Our People

Stephen Leitch

Board member, since 2019. 

I have been involved with the Blue Door, mainly as a recipient of grants for the Marlborough Scouting as I had been an active scout leader for the past 15 years. 

I am the Managing Director of Southern Water Engineering, a technology and consulting company, specialising in power and water management. We are based in Blenheim and service the vineyard, winery and primary sectors. 

On a personal note, Nicci and I brought up our three daughters in Blenheim, over the last 20 years. We fill up any of our spare time with gardening (1/2 acre in Springlands) and outdoor pursuits (tramping and boating). 

I am very proud and privileged to involved with the Blue Door and it fills a vital need in the community as it promotes recycling and reuse of goods. At the same time, it gives back profits to the community and provides a focal point for volunteers.

Lindsay Keay

Board member since 2022 

When we moved to New Zealand 20 years ago my first workplace was next door to the Blue Door, which I found to be a warm and welcoming place. It is an honour to serve on the board of an organisation that has done so much to build and help the community for so many years. 

I have worked as an accountant for 30 years. I spent my first years working for PwC and a large portion of that was auditing government and non-governmental aid programmes such as micro loans. I really enjoyed the work and seeing how a helping hand could change people’s lives. In Blenheim I have mainly worked in the wine industry. 

Alastair and I have a daughter and a son. Water polo has played a large role in our lives for the last 10 years and provided much excitement.

Lynda Larsen

Born and raised in Wellington Lynda returned to New Zealand in 2023 having lived and worked in Australia for 22 years. She now resides in Marlborough.

Throughout her career, Lynda has worked in the capacity of account director for a number of major advertising agencies as well as key corporate marketing manager executive roles.

She has undertaken marketing and communication contracting roles in both the public and private sectors and provided marketing support on a voluntary basis for Foodbank Queensland.

A qualified florist, Lynda is a member of the Sustainable Floristry Network and runs floral classes with an emphasis on sustainable floristry practices.

Tony Hawke

I grew up in Palmerston North, and then attended Otago University gaining a qualification in Land Surveying. I can to Marlborough in 1977 working for the then Land & Survey Department. I have been a partner in a local surveying firm for the past 32 years, having recently sold my shareholdings. My work in land surveying has required working closely with the District Council, property developers and the rural community.

I am a keen sports person having played rugby, soccer, cricket, rowed and competed in athletics. I still enjoy playing tennis, bike riding and tramping.

My wife Pip is a local from Ward and we have raised two sons on a small block of land on the edge of town, where ongoing landscaping and gardening has kept us occupied.

I originally joined the Blue Door Board as a vestry representative for Nativity Church and have remained on the board since. I enjoy seeing the benefits that the Blue Door bring to community firstly as a goods recycling centre and secondly to local organisations around Marlborough through the grants allocation.

Kate David

Originally from Wellington, Kate has lived in Marlborough since 2000.

Kate is an experienced employment specialist who has worked across a wide variety of industries in both senior management and general management roles.

Specialising in employment law, Kate has a proven track record in providing consultancy services

to the private, public and not-for-profit sectors throughout New Zealand.

Established in 2018, Kate is the principal of Marlborough Employment Solutions NZ and provides a full range of human resource services from organisational development, talent management and employee relations.

Kate is a member of the Employment Law Institute of New Zealand (ELINZ), and the Institute of Directors.

Richard Dyer

I’m new to the Blue Door and pleased to be part of the team.

 

I am retired after nearly 50 years of ministry. I was originally trained in Sydney, Australia and as part of the training I worked with the Sydney City Mission in Green Valley, (a large housing development) and Balmain (Central and inner Sydney). On returning to NZ I worked as a detached youth worker with the Christchurch City Mission and later on, I was their maintenance and van driver which included fitting out opportunity shops, emergency housing and collecting donated goods. Later Kaye, my wife, and I ran a rural home for street kids out of Rangiora. However, the greater part of our working life was in ministry leadership in regular parishes in the Diocese of Nelson.

Both Kaye and I are ordained. We have two adult sons and three grandchildren. We look after our Blenheim grandson three days a week.

When I can I love getting out into the back country in Marlborough and Nelson. Otherwise, I am likely to be found working with wood and/or repairing things.