Arts for Health | Arts for Health Who We Are

OUR STAFF

Cass Hendry

Cass works as our Community Arts Programme Manager to provide open studio services and workshops in the community. Cass has a background as an arts therapist and has been working in the Health and Disability sector for over 20 years. As a practicing artist and therapist, Cass is currently exploring contemporary ideas and materials from a therapeutic view point.

Lynda Preest

Lynda is the Arts for Health Funding and Trust Administrator. She works way beyond her paid hours to enable exciting projects to be successful, and in the meantime, she manages the office, the accounts, all communications and computer-based work, and anything else needed. Lynda creates kiwiana paintings.

Marianne Schreven (Art Tutor)

Marianne was a member of the Arts for Health Board for nearly two years before becoming an Arts Tutor for our organisation. Marianne's lifelong background is creativity in all its forms, and is a practising contemporary jeweller outside the tutoring position. While enjoying being on the Board, she feels that she can be more effective as an Art Tutor working directly with our patrons to develop their creative potential.

Ian Johnston (Art Tutor)

Ian holds a trade in the printing industry which lead to an interest in graphic design, computers and photography. Through his own creative development, Ian has learnt to appreciate the qualities of patience and respect for the artistic process and hopes to share these skills with the wider community.

OUR TRUSTEES

Kate Strahan (Chairperson)

Kate runs her own Human Resource Consultancy service supporting small to medium size companies with their HR requirements. This includes developing leader competencies, performance management, cultural change initiatives, recruitment and organisational design. She has worked in the HR profession for over 25 years across 8 industries. When not supporting clients, Kate is actively involved in raising her two daughters, fishing on the Thames Firth, or in the garden. Kate joined the Board in late 2016 and is committed to supporting the Arts for Health programme to enhance the health and wellbeing of all its clients

Melanie Odey (Vice Chairperson)

Melanie joined the Board of Trustees for Arts for Health in August 2008. She has a depth of work experience in the disability sector supporting people in both residential and vocational settings. She has also spent ten years developing educational programmes for human and social services at Wintec. Melanie has a Masters in Social Sciences majoring in Psychology, an MBA and a Certificate in Tertiary Teaching. Melanie enjoys recreational art and writing for enjoyment.

Jay Spencer

Jay joined the Board of Trustees for Arts for Health in February 2015. Jay has worked in the health sector as a healthcare assistant at Hospice Waikato and as a private palliative caregiver. Jay spends much of her time volunteering in the community. Jay is currently studying at the University of Waikato working at completing a Bachelor of Social Sciences with a double major in Social Policy and Women & Gender Studies. Jay reads books from many different genres, uses the hydrotherapy pool and works towards facilitating people to meet their needs to live fulfilling and exciting lives.

Glenys Steele

Glenys has worked in her own employment law practice, About Best Practice, for the past nine years, dispensing employment law advice to employers and employees alike, inspiring confidence in them to deal with the everyday issues of employment. She also coaches and judges at the University of Waikato Law School, encouraging students to be the best they can be. When she is not working, you might find her surf kayaking or launching into a new painting, currently acrylic on canvas.
Glenys has been involved on the Board of Trustees of Arts for Health for over 10 years now, calling it Hamilton's best kept secret!

Jolanda Lemow

Jolanda joined the Board of Trustees for Arts for Health in May 2014. Jolanda has worked as a registered nurse for over 30 years working in a variety of clinical settings including working with people with intellectual disabilities, orthopaedics and emergency and trauma. Jolanda has undergraduate and post-graduate degrees from Victoria University of Wellington and a Master of Arts (Health Psychology Endorsement) from Massey University. Jolanda has always had an interest in art, continues to dabble in drawing and hopes one day to exhibit her work.

Lorraine Terpend (Secretary / Treasurer)

Sharon Garrick

Annette Eksteen

Elwyn Stone

Abby Parsons

Abby joined the Board of Trustees for Arts for Health in July 2017. Abby has worked in Communications, PR and Marketing for 12 years, specialising in digital marketing and online engagement. Abby currently works as a Business Solutions Manager, with a focus on technology solutions used in the Education sector. Some of Abby's great loves are art, books and writing.

Akshay Shukla

Dr. Akshay Shukla joined the Board of Trustees for Arts for Health in July 2017. He is a retired Army doctor who has worked in healthcare for 12 years. His area of expertise is healthcare funding and improvement management. He has a Public Health and an MBA degree from the University of Otago. He is currently employed as a Consultant, with a focus on Health care management education.