Dr Michael Irwin, Trust Board Chair
Michael has been a teacher and educator of art for over 50 years. He has organised whole school art events and assisted children and teachers to create their own special art works. He specialised in art at Hamilton Teachers’ College where he first began sculpturing. The last 20 years of his employment was as a Senior Lecturer at Massey University, where he was a programme coordinator for teacher training and lectured in the Arts and how to teach and develop Creativity with children. He is a member of the Te Kupenga Stone Sculpture Society in New Plymouth, where he regular travels to carve stone. He has taught night classes in pottery and painting, and is a tutor at Estuary Arts Centre. |
Dr Anatole Bogatski, Board Secretary and Vice Chair
Anatole has had a long career with MFAT, the Auckland Business Chamber and then higher education management. He has been on the boards of Westlake Girls High School and a range of international business councils including Japan, China, Korea, South East Asia combined council, India and Taiwan. He has served as head of higher education for Kaplan Australia and most recently concluded ten years as CFO, COO and VP at a graduate college in the San Francisco Bay Area. He received his PhD in politics from Glasgow University. Anatole and his wife Margaret now live in Red Beach and are both volunteers at EAC. Anatole has always had a passion for the creative arts and is looking forward to contributing to the ongoing success of the EAC through his involvement with the Board of Trustees. |
Philip Crow, Trustee
Founder member and treasurer of TAFI (The Arts Forum Inc.) who were instrumental in establishing the Estuary Arts Centre Starting out in the UK as a building contractor's quantity surveyor and estimator he subsequently formed his own construction company involved in residential and commercial developments. In 1975 he emigrated to Sydney, Australia where he worked for Rider Hunt and Partners, Quantity Surveyors, on multi-million dollar projects. He then joined the Project Management Team for the construction of the Westmead Hospital Project, (current value approximately $1.6b), as Administration Manager responsible for all matters contractual including calling and letting tenders and resolving disputes. He formed his own Project Management company for the management and construction of various public buildings, retirement villages, nursing homes, shopping centres, commercial and residential developments. In 1992 he moved to Auckland continuing his career in the Construction Industry and advancing his dispute resolution skills by obtaining a Massey University Diploma in Business Studies (Dispute Resolution) in Arbitration and Mediation followed by post graduate courses in Reasoning and Decision Making and Dispute Resolution Business Management. After being involved at all levels in the construction and building industry throughout his career, Philip's credibility is well established. He is comfortable working alone or within a team environment to achieve the best result for his clients. Of recent times he has been involved with leaky homes investigation, remediation and litigation. In Sydney, Philip re-found his early school days love of drawing including the painting of birds when he attended an art class. At this time he reflected on the fact that constructing an architect’s concept of what a building should portray is an art form where the builder is the architect’s ‘brush and medium’. Philip paints mostly landscapes with water as a way of portraying adventure and movement. He also enjoys the drawing and painting of the figure – perhaps a follow on from the days of drawing and painting birds. He still attends tutored classes looking to gain further knowledge and understanding of the skills of being an artist. Philip exhibits his work in the Auckland region including the Estuary Arts centre. He was a finalist in the national Adams Portraiture Award 2012 and the international Clifton Art Award. |
Gail Reichert, Treasurer
Gail comes from a career in organisational and leader development having run her own business in this area for nearly 30 years. Over this time she worked with both small businesses and large corporates. She had an initial career in chartered accounting with roles in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. Gail has supported Estuary Arts Centre volunteers running workshop to develop their sense of team at the Centre. She has also been involved in fundraising projects over the last three years. Gail has lived on the Hibiscus Coast since 2002 and been a member of Estuary Arts Centre for most of that time. She previously served on the Trust Board for a year, resigning when work pressures meant she was unable to devote enough time to the role. Now moving into retirement, Gail has more time available to support the Centre and decided to put her hand up for the Trust Board at the recent AGM. Gail has evolved her art practice over her time on the Coast, from working initially in acrylics then shifting through mixed media to recently developing a love of working with aquarelle pencils and ink. To recharge Gail enjoys cycling, both locally and on trails around New Zealand, maintaining her large garden and working with a local community group to remove pest weeds and plant natives in her local area on the southside of Orewa estuary. Her whakapapa is Ngati Porou ki Hauraki. Her pakeha heritage is Scottish, Irish and English. |
Michelle Impey, Trust Board Member
With 17 years’ experience working with a board, I am fully versed in what is required and look forward to bringing a balanced perspective in a governance role. I fully understand the role of governance and how a board should work with their CEO. Industry/Sector Experience
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Holly Aymes, Trustee
Nō te Tairāwhiti ōku tūpuna Māori. Nō Ingarani, nō Hapanihi, nō Paniora ōku tūpuna tauiwi, ā kei Red Beach tōku kainga mai rānō i 1999. Ko Holly Aymes ahau. My Māori ancestors hail from the East Coast/Gisborne. My other ancestry is English, Japanese & Spanish, & my home has been the Hibiscus Coast since 1999. I’m a local freelance artist & māmā of 4, who has grown up immersed in the art culture, thanks to my art loving whānau. My work ranges from murals (check out the Orewa bridge underpass), sketching, digital logos, handmade cards & more. I’m also the indigenous arts representative for Te Herenga Waka o Orewa Marae. I look forward to learning more about our local artists & being part of the Estuary Arts Centre Trust Board. Mauri ora Holly |
Suia Westbrook, Trustee
With German/Samoan roots and a background in Fine Arts, Suia has worked in the creative industry in London, Sydney & Berlin, before returning to Aotearoa with her partner & son Woodie in 2019. She is the owner of CoastLab, a local CoWorking space in Ōrewa and freelance stylist.
She thrives on fostering a belonging and inclusive community.
As a creative event producer, her superpower is bringing people together, creating spaces and opportunities for business owners,
professionals and creatives to find support, knowledge and genuine connection.
With German/Samoan roots and a background in Fine Arts, Suia has worked in the creative industry in London, Sydney & Berlin, before returning to Aotearoa with her partner & son Woodie in 2019. She is the owner of CoastLab, a local CoWorking space in Ōrewa and freelance stylist.
She thrives on fostering a belonging and inclusive community.
As a creative event producer, her superpower is bringing people together, creating spaces and opportunities for business owners,
professionals and creatives to find support, knowledge and genuine connection.
Mindy Melrose
Mindy has worked in the art industry overseas for over 10 years across roles in sales, strategy and governance. She has a strong commercial background, holding leadership positions at world leading art auction house Christie’s in both London and Hong Kong.
Since moving home to New Zealand in 2022, Mindy has enjoyed regular visits to the Hibiscus Coast and Hatfields Beach, where her parents have lived since 2017.
Mindy has a Masters in Art Curatorship from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from The University of Otago. She and her husband Pete live in Takapuna with their two children.
Mindy has worked in the art industry overseas for over 10 years across roles in sales, strategy and governance. She has a strong commercial background, holding leadership positions at world leading art auction house Christie’s in both London and Hong Kong.
Since moving home to New Zealand in 2022, Mindy has enjoyed regular visits to the Hibiscus Coast and Hatfields Beach, where her parents have lived since 2017.
Mindy has a Masters in Art Curatorship from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from The University of Otago. She and her husband Pete live in Takapuna with their two children.