Management Committee

Heinz Fellerhoff

C0- Chairperson

Heinz Fellerhoff is of Dutch and Māori decent, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Kahungunu, and was raised in the Wairarapa and Manawatū. He completed his studies at Massey University where he also currently works as an Advisor and Management Accountant.

He has a strong interest in the community sector and has been involved in environmental, social , and maritime sectors in the past. His interests in the environmental sector are primarily around natural environments and biodiversity, but also has a strong interest in sustainability and waste reduction initiatives.

Heinz currently resides in Palmerston North with Simone, his wife, and Kenna, his young daughter. In his spare time, you will be able to find him caring for Kenna or helping when he can at local working bees at the various parks and reserves in Palmerston North.

 

Rebecca Bell

C0- Chairperson

Rebecca grew up in the rural outskirts of Nelson on a mixed organic farm, has lived all over the North Island as an adult, and has been living in Palmy since 2018.  She has three almost-grown daughters, two of whom were born in Palmy during an earlier stint here.  Rebecca’s parents are American, so she has also spent time as an adult living in the States getting to know her extended family.

She likes to keep active and is currently working towards a goal to run a marathon some time in 2023.

Rebecca’s background is in local government, specifically strategic planning and policy, and over the years has been involved in a range of community projects and initiatives.  She is currently a self-employed consultant in strategic planning and project management.

 

Kendall Palmer-Frecklington

Kendall is a Palmy local who has studied and worked in the area her whole life. She has a background in auditing and achieved her Chartered Accountancy by the age of 25. She is now working in a local accounting firm helping small and medium sized businesses, as well as individuals, to achieve their goals and maximise their outputs. She is an avid animal lover and has an interest in living a sustainable life and minimising her carbon footprint.

When she is not working you will find her either curled up with a book or out and about with her soon to be one year old son at the park.

 

Ellieda Komene

Ellieda has a background in education, community and social services, health and local and central government sectors. In her spare time, she enjoys tramping, taking part in community activities, reading, spending time in the garden and enjoying Aotearoa.  She is passionate about social and environmental issues, helping people and working with communities.

 

Eve Hill

Eve Hill is ENM’s Youth Committee Member and co-leader of the Palmerston North Girls’ High School’s (PNGHS) Enviro-Group, which she has been involved in since she was a year 9 student. Now in year 12 she is deeply committed to moving the PNGHHS towards solar energy, and is passionate about environmental projects and their impact on our rohe.

 

Dr Heather Meikle 

Dr Heather Meikle taught at Palmerston North Girls’ High School for over three decades and was key to it achieving its Green-Gold Enviroschool status in 2023, the first secondary school in the Manawatū to achieve this. Now an Enviroschools facilitator, Heather is passionate about empowering rangatahi to take action on sustainability and connect with their community. She is also enthusiastic about harakeke weaving and an avid reader.

 

Dr Viv Aitken 

Viv's been a resident of Manawatū since 2016. Home is a former forestry block on a windy ridge in Turitea, which she and her husband are working hard to restore with native plantings. After thirty years in education (as an academic, teacher, professional development facilitator, events manager, and author of books for teachers), Viv is now pulling back to spend more time growing things (including grandkids), and volunteering. Viv’s been involved in a range of community groups over the years, including planting, gully restoration and ‘grow food party’ initiatives. She is part of Palmy repair cafe, and she opened her veggie patch to visitors on the ‘Palmy Homegrown' garden tour in 2023.

Viv feels privileged to be selected for the board of ENM and looks forward to supporting the work of the organisation.

Staff

Madz BatachEl

Coordinator

Madz has been on the staff of ENM for a number of years in a variety of roles. In October 2019 she accepted the role of Coordinator, and is enjoying the challenge of keeping up with all the action in the network. She is the founder of Community Fruit Harvest Manawatu, and was instrumental in helping to establish the Manawatu Urban Foraging online community.  On her days off from ENM she helps to home educate 3 of her 5 children.

 

Kerry Jaques

Finance and Administration

Kerry is an experienced accountant/administrator with a public sector background in large organisations. His career has included significant experience in the electricity and tertiary sectors; initially at the Ministry of Energy (13 years), followed by Massey University (22 years) and the Universal College of Learning (just over 5 years).

He has considerable experience in office management and administration, with technical expertise in financial management and strategic planning to a senior level. Kerry is enjoying utilising his experience and knowledge in his role at Environment Network Manawatū.

Outside of work, Kerry and his wife have three adult children all of whom are working professionally. Apart from family, his passions are the outdoors and sport. Currently he is Chairman of Old Boys Cricket Club  in Palmerston North and manages the Premier team. 

 

Helen King

Communications and Events Lead

Helen has worked in the local community sector for over 15 years in a variety of different roles focused on education, communication, fundraising and donations. Helen is well-known for her role as a local grants advisor and educator and enjoys training and supporting organisations in their funding endeavours. An Ashhurst resident, Helen is actively involved in here local community, is an avid permaculturalist with a passion for earth care, people care, fair share and for planting more fruit trees than her section can probably handle. Helen has two children, and many other living creatures furry, feathered and winged that make her life colourful and happy.

 

Sumeet Kaushal

Workflows and Systems Development

Sumeet is a passionate and focused business analyst with strong analytical and technical skills supporting business needs and process mapping for improving existing and introducing new processes. He is also competent at identifying, validating, and documenting business requirements and transforming them into successful technical solutions. Sumeet has had previous expereince working  with Mid District Health Board and Sime Darby Commercial NZ Limited as a Business Analyst.

 

Daniel Morrimire (Morri)

Coordinator, Manawatū Food Action Network

Morri has a diverse background, previously having worked as an avionics technician in the Royal New Zealand Air Force for 7 years before he took up study at Massey University. He has a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Zoology and Ecology as well as a Diploma of Teaching. Morri is a fully registered teacher and spent the last 4 years teaching at a local Montessori early childhood centre. Morri has links with Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manawatū and has a conversational level of fluency in Te Reo Māori thanks to his involvement there as well as having completed two courses through Te Wananga o Aotearoa. He has dreams of one day being self-sufficient, with a developing fruit forest, a small orchard and an expanding series of raised gardens. He lives rurally with his wife and 4 tamariki.

 

Siobhan Hirst

Kai Resilience Kaiāwhina, Manawatū Food Action Network

Having originally emigrated to Wellington from the UK with her family as a 2-year-old, Siobhan has lived in Palmerston North on and off from the age of 10. Siobhan will brings skills and experience in the areas of resource and environmental planning, landscape design and construction, small business management and office administration to her position at ENM. One of her more recent roles was co-owner of a small retail business in Palmerston North selling bulk building, landscaping and gardening materials, which she and her partner Shane ran for 12 years before selling as a going concern in 2019. Her favourite past times include gardening and trail running.

 

Sally Pearce

Future Living Skills Facilitator.

Sally has been involved with ENM for the last 16 years, including 12 years as ENM Coordinator until 2019. Sally came to the Coordinator role having organised a community bush restoration project on family land, something she is passionate about and continues to enjoy.  Sally has a strong interest and involvement in most things environmental, especially protecting our native biodiversity, reducing waste, supporting composting, and sustainable transport. She enjoys riding her push bike to get around the city and in her spare time loves to work in the garden and bush, and to explore some of the amazing natural places we have in this region and beyond. 

 

Ian Rasmussen

Coordinator, Ruahine Kiwi Project

Ian lives in Pohangina and is passionate about and actively involved in predator control within his role through ENM but also within the Ashhurst and Pohangina area where he is involved in the RECAP predator control project

 

Laurin Benedict

Intern 

Laurin is passionate about the holistic and sustainable development of the community and the environment. She has an strong interest in environmental conservation and the mitigation of social inequalities. She moved from India after finishing her Bachelors of Science in Chemistry, Zoology and Botany and is currently completing her Masters' in Sustainable Development Goals at Massey University, Palmerston North.