National Council elections
Elections for members of our National Council who will represent their areas for the 2025/26 term have now concluded.
Elected representative for each area are listed below. Nominations for our next National Council elections will open in June 2026.
National Council 2025/26
Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand
John Dyer
Patrick Cummings
Northern
- Amanda Aye
- Adam Botterill
- Jill Caughley
- Renee Meads (formerly Fischer)
- Shiva Sami
Midland
- John Evans
- Rick Hopcroft
- Maya Levinson
- Glynis Longhurst
- Brydon Sundgren
East-West
- Krystal Boyes
- Karen Laurance
- Andrew Cameron
- Diego Martinez
Central
- Steve Dunstan
- Andrea McCance
- Lauren McInnes
- Michael Templeton
- Saba Vallipuram
Upper South
- Arnold Andrews
- Martin Bolland
- Nathan Hume
- Joanna MacLean
- Angela Smalley
Canterbury
- Brandy Alger
- Lavina Anderson
- Mikael Gartner
- Casey Glover
- Astin Will
Southern
- Maggie Robins
- Geoffrey Tompkins
- Jasmine Weston
- Lynette Will
- Mallory Wood
- Joan Cockburn
- Lynette Jones
- Jocelyn, Lady Keith
- Sir Kenneth Keith
- Dr Ron Mackenzie
- Patricia O’Brien
- Jane Smith
- Penny Mason
- Jenny McMahon
- Patricia O'Brien
- Wendy Smith
- John Stevens
- Jerry Talbot
- Paul Watson
- The Very Reverend Gavin Yates
As nominated by the New Zealand Government.
Our Secretary General Sarah Stuart-Black is Secretary to the National Council.
More about our National Council
The National Council is the highest authority of New Zealand Red Cross. The role of the National Council is to develop the high-level direction of our organisation to ensure the New Zealand Red Cross meets its principal objective, ‘to prevent or alleviate human suffering with complete impartiality without any form of discrimination’ (Article 1.6.1 of the Constitution). The National Council is also responsible for other duties as outlined in the Constitution (Chapter 3) and Regulations (8.1).
Members of National Council attend our annual National Council meeting, which is an important event in our governance calendar. Rigorous governance is essential to maintaining the trust of our communities, partners, and the public, and to ensuring that New Zealand Red Cross can continue to respond effectively and impartially in times of need. As part of the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of governance to fulfil our humanitarian mandate in New Zealand and overseas.