Fri 9 Oct 2015 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Linda Heavey has resigned from her position as General Manager of Auckland Pride Festival, only four months ahead of the 2016 event. Heavey told GayNZ.com that as her business is demanding more of her time she has tendered her resignation to the board but will be staying on in a reduced capacity. Spokesperson for the Pride board, Paul Patton, says the board are unable to comment on her resignation as it is an employment matter but have confirmed Heavey’s resignation will allow her to focus on business matters. Patton says Heavey will possibly be taking on a consulting role going forward but this is yet to be discussed, he went on to say; “the boards focus is making sure 2016 is the best festival ever.” Her resignation comes following news in September that Richard Taki would not reapply for his position as Parade Director, expressing concerns for safety after receiving no feedback on his recommendations to the Board. Heavey however, says there are no concerns of health and safety leading up to this years festival and a robust health and safety and security plan has been signed off by both the Auckland Council and Police. This caps off a difficult year for Auckland Pride as a perceived lack of transparency and communication with the wider community has left many lacking confidence in its governance.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 9th October 2015 - 1:12pm