Posted on 3 March 2020
Open Polytechnic’s Head of School of Commerce and Enterprise, Linda Weterman, has been appointed to the national board of the YMCA New Zealand.
Linda, who will fit her board membership around her management role at Open Polytechnic, says she is looking forward to making a positive contribution to YMCA New Zealand. “I think YMCA New Zealand does outstanding work as it focuses on its purpose ‘to build strong kids, strong families and strong communities’. I am looking forward to being able to contribute to the work YMCA does for New Zealand communities in the areas of recreation, education, youth accommodation and outdoors,” she says.
She has many years of governance experience behind her in the NGO sector, including as non-executive director of YMCA Auckland, board member of Project Management Institute of NZ and has facilitated a Corporate Governance paper on an MBA programme and has worked directly with sports club committees to build their capability.
This direct governance and committee involvement and her experience in the adult education sector are skills that the YMCA board felt would add to the diversity of the team.
“Linda will bring a degree of ‘good business sense’, understanding the values behind YMCA as an NGO and balancing the need to respect the movement’s values whilst at the same time running a successful and profitable business enabling the profit to be spent on the programmes demonstrating YMCA values,” says Paul Le Gros, YMCA National President.
“The New Zealand YMCA’s board has just adopted a statement of strategic intent so we have a clear vision of where the board is wanting to take the national movement and currently investigating the possible benefits and disadvantages of being a federal organisation and under taking a comparative exercise with other business models that might suit an organisation such as the YMCAs. Linda will have a vital contribution to that discussion.”
Linda is a co-opted board member until June next year and Paul says he hoped that that will continue on permanent basis in the following years.