WCF Trustees

Vanessa is a Director of Admin & Business Solutions and has an extensive amount of Governance experience as a Chair, and as an Independent Director. She is a member of the Institute of Directors.
In 2007 she was elected to the Queenstown Lakes District Council as a Councillor before serving as Mayor from 2010-2016, and was awarded an ONZM in the New Year’s Honours 2017 for services to Local Government.
She cares deeply about the Whakatipu Community and has founded a number of charities including the Branches Charitable Trust, the Remarkable Cancer Gym Trust and the Queenstown Lakes Baby Box Trust. Vanessa is currently the Chair of the Queenstown Lakes Baby Box, Remarkable Cancer Gym, Pivotal Point and Louise Nicholas Charitable Trusts. In addition, she is Patron of the Branches Charitable Trust, Chair of Shaping our Future Inc, and Presiding Member of the Otago Southland Lottery Community Grants Committee.
Vanessa is very honoured to be part of the Wakatipu Community Foundation supporting our community’s future needs.

Jennifer has a rich and varied career from managing a large construction law firm in Los Angeles to hospitality marketing (in the US and in NZ). She and her family moved to Queenstown ten years ago, for one ski season, that has now turned into a permanent home.

For the past 30 years, Jennifer has been involved in many nonprofits and has established several including a California local school foundation, tennis association and a Utah community foundation. She founded the Wakatipu Community Foundation whilst studying studying nonprofit management at Harvard University.

Jennifer’s passion is helping nonprofits thrive and grow. She believes that a deep understanding of local needs enables local solutions to flourish, and has been instrumental in key initiatives such as Generation Give, Impact100, The Greatest Needs Funds to support the Whakatipu Community.

Michael has had a long association with the Whakatipu Basin, and along with his wife and three children, he is proud to call Arrowtown home. Michael has always been a strong believer in the importance in adding value and giving time to help non-profit organisations in the Community where his family resides.

Michael is an experienced lawyer and is a partner of local law firm Todd & Walker Law. He is a Chartered Director of the Institute of Directors New Zealand and holds degrees in Law and Commerce from the University of Otago.

Michael is involved in a number of community organisations including in his role as the Chairman of the Queenstown Trails Trust; an organisation with a strong association with the Foundation.

As well as running a successful law practice, Michael loves the outdoors. He has completed the Coast-to-Coast numerous times, and has previously combined his love for the outdoors and community by competing in major fundraising events such as the Oxfam100Km, and Cure Kids Adventure races.

After a twenty-odd year career in telecoms and investment analysis in the UK and Asia, Joan moved from Hong Kong to Queentown in 2001 with the objective of having a life rather than just a job!

Since then she has served two terms on the Board of Community Trust South, been a Director of Strongbox Wealth Management Ltd for twelve years and was involved in a range of business activities until she retired in 2019.

She is still heavily involved with Rotary at local and South Island level, past chair of the Impact100 Grants Committee and is on the Impact100 Governance Committee.

Joan lives in Queenstown with her wife Monica and enjoys a wide range of the activities available in our wonderful community. Joan & Monica strongly believe that in order to be part of a flourishing community, you have to be prepared to participate in the work required to make that a reality.

Paul is a born and bred southerner who holds a BCom degree from the University of Otago. After a distinguished 35-year career with Mobil, he returned to New Zealand in 2010 and is now largely retired, enjoying the outdoors and supporting the community in various ways.

Paul has been actively with several community organisations and is currently the chair of Arrowtown Creative Arts Society and Club Captain at Millbrook Country Club. His passion for the community and his experience in governance will be invaluable to the foundation.

As a former chair of Port Otago and a director of Waitomo Petroleum Group and start-up company, ROBOS International, Paul has significant governance experience. We are thrilled to have someone of his calibre join us and are looking forward to the expert contributions he will make to the foundation. We believe that Paul's skills, experience, and passion for the community will greatly benefit the foundation and enable us to continue our vital work in supporting the Wakatipu community and our mission of growing local philanthropy.

Steve has been in Queenstown for 19 years and he and wife Sheena have been heavily involved in community on a number of levels.

He is a commercial lawyer and was a trustee of the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust for 9 years from 2009 to 2018 (last 2 years as Chairperson). He remains heavily involved with the Housing Trust as its lawyer.

He is also Chair of the Whakatipu Junior Golf Club Charitable Trust, and Trustee of the newly formed Adaptive Snowsports Whakatipu Charitable Trust.

Steve believes that the Foundation is an extremely beneficial initiative which will provide a lasting super impact on the Whakatipu community.

Steve was one of the founding trustees of the WCF, and returned as a trustee in 2023, and has taken on the role of Chair from March 2024.

Otago born-and-bred, Raymond Key lives in Queenstown with his wife and three children. He brings financial expertise to the Board after 20 years’ experience in financial markets and investment banking working for International banks and Financial institutions in Europe and Australia.

Ray is passionate about Central Otago and achieving the right outcomes for people living the region.

Since moving back to New Zealand in 2018, Ray has taken on new skills as a bee keeper, and serves on the board of Apiculture New Zealand which represents the NZ honey industry.

Ray is also a trustee with the Queenstown Community Housing Trust, Whakatipu Community Hub, Vice President of the Whakatipu Rowing Club and Chair of Community Foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand.