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Our team

Ruth Harrison, Interim Director

In mid-March 2008, Ruth Harrison took on this role to lead and support the OCVS through the next few months, while the recruitment process for a new permanent Director is underway.

Ruth will be known to many of you through a number of former roles. Most recently she has been the Chair Commissioner of the Mental Health Commission. Roles prior to that position have included: four years as Chief Executive of Workbridge, a senior executive role in the Wellington City Council, and several years with the former Department of Social Welfare where she worked in information technology and policy positions, including two years as Private Secretary to the Minister of Social Welfare.

Diana Suggate, Senior Analyst

Before co-ordinating the establishment of the OCVS, Diana continued her exploration of community and voluntary sector issues at the Ministry of Social Policy (now Ministry of Social Development). Here she investigated barriers to volunteering and ways to enhance participatory processes.

Diana’s exploration of the government-community relationship started while she was at the Department of Internal Affairs for 12 years. During her time as a senior policy analyst, she was involved in recreation and sport, community work training, grant funding, crime prevention, social capital, volunteering and youth development.

She has also worked as an analyst in the Transition Education Unit, and at the Secondary Examinations Council in London.

Diana is currently on the Aro Valley Community Council. She has previously worked part time as a counsellor at the Wellington People’s Centre and many years as a co-counselling teacher. Diana has also been involved in several groups related to women’s issues, peace, aid and development, building heritage, conflict resolution and counselling.

Gabrielle Benson, Executive Assistant

Gabrielle commenced working in the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector in November 2005. Gabrielle's role involves ensuring the office runs smoothly by supporting the team and the Director, and managing the administrative aspects of the office.

Before joining OCVS, Gabrielle worked for the Ministry of Youth Development (formerly the Ministry of Youth Affairs) in both secretarial and advisory roles.  Prior to this Gabrielle worked as Sales and Marketing Executive for a London based medical software company, which allowed her to travel, work and experience life in such varied places such as Nigeria and Switzerland.

Glenda McCallum, Senior Communications Advisor

Glenda has worked for the OCVS since it was established in September 2003. Previously, she worked as a Communications Advisor for the Community Policy Unit at the Ministry of Social Development. Glenda has also worked in communications for trade unions where she ran awareness and publicity campaigns for the Council of Trade of Unions. At the NZ Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, Glenda trained bureau workers and worked with the media to publicise the CAB.

Before settling into communications, Glenda also worked as primary school teacher, a bus driver, and journalist before joining Newspapers in Education, where she produced resources to help teachers use newspapers in the classroom.

Glenda has been involved in the women’s movement through different organisations including the Working Women’s Resource Centre, supporting women who were not unionised. She is also actively involved with peace organisations and enjoys planting trees in the local community.

Grant Aldridge, Communications Advisor

Grant joined the Office part-time in October 2005, after more than two years with the Department of Labour. A born and bred Mainlainder until July 2003, Grant has a Diploma in Business Studies (endorsed in Public Relations) from Massey University and is an accredited member of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand.

Before a move to the tertiary education sector (at Christchurch's CPIT), Grant spent a decade advising a range of organisations on communication issues through his work in a Christchurch-based public relations consultancy. His consultancy role with Workbridge (the employment agency for people with disabilities) increased his knowledge of employment diversity and some of the issues relating to sheltered work and the Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (DPEP) Act.

Grant's experience with community and voluntary groups includes voluntary work with Lifeline, Guides NZ, PRINZ, the Canterbury Children's Theatre and the Hoon Hay Learning Centre; and paid work for Trade Aid, Wigram Lions and The Community Trust in Canterbury.

Hugh Lawrence, Senior Analyst

Hugh has been closely involved in the community-government relationship since its commencement in 2000. The involvement began, as Hugh was managing community and voluntary sector projects as part of the community policy team within the Ministry of Social Development.

Hugh also has experience in education and sport, having taught at secondary schools for 17 years, and lectured at Victoria University of Wellington for five years. He has also coached in many sports to international and Olympic level and sat on and chaired national sport organisations boards (Coaching New Zealand, Sport Science New Zealand and the Sport, Fitness and Recreation ITO) as well as having held the role of Chief Executive of Basketball New Zealand .

Hugh currently chairs Papakowhai School Board of Trustees in Porirua, and has recently chaired Achievement Porirua/Whakatutukitanga Porirua, which is a Ministry of Education city-wide education initiative.

Hugh has particular interest in junior development coaching and non-profit governance in contemporary settings.

Iris Webster, Senior Analyst

Iris joined the OCVS team in July 2007 on secondment from the Ministry of Social Development's Planning, Purchase and Governance team. She has worked in the Ministry since its inception in 2001 and, prior to that, worked for Work and Income and Income Support since 1995. Iris is currently the Secretary for the MSD Pasifika Helava Group.

Iris' employment background includes working as a Service Manager at the MSD National Community Services Card Centre and MSD International Services. Before joining the public service, Iris worked as a PA and Art Gallery Guide, and studied at Victoria University for a BA in English & Education.

Iris’ current involvement in community and voluntary work covers netball coaching, being an avid rugby mum and a Sunday School teacher for the St Johns’-in-the-City Kids Friendly Church, and helping out where she can to make a difference.

James King, Analyst

James has come to OCVS from Statistics New Zealand where, as part of his work on the Non-Profit Institutions Account, he was involved in finding good data sources for volunteering in New Zealand. James started at OCVS in October 2007 and will continue his work on volunteering data, drawing out the policy implications of the data.

He studied at Victoria University, majoring in marine biology, marketing and commercial law, and joined Statistics NZ in February 2005 on the graduate leadership development programme.

When he’s off duty, James heads to the beach for surfing, free-diving and spear fishing. He is Secretary of the Victoria University Anglican Chaplaincy and Treasurer of the Victoria University Ecumenical Chaplaincy.

Kat Paton, Senior Analyst

Kat joined the OCVS team in May 2005. Before joining the OCVS, Kat worked with the Department of Labour as Ministerial Advisor, and as Legal Associate with the Appeal Authorities Secreteriat.

Kat has extensive community and voluntary experience in New Zealand and overseas with organisations such as NZ Breast Cancer Foundation, the Wellington Sexual Abuse HELP Foundation, a refugee legal aid project in Egypt and an ecology centre in Mexico.

Kat has a conjoint Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws, and is currently completing a Masters in Development Studies through Victoria University of Wellington

Madhu Narayan, Team Administrator

Madhu began part-time with the OCVS in February 2006. She works closely with Diana Suggate on the Study of the NZ Non-Profit Sector project - helping ensure the project runs smoothly, supporting the committee and managing administrative aspects of the project.  She also assists other members of the OCVS team with admin support.

Madhu migrated from the Fiji Islands in 2001 and worked for New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for 3 years as an operations officer with the Approvals, Accreditation and Audit Department.