Chief Executive, founder

Anna is an experienced health communications professional and NGO leader. Anna has over 25 years professional communications experience and has spent the last 16 years working in the New Zealand health sector. During this time, she has designed, led and delivered numerous national, regional and local public health campaigns and projects. Since 2020 Anna has been focusing on applying her public health marketing and communications skills to leading community-based health promotion organisations. She co-established the Southern Wellbeing Trust in 2020 and since July 2022 Anna has founded and led the Headlight Charitable Trust.

Project Lead - Migrant Mental Wellbeing Programme

Anna, an immigrant from China, has been in New Zealand for three years with her family, having previously lived in the United Kingdom and Singapore. She is an active advocate for local philanthropy, deeply involved in community activities. Anna not only participates in charitable events but also leads the Queenstown Chinese community in the Arrowtown autumn parade, highlighting their cohesion. Collaborating with the QLDC welcoming community, she helps convey essential messages to the Chinese community for better integration and organizes support for those in need, showcasing her dedication. With her extensive community experience, Anna provides valuable assistance to Headlight, enhancing understanding of community needs and mental well-being. Her enthusiastic leadership positively impacts community integration and development efforts.

Marketing Specialist

Carrie has completed a Bachelor of Commerce in Canada. She has worked in Digital Marketing for 6 years with a diverse range of businesses with her passion lying in working with community oriented organisations. Carrie believes in the importance of overcoming the stigma around talking about mental health and that the Trust has paved the path to creating a strong community foundation here in Queenstown.

Jose is a highly accomplished IT/Business Consultant and Strategist originally from Argentina. 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.

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.