New faces at Headlight
Queenstown-based mental wellbeing charity Headlight is embarking on a new chapter with a new board chair and four new trustees.
Jose Ganga has stepped down from his chair role after providing leadership and governance for the past two years. He's replaced by trustee Marion Poore who has been on the board for 18 months.
Arrowtown-based Poore is the former Medical Officer of Health for Southern DHB and a GP, so brings a wealth of public health leadership experience.
She's joined by existing board members Mel Wright and Merle Grimwood Petterson, and four new board members Jean O’Callaghan, Christine Law, Madeline Patterson and Yoko Kakuma, all based in Queenstown Lakes.
"The Headlight team is delighted to welcome our new trustees to join our board and look forward to continuing to make a difference in improving our communities wellbeing with their guidance and support," a spokesperson says.
"We wish to express our heartfelt and sincere thanks for all the hard work and dedicated support that Jose gave to the board and team during his time as Chair."
Jean O’Callaghan has spent her whole career in the health sector. Starting out as a nurse she worked in hospital and community settings before working in senior management roles in NZ, Australia and the UK. Upon retirement to Arrowtown, she was appointed as a deputy commissioner to the SDHB and then as a board member. She currently sits on the Idea services Board of IHC.
Christine Law has worked within the ski Industry for 12 years both in management and support roles. Originally from Canada, she has made Queenstown her home over the last nine years, and has first hand experience being a transient member of the community, with the hardships that can follow. Mental health and wellbeing has been a strong focus throughout her career. She has created and delivered several events that bring communities together and encourage peer to peer support, and is a strong advocate for mental health literacy.
Madeline Patterson is a solicitor working at Mactodd Lawyers in Queenstown. Prior to working as a solicitor, she spent 13 years working in government social sector roles, spanning operational policy, procurement, community partnerships, privacy and official information. Since 2017, she has served as the ministerially appointed Community Representative on the Ministry of Social Development’s Benefit Review Committee, covering the Queenstown and Central Otago areas. She is a strong advocate of mental health literacy and a grassroots approach to improving the mental wellbeing of communities.
Yoko Kakuma is a chartered accountant with experiences in the banking, retail and service industries with a focus on Sustainability. She is originally from Japan but has spent most of her life overseas, in the US, Canada, Belgium, Hong Kong and NZ, so understands the challenges of moving to a new place and the impact it can have on your mental health. She is passionate about mental wellbeing and is a strong believer in being active and connecting with the community.
