Charities Commission

Sid Ashton – Chairperson

Sid Ashton, an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and the community, has been a Christchurch accountant for over 30 years.

Sid chaired the Tax and Charities Working Party in 2001/02. Sid is the former Chief Executive of Te Runanga o Ngaitahu, and a former Chair of the Christchurch Arts Festival Board. He is a trustee for the Diabetes Training and Research Trust charitable trust. Sid is also a Director of Ryman Healthcare, a publicly listed company, and a member of the Arts Board of Creative New Zealand.

Sid was appointed on 13 June 2005, and was recently re-appointed for a further term expiring on 16 July 2011.

Judith Timpany – Deputy Chairperson

Judith Timpany is the Chief Executive of the Whanganui Community Foundation Inc and a Justice of the Peace. She has qualifications in both commerce and community development.

Judith has 20 years experience in the charitable sector in a broad range of community focused activities, including three years as a Wanganui City Councillor, Chair of Philanthropy New Zealand (currently a board member), and membership of WINGS CF (an international grant maker’s body). She has also held several corporate directorships.

Judith was appointed on 13 June 2005, and was recently re-appointed for a further term expiring on 14 August 2010.

Kerry Ayers – Board Member

Kerry Ayers is a practising lawyer who has written extensively on trusts and property-related issues, including four legal textbooks. His work has also included extensive seminar presentations including national seminar series for the New Zealand Law Society and the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. He has been involved in extensive work on issues relating to charities law and the setting up and administration of charitable entities.

Kerry was also a member of the New Zealand Law Commission consultative committee on reform of the law of trusts. He is a former Vice President of the New Zealand Law Society and a former board member of the New Zealand Law Foundation.

Kerry was appointed on 13 June 2005, and was recently re-appointed for a further term expiring on 16 July 2011.

Ian Calder – Board Member

Ian Calder, an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children and the family, has considerable experience in and knowledge of the not-for-profit sector. Ian was the Chief Executive of Barnardos New Zealand from 1976-2003, the President of the New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations, Treasurer of the International Forum for Child Welfare, and a member of various government advisory boards including the 1988/89 Working Party on the Taxation of Charities and Sporting Bodies. From 2003 he has been a member of the Social Workers’ Registration Board.

Ian was appointed on 13 June 2005 for a term expiring on 12 June 2007. He was recently re-appointed for a further term expiring on 14 August 2010.

Frank Claridge – Board Member

Frank Claridge, a Justice of the Peace, is an accountant by training and experience, and has been involved with many not-for-profit and charitable organisations in financial management and governance roles throughout his career. Before retiring in 2003, Frank had been the Treasurer of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind for 20 years.
Frank has also had continuous involvement with the governance of the Methodist Church since 1962. He is a Fellow of the NZ Trustees Association, and a member of the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand.

Frank is currently a board member of the Bledisloe Estate Trust.

Frank was appointed on 13 June 2005 for a term expiring on 12 June 2007. He was recently re-appointed for a further term expiring on 14 August 2010.

Amohaere Houkamau – Board Member

Amohaere Houkamau is the Chief Executive of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Porou, based in Ruatoria, and has played a leading role in developing a quadruple bottom-line iwi development strategy for Ngāti Porou.

Amohaere is a member of the Board of the Māori Television Service. She is a trustee of the Tauawhi Trust and the Tairawhiti Development Partnership Management Trust, co-chairs the Tairawhiti Social Development Forum and the E Tipu e Rea – the Ministry of Education and Ngāti Porou Education Partnership, and is a member of the Tairawhiti Development Partnership Co-ordinating Committee.

Trish McKelvey – Board Member

Patricia McKelvey, a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Education and an MBE for services to Women’s cricket, has a wealth of operational and governance experience in the education and sport sectors.

She is currently Chair of the Correspondence School Board of Trustees and Electra Limited; a member of the Victoria University Council and the Social Security Appeal Authority; and a Board Member of Barnardos New Zealand and Bowls New Zealand. Previous appointments include Principal of Wellington High School, Captain of the New Zealand Women’s Cricket Team, Chair of the Board of Career Services and a variety of other tertiary education, social services, and sporting leadership roles.