Jose Ganga, a highly accomplished IT/Business Consultant and Strategist originally from Argentina, is the Chair of the Board for Headlight Trust. With over 19 years of residence in Queenstown, he has actively engaged with the community through various initiatives, including the TEDxQueenstown Funder Team, Startup Weekend Queenstown, and CLICK Business Incubator. Jose has a multidisciplinary background in several industries and runs his own consultancy business with a passion for creating sustainable businesses and social enterprise entities. He is an avid outdoor adventurer and has a strong presence in the New Zealand Start-up scene, advising and mentoring emerging entrepreneurs. Jose is known for his collaborative and innovative problem-solving approach, and his clients appreciate his strategic thinking and ability to deliver practical solutions that meet their unique needs.

Nathan is a partner at a local accounting firm and has 20 years’ experience working in private practice and corporate positions.

Mel is actively involved in our local community, holding space for and creating connections with many. She is passionate about supporting people in our district and sharing our vibrant community, and believes that everyone’s voice should be heard.

As a facilitator and Whanau Ora Navigator she believes that teaching our whanau skills to have peer to peer conversations are invaluable.

Marion has extensive health system experience working early in her career as a GP and more recently as a public health specialist. She sees strengthening the health and wellbeing of people through building resilience and increasing social connectedness, as an important way to support communities that are facing multiple challenges.

Merle is currently working as a Programme Manager for the School of Social Services at Te Pukenga, the Southern Institute of Technology. Her primary responsibilities include managing the development and delivery of various programmes, such as the New Zealand Certificate Heath and Wellbeing (level 4) and the New Zealand Diploma Heath and Wellbeing (level 5) at both the Invercargill and Wakatipu campuses. In addition, she runs a private practice that offers personal counselling, supervision, and training for NGOs and private businesses on leadership, conflict management, and managing change. Merle is also a member of the Breathing Spaces Trust in Invercargill.