Wānaka resident Hetty Van Hale has been reappointed to the Central Lakes Trust (CLT) board for a second three-year term starting on December 1. 

Hetty said she was delighted to continue her role as trustee on the largest philanthropic trust per capita in the Southern Hemisphere. 

“It is an honour for me to be able to serve on the board of CLT, an organisation focused on improving community wellbeing,” she said. “We are incredibly lucky to have such an asset as a community funding source.”

CLT has $450M in assets, including 100 per cent ownership of Pioneer Energy, and it currently distributes over $9M annually to charitable causes within Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes.

CLT chair Linda Robertson said Hetty’s contribution to the board was significant.

“Hetty has over 25 years’ governance experience on boards covering a broad industry range, and she has a strong history of volunteering for community organisations and events over this time, having lived in the Central Lakes region since 1995,” Linda said.

The board’s structure allows for three appointed trustees alongside five publicly elected trustees. 

Hetty was appointed to the board in December 2018 and she is currently deputy chair of the trust. 

Her plan to move away from Wānaka does not prevent Hetty from continuing her role with CLT because, unlike elected trustees, appointed trustees can be based outside the region, CLT communications and marketing coordinator Carryn Colton said.

“The appointed trustees are brought on board to ensure appropriate expertise to decision making and greater continuity at a governance-level,” Carryn said.

The reappointment panel included Simon Telfer from specialist board recruitment company Stimulus Consulting, CLT trustee Tony Lepper, and experienced director Alison Geary.

“Over time, the diversification, scale and complexity of the trust's investment portfolio has intensified, and the trust increasingly requires trustees that can bring appropriate expertise to decision making and greater continuity at a governance-level,” Linda said. 

The community will vote for its elected trustees at next year’s election.

PHOTO: Supplied