MICHELE FREY (BOARD CHAIR)

Elected Member

Michele's career in the recreation industry began 20 years ago when she was at Lincoln University and working as a park ranger's assistant while studying. Over the years she has developed her experience in both the local government and private sector settings.

Today Michele is a Director for Liveable Communities at Gisborne District Council. In addition to Michele's extensive industry experience, she has been on the Recreation Aotearoa Board for the past 6 years, prior to that she played a leading role in building links between young recreation professionals and the broader recreation industry particularly through her involvement with the Generate Network, which she chaired from 2011-2014.

An active member of Recreation Aotearoa, she is excited about the future as reflected through Te Whai Oranga, and what lies ahead for the recreation industry and our future generations. 

BOBBI CLARK-HEU (DEPUTY CHAIR)

Appointed Member

Bobbi, a descendant of Tainui (Ngāti Korokī-Kahukura, Ngāti Te Wehi) is an advocate for supporting Māori communities to a healthier and active lifestyle. She resides in Kirikiroa with her family and is actively involved in community sport.

With a passion for IT systems and cultural capabilities, in recent years her expertise have been utilised within the Sport and Māori business sectors.

In her spare time, she enjoys Netball, Touch and Waka Ama.

In the words of Princes Te Puia "Mahia te mahi, hei painga mo te iwi" (Do the work for the betterment of the people) - where possible Bobbi endeavours to activate this call to action from a prominent Waikato tipuna.

MARK BOWATER

Elected Member

Mark Bowater is currently the Head of Parks Services for the Auckland Council, with a portfolio network of over 4,000 parks, and a unit of over 160 dedicated parks professionals. With over 20 years' experience in parks and recreation management and senior leadership roles, he offers a strategic outlook combined with a proven track record of achievements that make a difference.

He is passionate about the role parks and open spaces play in urban liveability, and the significant contribution the wider recreation industry makes to the quality of our lifestyles in New Zealand. He is actively engaged in helping to raise industry standards, is a champion for green and sustainability outcomes, and promotes a collaborative and future-focused approach.

Mark has been a member of Recreation Aotearoa for over 17 years, and is an Accredited Recreation Professional (ARPro).

BRENT EASTWOOD

Appointed Member

Born and bred in Northland, Brent graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Physical Education. He has been the Chief Executive at Sport Northland - one of the leading regional sports trusts in NZ - since 1999. Sport Northland's core business is leading and supporting sport and recreation in Northland. Brent is experienced in governance, having held a variety of directorships since 1996, from a local level right through to national level. He was a board member of Sportnet NZ for 6 years and was a Director of Northland Rugby for 5 years, and is currently Deputy Chair of the Northland Foundation.

Brent's many strengths led to him winning the Leadership Award at the 2016 Sport NZ Sport and Recreation Awards and the Mark Mitchell Memorial Award at the 2016 Recreation Aotearoa Awards.

He has been a keen member of Recreation Aotearoa for over 20 years and is passionate about encouraging more NZers to get off the couch and enjoy their leisure time through active recreation.

DAN ANDERSON

Appointed Member

Dan is a descendant of Ngāti Maniapoto and he is proud to call Otago home. He has always loved outdoor recreation and he spent his early years collecting kaimoana, tuna and learning to hunt, gather and explore the wild. He completed a Bachelor of Recreation Management at Lincoln University before assuming policy, project and management roles in the government sector.

Dan returned to Otago in 2012 where he works as a freelance strategic and project consultant and is a Director of Dive Otago Ltd. He also has current governance roles in the education, recreation and social service sectors. Dan is an avid outdoorsman who continues to spend considerable time in the mountains and off the coast. His love of the wilderness is shared with his partner and two children who all thrive on a whānau centric approach to recreation.

VANESSA HUGHEY

Elected Member

Vanessa has been actively involved in the not-for profit sector for over 12 years, showing a genuine commitment to crafting a career that benefits community causes. 

Since taking on a Regional Management role for the Graeme Dingle Foundation in 2009 Vanessa has continued to contribute her leadership to a range of organisations. As the General Manager of Sport Southland for 6 years, Vanessa led the team through strategy and implementation of key contracts including Sport NZ Community Sport investment. Now in 2021, Vanessa has cemented herself into the role of CEO for YMCA South and has been paramount in ensuring the organisation continues to meet the needs of the ever-evolving Southland society. Alongside these roles, Vanessa has been a board member of Tennis Southland, Volleyball Southland, Koha Kai and remains an active member of the Southland Sharks Board. 

Vanessa’s strategic leadership skills and analytical approach make her a true asset to the Southland Community.

KIRSTY KNOWLES

Elected Member

With approximately 20 years of experience in the aquatics and recreation industry and over 12 years as a Recreation Aotearoa member, Kirsty Knowles is an experienced industry professional, with a passion for supporting Recreation Aotearoa and our sector.

As a Director of Community Leisure Management (CLM) and Trustee of Community Leisure Charitable Trust, a delivery partner of Aktive’s in the Counties Manukau Region and AROORA programming in Te Tai Tokerau, Kirsty is directly involved in business development, governance and strategic planning. Furthermore, Kirsty has a strong skill set specialising in operations, health and safety, human resources, aquatics and facility management.  

Her contribution to the sector involves involvement in PoolSafe, an advisory support for the operation of the Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre in Christchurch, and the COVID-19 response group.

As a contemporary thinker and a leader Kirsty has demonstrated excellence for over a decade by winning both the Recreation Aotearoa Emerging Leader award in 2010 and the Paul Stuart Memorial Award in 2019.

Kirsty is an advocate for Recreation in New Zealand and works tirelessly to empower, represent and support our industry making her a strong candidate for the New Zealand Recreation Board.