Three new trustees have been elected to the Central Lakes Trust board following the confirmation of the 2025 election results on Monday (November 24).

Central Lakes Trust (CLT) has confirmed Dave Currie CNZM, Dr Chris Phoon, and Neil Gillespie will join the board this term. 

They sit alongside re-elected trustees Kathy Dedo and Trudi Webb, as well as appointed trustees Linda Robertson, Kathy Grant, and Simon Flood.

“We’re excited to welcome our new trustees to the board,” CLT chair Linda Robertson said.

“Their fresh perspectives, combined with the experience of our re-elected and appointed trustees, will strengthen our ability to deliver on CLT’s mission. Together, we have a fantastic team committed to supporting vibrant, resilient communities across our funding region.”

Dave brings extensive governance and leadership experience, including as Chef de Mission for New Zealand Olympic and Paralympic teams and manager of the Black Caps. He has also served as executive director of the Halberg Trust.

Dr Chris Phoon has contributed to national and international surgical committees and is a founding member of the Mahu Whenua Traverse. He is an active supporter of initiatives that promote community wellbeing.

Neil Gillespie brings more than 27 years of local government experience, including 15 years as Central Otago’s deputy mayor. He was recently elected to the Otago Regional Council.

Re-elected trustee Kathy Dedo returns for her third term. She is the board’s deputy chair and chairs the Audit and Risk Committee. Kathy was recently elected to the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board, where she serves as deputy chairperson.

Trudi Webb begins her second term on the board. She has more than 25 years of local governance experience and holds positions with MG Ltd, Summerfruit NZ, and the MG Charitable Trust.

Four candidates were not elected: Mark Christie, Alexa Forbes, Tony Lepper, and Michael Rewi.

Voter return for the election was 20.45 per cent, with 9,695 votes cast. Of those, 28.32 per cent were submitted online and 71.68 per cent were returned by post.

CLT operates as a charitable trust that offers financial support for charitable initiatives.

Its board oversees how the trust invests and distributes its funds across the region.

Since its establishment in 2000, the trust has returned more than $168M to the community and manages assets totalling nearly $600M.