Council announces board appointments

A FIFTH board director position will be kept vacant as Waitaki District Health Services Ltd continues to undergo change.

The Waitaki District Council this week announced a raft of reappointments for its four councilcontrolled organisations and included in its statement the news that the organisation that operates Oamaru Hospital would take on Keith Marshall, who once managed the nationwide establishment of district health boards — as an adviser — while the fifth board director position would remain vacant.

‘‘Given this period of change and consolidation for Oamaru Hospital, we have decided that the most effective course of action was to appoint someone who has a wealth of knowledge around change management and transitional processes. Mr Marshall also brings a pragmatic approach which will assist in building a better relationship between the hospital and its numerous stakeholders,’’ Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said in the statement.

Waitaki District Health

Services chairman Paul Allison praised the ‘‘widespread experience’’of Mr Marshall who was part of ‘‘NZ’s largest public sector reform in the past two decades’’.

Dr Andrew Wilson has been reappointed to the board for three years.

The council statement also noted former Road Metals general manager George Kelcher had been appointed as a new director of Whitestone Contracting Ltd.

Mr Kircher also praised the addition of Mr Kelcher as a director of the councilowned civil construction company.

Mr Kelcher worked his way up the ranks of the Oamaru sand and aggregates producer Road Metals since joining the company in 1975. He stood down at the end of last year and took up the role at Whitestone Contracting on January 1.

Glen Claridge has been reappointed to the board of Omarama Airfield Ltd for a second term of three years.

Mike McElhinney and Janine Tulloch were both reappointed to the board of Tourism Waitaki Ltd for their second three year terms.