EIT is one of the only Institutes of Technology to have its Ministerial appointments reappointed in the recent Government restructuring of institutional Councils .
The Government announced its four appointees to the newly-structured EIT Council, all of whom are on the existing Council, with David Pearson and Kate Radburnd being reappointed to continue as Chair and Deputy Chair. EIT CEO Chris Collins, said this indicated the strong regard that Government has for EIT as a high performing institute of technology. Most other Institute Councils in New Zealand have had quite radically changed appointments to their new Councils, says Mr Collins.
Mr Pearson said it helped achieve continuity having experienced people on the council. “This has to be seen as an endorsement of the path EIT councils have taken over recent years,” said Mr Pearson. “It sends the message that EIT is in pretty good shape.For us, it will be business as usual.”
All the Government appointees are Hawke’s Bay-based existing council members, with the Minister appointing BDO Managing Partner David Pearson (Chair), winemaker and Managing Director of CJ Pask, Kate Radburnd (Deputy Chair), and businessman Ross McKelvie and Hastings Girls High School principal Geraldine Travers as Ministerial appointees.
The Government has moved to governance skills-based appointments to restructured Councils of eight members, rather than the existing and larger Councils with representative models of appointment. The changes will take effect on polytechnic councils nationwide from 1 May.
The EIT Council will appoint 4 other members to make up the full 8 members Council. The Council have already determined that one appointment is to be the Chair of EIT’s Academic Board (Mr Chris Collins), which is a key Committee of Council, with the other 3 appointees coming from the wider community.
At the 26 April Council meeting, Council appointed Hastings chartered accountant Cynthia Bowers, Napier lawyer Michael Morgan, and Director of Māori Health on the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, Tracee Te Huia.
Mrs Bowers and Mrs Te Huia are also both graduates of EIT Hawke’s Bay.
“EIT has had a strong effective council in the past,” said Mr Collins, “and we have every confidence that this will continue into the future.”
“While we would have preferred a little more flexibility around the size of council to allow for up to 10 members, we are very pleased with our chair, deputy chair and ministerial appointments. These together with the strong community appointments, puts EIT is in a very strong position with an experienced and capable Council.
Both Mr Pearson and Mr Collins paid tribute to current Council members who were finishing on Council as a result of the reduced size of Council. “We are sorry to be losing some very good Council members as a result of this Council restructuring. But all current Council members, as well as those from the past, can look back on significant achievements, and the fact that they have played an important part in making EIT the highly successful institution that it is today”, says Mr Pearson.