Trustees
Alison Gibb
Chair
Waikato District
Alison is a founding trustee and has been the chair of Arts Waikato since 2004. She is one of life's ‘busy people', juggling university study, running a dairy farm with husband Russell and being actively involved in supporting their three children through their tertiary training.
In between she still finds time for her personal passion - opera and the performing arts. Alison has always been involved in community theatre, from the Te Aroha Dramatic Society in her younger days to more recently appearing on stage with the Hamilton Operatic Society.
A past vice-president of Opera Waikato, Alison both co-produced and appeared on stage in The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni and Carmen. She was assistant director for the Waikato Gang Show, a variety show performed by scouts and guides in 2008 and is taking up this role again for this years show.
Alison's vision for the trust is to help make the arts in the Waikato an integral part of everyone's lives. "Through strengthening community groups, encouraging increased access to and participation in the arts, and enabling co-operation and sharing of resources, we can draw this large geographic region together as a unified and identifiable culture. The challenge facing arts groups today is the dwindling number of people who have the time or the energy to provide the many hours of volunteer work needed"
Alison invites you to use the services of Arts Waikato to help your arts group.
John Lawson
Trustee
Waikato District
John was our founding chair at the establishment of the trust in 2001.
His arts interests are music, film and the performing arts. John lists himself as a ‘retired bass/bass guitar player', having played with many orchestras and musical groups from 1959-1982, but he now plays an active role in promoting the arts through the trust. John also participated in many Hamilton Operatic Society productions, helping backstage, while pursuing his career in the travel industry.
He founded well-known Hamilton travel agency Calder and Lawson in 1984 with Alastair Calder and now escorts groups overseas as well as being Tour Manager with Leisure Time Tours in Hamilton.
John's objectives for the trust are to make all facets of the arts accessible to everyone, remove the mystique of the word ‘arts' and to assist all artists in the community achieve their goals.
John enjoys the companionship and knowledge of other trustees, attending events in his role as a trustee and spreading the word about Arts Waikato in the wider community.
Married to Sue for 28 years, with two sons, John's other hobbies are gardening and music.
Richard Prevett
Trustee
Matamata-Piako District
Richard is a founding trustee and has a long association with the Matamata Dramatic Society, involved in both acting and directing. He is treasurer of the Playwright's Association of New Zealand and an advisor on the Matamata-Piako District Council Cultural Committee.
As if this, and being a Chartered Accountant in public practice in Matamata, wasn't enough to keep him out of trouble, Richard is also a playwright, having had his work performed at three successive FUEL Festivals of New Zealand Theatre in Hamilton and last year by the Matamata Dramatic Society.
Richard enjoys the fellowship with other trustees and facing up to the challenges encountered in the arts sector. As well as his interest in the arts, Richard is also a sports fan, having been a New Zealand champion athlete and representative hockey and tennis player. He is keen to see a balance in attitudes within New Zealand society so we can acknowledge and celebrate our "creative heroes" as well as sporting heroes.
Katie Mayes
Trustee
Waikato District
Katie has been immersed in music all her life, learning violin and piano and playing with the New Zealand Secondary School Orchestra, Auckland Youth Orchestra and Dunedin Sinfonia as well as regional orchestras around the country.
Settling in the Waikato with her young family in 2005, Katie has quickly become involved in the arts community, playing with Opus Chamber Orchestra and being appointed an Arts Waikato trustee.
Katie is interested in supporting community arts groups, having first hand knowledge of the issues they face. Her career has focused on environmental policy in the public and private sectors, but now working part time to look after three young children she is able to contribute her strategic and management skills to helping develop the arts at an organisational level.
A background in law and public policy includes an LLB from Otago, MPhil Massey and an MSc in Public Policy and Administration from the London School of Economics.
Married to Hugh, Katie enjoys the family lifestyle of living in the Waikato.
Diana Wood
Trustee
North Hamilton
Diana believes that the opportunity to participate in the arts, whether people are working professionally or dabbling for pleasure, is vital to the growth and development of communities and individuals.
Her interest in promoting a wide range of artistic experiences to people of all ages and stages is reflected in her own involvement with the arts. School days were filled with ballet, speech and violin lessons, Children's Theatre, school productions, and church choir. Becoming a parent produced a round of activities for her three children (now adults): pottery lessons, jazz ballet classes, flute and violin lessons and stage performances. These days, Diana enjoys film-going, and writes fiction for pleasure and journalistic stories to earn a living.
As a former teacher and as managing director of public relations business More Than Words Ltd, Diana brings to the Board a background in education, communications, marketing and professional fundraising - skills she offers to Arts Waikato as the organisation extends its funding base.
Don McLeod
Deputy Chair
Matamata-Piako District
Don started with Arts Waikato Trust as a Trustee in October 2008. He has been Chief Executive Officer for the Matamata Piako District Council for the past eight years. He has a degree in Civil Engineering and has worked in local government for many years on a wide variety of community Projects as an Engineer. He has lived in the Waikato for 28 years and presently lives in Hamilton with his partner Julia.
Karen Huckstep
Trustee
Waipa District
Karen became involved with Arts Waikato as a trustee in 2010.
Karen was an enthusiastic musician during her school years, playing both the clarinet and saxophone in the school orchestra and stage band. Karen still plays the saxophone today. The Arts Waikato vision statement Weaving Creativity into our lives is a value Karen is keen to promote, “To be in a position to encourage the wider community to explore their artistic or musical potential is an exciting prospect.”
Currently Business Development Manager for IVS Ltd, Karen has taken an active role in the strategic planning, change management, human resources, systems & processes of this company which has experienced huge growth in the past four years. Building upon a solid base of life and work experiences (including the challenges and rewards of running her own business) Karen hopes to positively contribute to the ongoing success of Arts Waikato.
Karen, her husband Lee and her son Steven, reside in the ‘old Ruakiwi School’ which closed in the 1960’s and continues to be a well known landmark for many locals who attended this small community primary school. Karen’s other interests include creative writing, reading, good food (and wine) and horse riding.