Michael Wallmannsberger is the new OUTLine Chair Long-time GLBTI community advocate Michael Wallmannsberger has been elected the new Chair of OUTLine. We get to know him a little better and find out what has driven him to be involved with the organisation. “I am a relatively new arrival to OUTLine. While I have plenty of background working in the rainbow communities in Auckland and of course have been aware of OUTLine, I only became involved last year when I joined the board,” Wallmannsberger tells GayNZ.com. “Stephen Rainbow, who has just stepped down as chair, sold me on the value of OUTLine's heritage and its development potential. Stephen also persuaded me that my skills and experience would be a valuable contribution to the board.” Wallmannsberger has what he says might be called a portfolio career. He has degrees in psychology from the University of Auckland and during his undergraduate study and early career he also became involved in politics, for a short time as President of Young Labour and then as part of the group that established Rainbow Labour, that he went on to chair. Later he went on to lead the Auckland-based group that produced the public campaign for Civil Unions. Now, he serves on the boards of InternetNZ, an organisation that advocates for an open and "uncapturable" Internet in New Zealand, and Standards New Zealand, a Crown Entity that is New Zealand's National Standards Body, which is where he earned his governance experience. “In my day job, which is the glue that holds it all together, I work as an IT security consultant.” Wallmannsberger says he joined the OUTLine board to help OUTLine continue to facilitate the amazing contribution that phone support volunteers and counsellors do, and to contribute to the ongoing development of OUTLine's services to ensure that they remain relevant. “I am excited about the new board that has been elected. We were lucky to have a good number of excellent candidates and, together, they group has a diversity of skills and experience and is well balanced and very motivated. “The board, collectively, has plenty of experience working for OUTLine as well as plenty of outside perspective.” Wallmannsberger says the first challenge is to bring the new board up to speed with OUTLine's operations and to make sure that our governance and management of OUTLine's service is effective. “Beyond that, we have a board that is well placed to think strategically about we might continue to develop OUTLine's services to better meet the emerging needs of our communities.” Jacqui Stanford - 22nd June 2013