
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.
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.

Philip Crow, Trust Board Treasurer
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.
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.
Dr Anatole Bogatski - Trust Board Member

Dr Anatole Bogatski 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.
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.

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
Functional Skills
Governance Attributes
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
- Conservation and biodiversity, with a specific focus on community-led and Māori-led conservation
- Non for profit perspective on fundraising, project management and project delivery
- Working with public sector in partnership (Department of Conservation)
Functional Skills
- International experience – Canada, USA and New Zealand
- Marketing, comms, fundraising
- Developing strong culture, people management, organizational design
- Manage complex relationships with Board of Trustees, management team, kiwi practitioners and Department of Conservation
Governance Attributes
- Deep understanding of how a board works (and doesn’t work)
- Experienced with strategy development, identifying risks (and mitigation)

Yvonne Copland, Trust Board Member
Yvonne has been self employed having run her own hairdressing salon in Henderson for 32 years. She served 15 years as a Councillor. Yvonne has a full history of serving as a volunteer on Trust Boards such as the
Henderson High School and Hilltop Private School BOT, West Auckland Community Arts and the Waitakere City Council. Yvonne is a trustee of the St Lazarus Charitable Trust, Council ambassador for Sister Cities Kakogowa Japan and was awarded freedom of the City. She is now enjoying being a mosaic student with her daughter here
at Estuary Arts.
Yvonne has been self employed having run her own hairdressing salon in Henderson for 32 years. She served 15 years as a Councillor. Yvonne has a full history of serving as a volunteer on Trust Boards such as the
Henderson High School and Hilltop Private School BOT, West Auckland Community Arts and the Waitakere City Council. Yvonne is a trustee of the St Lazarus Charitable Trust, Council ambassador for Sister Cities Kakogowa Japan and was awarded freedom of the City. She is now enjoying being a mosaic student with her daughter here
at Estuary Arts.