Eight people have put themselves forward for election to two vacancies on the trust board of the NZ AIDS Foundation, in stark contrast to last year when only two people were up for election to two vacancies. Nominations from the grassroots membership of the Foundation closed a week ago, and the deadline for membership registration to enable a member to vote for a board candidate at the November 29th AGM passed yesterday. The trust board is charged with ensuring that the Foundation is operating in an ethical and legal manner, and that it is responsive to its community. The board is also the legal employer of the Executive Director, who in turn employs all other operational staff. The two vacancies are the result of the resignations of last year's newcomers to the board. This year's nominees are: Howard Alchin, a Dunedin-based local body authority planner who has been involved in the running of a gay men's sex on site venue and who says he has a keen interest in "the psychological health of men who have sex with men;" Alastair Cameron, a senior solicitor in the Public Law team of a major Wellington law firm, who has been involved in Icebreakers and UniQ and who says he "welcomes the opportunity to serve the NZAF and the communities affected by HIV and AIDS;" Daniel Eakins, a past regional manager of the NZAF's Awhina Centre in Wellington, now working for the Medical Council of NZ and whose life has been affected by the HIV infections contracted by friends and a gay brother; Jacqui Grant, the famed 'tranny granny' who runs several businesses on the West Coast as well as being a member of the Human Rights tribunal, she has experience in local government and is a GayNZ.com Family Matters advisor; Nikora Nitro, a fluent Te Reo speaker who has a background in Maori community and governance affairs as well as running small businesses, he has an interest in choreography and the development of Maori youth; Joseph Randall, an advisor to the Tertiary Education Comission with a background in student affairs who spent two years on the steering group of the Safe Schools for Queers project and is concerned by the apparent indifference of some young gay men to HIV and AIDS; Mike Roguski, who has a background in paid and unpaid HIV and AIDS work in Wellington and New York and has held senior management roles in government bodies such as the Ministry of Social Development; and 'Mama' Tere Strickland-Tahere, a South Aucklander who highlights her "streetwise" experience of life and "services to takataapui and iwi in Manukau and across the Pacific." Past NZAF board member, chair and events manager Jonathan Smith withdrew his nomination last week due to insurmountable conflicts of interest between board membership and his events and consulting work. More detailed backgrounders on the candidates can be accessed via the link below.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Saturday, 25th October 2008 - 9:18pm