers.

The elected trustees serve six-year terms with the right to be re-elected. An election is held every three years for two or three trustees by rotation.

The current trustees are:

Adamson, Patrick
Davis, Gwenny (Chair)
Edgar, Judene
Kearney, Ian
Kreft, Terry
Smith, Nick

Gwenny Davis (Chairperson)

Gwenny spent her early working life with the Maruia Society working to protect NZ’s native forests from logging and has been recognised for this work both here and overseas. Following the birth of her sons, she co-founded Conferences and Events Ltd and later continued her work with Core Education Ltd, organising large-scale conferences and ICT training events across New Zealand. Now retired and, having lived at her home in Wakapuaka for more than 60 years, Gwenny continues to plant and tend trees on her 11-acre property. Gwenny enjoys biking and tramping and loves all things French so enjoys visiting her three granddaughters in France and Senegal.

Patrick Adamson

Nelson born and educated, Patrick lives in Richmond and has been married to Rosalie (Gibbs) for 42 years and they have three adult children, Nick, Tom and Katie. He has been an accountant for 38 years, including former owner of Craig Anderson Chartered Accountants, and is the long-time treasurer of Club Waimea and a member of the Board of Directors of Greenacres Golf Club. I love the Nelson Tasman and Golden Bay district and enjoy walking, biking, golf, socialising with friends, reading and watching sport.

Judene Edgar

Judene is a senior governance advisor with the Institute of Directors. She has run her own consultancy for 20 years specialising in governance, policy, fundraising, research and communications and writes occasional articles for Nelson Magazine and Marlborough Magazine. Judene was Deputy Mayor of Nelson City Council for three years and a Tasman District Councillor for nine years, as well as a director of Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and Nelson Airport Limited. In addition to being a trustee of Network Tasman Trust, she is currently Chairperson of Nelson Historic Theatre Trust and a trustee of Rātā Foundation, Tasman Broadcasting Trust (Fresh FM) and Nelson Tasman Housing Trust.

Ian Kearney

Ian Kearney ONZM is an experienced company Director and Trustee with over 30 years governance experience. He has been the Chair of a number of local organisations including the Cawthron Institute, Nelson Airport Limited and Network Tasman Limited. He has been a trustee for a number of charitable organisations associated with youth development, assistance to small business and the arts. Currently he is a trustee of the Nelson School of Music Endowment Trust and Sport Fishing for Youth Charitable Trust. Ian was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2014 for services to business and the community.

Terry Kreft

Terry shifted to Nelson in 1990 to take up the role of manager of the Alliance Meat Processing Plant which included overseeing the development of the new state-of-the-art plant which opened in 2000. In 1999 he became a trustee of Network Tasman Trust as the representative trustee of the three major users. He has also been a board member of the Alliance Group Superannuation Scheme and Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve and a director of Picton Terminals. He enjoys spending time with his family, rowing, biking, walking and travel and until recently competed as Masters Surf Lifesaving and held numerous national titles for age groups.

Hon Dr Nick Smith

First-term Mayor of Nelson, Hon Dr Nick Smith, is well known in the Nelson-Tasman region after more than three decades as an MP, firstly in the former Tasman electorate and then as the MP for Nelson. During his Parliamentary career, Dr Smith was a Minister of 13 different portfolios. Dr Smith has a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours and a PhD in Civil Engineering. Following Dr Smith’s retirement from Parliament in 2021, he was Smith Crane’s project manager for the construction of New Zealand’s largest wind farm at Turitea. He was elected Mayor of Nelson in the October 2022 local elections. Dr Smith is a Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand. He is also a trustee on several boards including the Cawthron Institute.