Our Trustees

Pat McEvedy

Pat McEvedy

Trust Chairman

I have a background in Water and Environmental Governance and am also a retired Selwyn District Councillor.

I have held and still hold Directorships on some companies and I am a Trustee on several charitable trusts providing housing and transport for the community.

I have an intensive arable farm with my Son and Wife growing a variety of seed crops.

Les Wanhalla

Les Wanhalla

Trustee

Ko Nuka Mania te maunga

Ko Orakaia te awa

Ko Te Waihora te hapua

Ko Te Taumutu te whenua

Ko Ngai Te Ruahikihiki te hapu

Ko Ngai Tahu te iwi

Ko Ngai Moki te marae

Ko Les Wanhalla toku ingoa

My passions: Rugby League, Whakapapa [ancestors, genealogy] , Archaeology [Matapuna], and cleaning up waterways.

Elle Archer

Elle Archer

Trustee

Director I Strategist I Innovator I Technologist I Educator I Speaker

Elle has been engaged in various business, industry, and community development initiatives for the past 24 years. Having been involved in science, geospatial technology, and sustainable solutions since 2006, she is now a recognised Senior Solutions Technologist.

She is currently the Managing Director of ELG (Purpose and Leadership Cultivation), sits on the Learning City Christchurch board, is part of the SMART Infrastructure collective, and is the President of the Industry Association Nulca NZ (Utilities Infrastructure).

Elle also works in and advocates for: Smart Cities Council (Smart Societies), Smart Industries Global, SMART Farming and ECO, Industry and Professional Pathway Development, STEM and Youth Empowerment Aotearoa – within NZ and Asia Pacific.

Olive Webb

Olive Webb

Trustee

I have lived in Hororata for 22 years and before that lived in West Melton for 25 years – on small holdings in both places. I grew up in the King Country, went to Te Awamutu College and to Waikato, Canterbury and Otago universities. My first degree was in Geography where I was especially interested in geomorphology and hydrology and the creation of landforms and the economies that arose on them. I switched to psychology and am now an independently practising clinical psychologist, specialising in people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder.

In 2008 I was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of merit for services to intellectual disability and psychology. I completed my PhD in 1984 and Post Graduate Diploma of Health Services Management with distinction in 1992 I have ridden and driven horses but grew out of those activities. I now cycle and go to the gym to keep fit. I play the piano and pipe organ, although playing pipe organ has been limited since the Hororata Church fell down in the September 2010 earthquake. I play the piano for the St Johns Hororata services. I sing in the Selwyn Community Choir. In Hororata we are heavily committed to biodiversity and have three native and wetland planting areas.

I am a Trustee of the Hororata Community Trust and chair the Selwyn Central Community Care Trust.

Rob Lawrence

Rob Lawrence

Trustee

Emigrating from the USA in 1984, Rob has been active in a range of New Zealand businesses that include aquaculture, animal health, conservation/ecotourism, technology and innovation, local government, and business development. Rob joined the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce in 2005 as a part of the Business Performance Team. He specialises in assisting companies with government R&D funding for technology development and as the Regional Technology Partner for Callaghan Innovation. He brings a professional and enthusiastic approach to engaging business with the support tools of government.

Rob has represented the Employer’s Chamber on the Canterbury Regional Energy Strategy Group, Ministry for the Environment Industry liaison, Canterbury Strategic Water Study as well as Business NZ Energy Forum and the Christchurch City Council working party on Sustainability and Climate Change. Rob is a director of Birding Tours New Zealand Ltd. Rob trustee on the SIFT Sustainable Initiatives Fund Trust for 8 years until it closed in operation in 2019 Rob recently retired from The Chamber and Callaghan Innovation.

He will be developing his photography skills and investigating other consulting options. He has been appointed to Central Plains Water Trust from Selwyn in 2020.