Fulljames first chairwoman
The Franklin Local Board has kicked off its new term by electing a new chairperson.
Wairoa Subdivision board member, Angela Fulljames, was elected chairperson of the Franklin Local Board at an inauguration ceremony in Pukekohe on Wednesday night.
All nine elected local board board members were officially sworn into office at the ceremony.
Fulljames, in her second term as a board member, is the first woman to lead the board in its sixyear history.
She said she was honoured to be elected.
‘‘I am really looking forward to the next three years.
‘‘Franklin is riding a wave of change, including significant population growth which brings both opportunity and challenges.’’
Fulljames will be joined by deputy chair, Andy Baker, who was chairman of the local board for the past two terms.
She said the board was focused on getting Franklin the infrastructure it needed to allow communities to thrive.
‘‘We will also work with our community, from Awhitu to Maraetai and in between, to gain a greater understanding of their needs and to help their communities prosper.
Baker said he would continue to work hard for Franklin and the Pukekohe Subdivision as deputy chair.
‘‘I still treat representing Franklin as a privilege and passion more than a job so will just get on with that.’’
He also said he was proud of what he helped to achieve for Franklin during his time as chair.
‘‘I know what things have my fingerprints on them and what has been achieved through an intervention from me and that makes me smile.’’
Auckland deputy mayor and Franklin councillor Bill Cashmore said Baker has served the community well over the past six years.
‘‘His wisdom, his knowledge, his experience is still around the table and that’s absolutely critical for Franklin.’’
The Franklin Local Board needed to continue to lead the way when it came to community growth in Auckland, Cashmore said.
The board agreed its first local board meeting for the term will be Tuesday, November 22 at 9.30am at the Franklin Local Board office.