Kia Ora from the TFBT Board Chair, Kevin Adshead– Introducing Our New CEO, Ana Christmas
On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to formally announce the appointment of Ana Christmas as our new CEO. Our thanks to Emma Doré for stepping in to the Acting CEO role for the last couple of months and preparing for Ana’s arrival on 31st August.
Ana has worked with a wide range of government and NGO’s over an extensive period of time, building collaborative relationships and an appreciation of the different ways organisations work to uplift those in Aotearoa New Zealand. She is a Leadership New Zealand Alumni (2020 cohort) and is currently undertaking a Masters of Change and Organisational Resilience.
Ana was raised in a small farming town in the Hawkes Bay/Manawatu region and moved to Tāmaki Makaurau in her teens. She completed a Bachelor of Business Studies at AUT and spent several years in the media industry before following the call of her heart to work in a way that serves our community.
Throughout the pandemic and the recent adverse weather events, Ana led a team of essential workers that worked with schools, police, Auckland Council, MSD and other social services, to provide the best possible outcomes for our community. She values strong interpersonal connections and holds relationships at the heart of achieving meaningful kaupapa.
“I am looking forward to learning from the vast array of expertise and experience within the Trust. I deeply appreciate the importance of protecting the taonga of the forest, awa and moana. As a resident of the Kaipara, I am motivated and excited to support the vision of The Forest Bridge Trust, to create a connected landscape of healthy forest and flourishing indigenous wildlife. This work inspires me for greater systems change and better environmental, social & health outcomes for Aotearoa.”
– Ana Christmas.
Ana and Jimmy have four sons, ranging in age from 8 to 25 and they live on a rural block in South Head with a delightful array of animals, including a resident Bittern. As a family they enjoy the many opportunities to connect with the local environment in the Kaipara with its wild beaches and forests.
Kevin Adshead, Chair