PADDY O'BRIEN
CHAIR
ONZM
Paddy is a proud Southlander who served in the New Zealand Police before becoming the World’s first professional rugby referee, a position he held until his retirement in 2005. Since then, his focus has been on training and supporting referees, firstly as World Rugby 15s Referee Manager and currently as the Sevens Referee Manager.
He was awarded the ONZM in the 2005 New Years Honours list for his services to Rugby Refereeing.
He was the Patron for Police Recruit Wing 370 that Graduated from the Police College in August 2023.
Married to Carolyn, they have four adult children and three grandchildren.
Born and educated in Invercargill Paddy is a very proud Southlander who has been a trustee on the ILT Foundation board since 2016 before being elected as ILT Foundation Chairman in 2022.
Paddy has a particular interest in ensuring the elderly and sick who are the most vulnerable in our society are treated with respect compassion and dignity. He played a major part in fundraising for the $39 Million Hawthorndale Dementia Care Village which opened in Invercargill in May 2025. He remains a Director on that not for profit Board.
ANGELA NEWELL
BA, PG Dip (Arts), Dip TCHG, LTCL
Ange feels privileged to serve as Deputy Chair on the ILT Foundation. She enjoys all aspects of the organisation’s work and is particularly passionate about seeing the community supported with equitable and sustainable grants that are so essential for the city.
Beyond her many years’ experience in the primary, secondary and adult education sectors, Ange serves on the Enrich@ILT board and is a Speech NZ examiner.
Other career highlights include nineteen years at Great South/Venture Southland as Creative Projects Manager, developing projects such as the Southland Arts Festival and Shakespeare in the Park.
As a board member on Arts Murihiku, Ange continues to support arts and culture, complemented by her own practice in the performing arts.
ANDREW WARD
As a partner at Ward Adam Bryan-Lamb Barristers and Solicitors in Invercargill, Andrew brings valuable legal expertise and a solid understanding of the Trust model through his firm’s professional association with the ILT Foundation.
He is thrilled to join the board and sees it as a great opportunity to give back to community.
He looks forward to collaborating with the other Trustees to achieve that purpose.
GRAHAM HAWKES
Graham is delighted to represent the people of Invercargill on the ILT Foundation Board. He and his family have operated several food and beverage operations in the South. With over 60 years of hospitality experience, he brings industry expertise to the board table.
Graham is a well-regarded chef who has received several hospitality awards throughout his career. Including the Hospitality New Zealand Hall of Fame, Honourable Life Member of World Chefs, and inaugural member of the NZChefs Hall of Fame. He is passionate about the hospitality industry and believes in continuing to reinvest in the Hospitality Business, encouraging career pathways for young people.
Better known as Hawksy, he has created a Pathway for Further Training for Young Chefs in Training from around Southland entering the hospitality sector, showcasing plenty of Southland’s fantastic produce on Southland menus.
Having sold his own hospitality business; Graham is enjoying semiretirement with his wife Glenise and looks forward to giving back to the industry he loves.
JASON MCKENZIE
BSR Mgmt, PG Dip Tchg, M. Couns
Jason is a passionate born and raised Southlander. After some time away to study and travel he has spent the last 29 plus years living and working in our great city. Where he and his wife Suzanne have enjoyed raising their two daughters.
During his career journey, Jason has worked in various roles including secondary school teaching, managing Invercargill’s alternative education program, and working as a counsellor in schools and private practice.
For the past eighteen years, he has worked in High Performance sport in Athlete Life and Mental Skills roles from talent development to elite level. With a focus on wellbeing, personal development, and performance skills. He enjoys working with people – athletes, coaches and businesses to manage the pressures of life and performance.
Jason has loved his time on the ILT Foundation board and has been privileged to see the positive impact the ILT Foundation has had on the wellbeing of our community across all sectors. He looks forward to seeing this work continue.
MANDY SMITH
Mandy Smith joins the ILT Foundation Board as an Independent Trustee, bringing diverse experiences working across grassroots, local, national, corporate and not-for-profit organisations.
Mandy drives community led systems change in the rangatahi space in her role as a Community Catalyst for Te Rourou, One Aotearoa Foundation. She believes that through collaboration and innovative approaches that value the voices of lived experience we can create change.
Her governance experience includes board roles with St Patrick’s School, South Sea Spray, Kā Taoka I Tuku Iho, The Workshop and Action Station.
As a born and bred Southlander, she feels privileged to represent her community on the board and is committed to continuing to ensure funding is returned to benefit our local community.
SEAN BELLEW
Sean is an experienced ILT Foundation Board, having served for a number of years.
During his time on the board, he has been involved with the gifting of millions of dollars to the local community. He has enjoyed being part of the board that has driven several projects, most recently the building of the landmark property The Langland’s Hotel, which has led to the renaissance of Invercargill City.
As a Licensed Real Estate Agent and Auctioneer, Sean appreciates the large scale commercial activity associated to the ILT Foundation Board. He finds the funding side of the organization very fulfilling as it allows for a more philosophical approach to the community.
Sean is married to Becky, with one child and one granddaughter.
Outside the boardroom, he has a love of the great outdoors, especially hunting and is the President of Southland Racing Club, the chair of Ascot Park Consortium and a board member of Racing Southland.
SHEREE CAREY
Sheree Carey is proud to serve on the ILT Foundation Board, bringing a strong sense of community, connection, and contribution to her role.
With a background in radio and television spanning over 20 years, Sheree now leads the Southland Business Chamber as CEO, supporting more than 600 businesses across the region.
Her governance experience includes board roles with the Southland Community Law Centre, COIN South, and Southland Community Radio Trust.
Deeply committed to social impact, Sheree is the co-founder of KIND Women and a long-time advocate for the It’s Not OK anti-violence campaign.
Her passion for inclusion and equity saw her named a finalist in the NZ Women of Influence Awards in the Diversity category.
Outside of her professional life, Sheree enjoys great food, travel with her husband Dwayne, and running their second-hand store in Riversdale as a side project.
SUZANNE PRENTICE
CNZM OBE
Suzanne is a long serving board member with a passion for working with smaller groups and individuals to help ensure they have the same opportunity to achieve success in their endeavors.
Suzanne is a well-known entertainer who has managed her own successful business in the entertainment industry, both nationally and internationally for over 50 years. You may also know her from her role as event coordinator for Hospice Southland which sees her regularly running events in the community.
Married to Steve for 49 years, they have two children and four grandchildren, who also keep her busy.
Suzanne is also a trustee on the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust. This is a vital service for Southland and one she is extremely proud to be a part of.