A senior Whakatāne District Council staff member, with a firm belief in the transformative power of good quality education, is to join the Bay of Plenty Education Trust.

The council’s general manager of strategy and growth, Leny Woolsey, will be signed on as a trustee this month.

She’s been enrolled in formal education programmes for more than half her life and says it’s time to focus her energies on creating opportunities for others.

“I am happy to join the board because I wholeheartedly commit to the vision to transform lives through education. On many occasions I have witnessed the power of good quality education, and yet, access is more limited than it should be.

“I am excited to help the trust continue making impactful changes to the lives of young people and their communities in the Bay of Plenty,” she said.

Dr Woolsey has lived in the Whakatāne area since 2018, after moving to Aotearoa from the United Kingdom in 2009.

As general manager strategy and growth she oversees strategy, corporate planning and policy, climate change and resilience, strategic property, tourism and economic development and project management.

She joined the council in 2023 after 12 years of senior management at the University of Auckland Business School. Prior to her career at the University, Leny worked in event management in the UK and Auckland. She has a particular interest in strategic leadership and governance and is an Institute of Directors NZ chartered member.

Dr Woolsey loves the vibrancy of the Whakatāne district, particularly, she says, the thriving arts culture and the many opportunities to spend time in nature.

She, and husband Nick, live on a kiwifruit orchard near Edgecumbe. They have two daughters and enjoy sailing, mountain biking and music.

Dr Woolsey will join Whakatāne High School assistant principal Renay Jones (Te Whakatōhea) on the trust; and Whakatāne’s David Glover, an experienced director, chair and CEO with a long involvement in the education sector. Other trustees are Nick Earl (chair), Tom Beswick, Jonny Beadle and Richard Dey.