Meet Our New Chair & Deputy Chair

Communications Officer • February 7, 2023

While many of our committee members of our Executive Committee for 2023 remain the same as the previous year, as of Feb 1, we have a few exciting changes we’d like to announce, including our new Community Networks Aotearoa Chair & Deputy Chair.

Chair – Holly Snape

We are thrilled announce Holly Snape as the new Executive Committee Chair. Holly is the Chief Executive of Community Waikato, and has worked in the community sector since leaving the University of Waikato in 2004. Community wellbeing has been Holly’s driving force for more than a decade. She believes in being informed about what is impacting our communities so that we can apply creative solutions to local problems.

Deputy Chair – Liz Davies

Our new Deputy Chair is the wonderful Liz Davies. Liz is the General Manager of SociaLink Tauranga and has previously worked in public health, local government, adolescent health and mental health. She is driven by social justice, and equality.

We feel extremely lucky to have such passionate, values-driven individuals as part of the CNA whānau. To meet the rest of our Executive Committee, check out our team page here .

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Solving Board Problems with Bullet(s) Points...

April 8, 2025

Being part of a community organisation is exciting, rewarding, and sometimes a little chaotic. From passionate debates to trying to make decisions that serve everyone’s needs, it’s no surprise that things can get a bit tangled at times.

Hapori Aotearoa Conference Wrap-Up

By Community Networks • March 10, 2025

Last week Patrick represented CNA at the Hapori Aotearoa – Growing Communities Together in sunny Tauranga presented by Inspiring Communities and the Tauranga City Council. A two-day conference focused on providing practical resources amplifying community development. With each day having multiple concurrent workshops there were difficult (and esciting) choices to be made. The hottest topics were Social Return On Investments / Social Investment, Te Tiriti, and (no surprise) funding within the Sector. There were great speakers and a lot of table korero, spilling of tea, and sharing ideas and resources. Did you know there is a Regional Data Explorer on the Social Investment Agency website ? How might organisations use this to target their mahi and applications? “The Social Investment Agency’s Regional Data Explorer supports access to data for regional and sub-regional decision-making. It brings together 70 datasets or 'indicators' which can be filtered to meet a particular need." Another great workshop (Belinda Gorman ) looked into connecting with businesses to explore various ways of funding. Looking at alignment, how to approach and creating that relationship. One contribution we were able to make was a handy dandy doc on how to use the free version of ChatGPT to create a start – how to create a document that begins your journey on support, sponsorship and funding. Here it is – Using ChatGPT to Get $. And it was a great chance to catch up with Members – SociaLink (also a supporter of the conference); Volunteer Kapiti and Community Networking Trust. It was a time to catch up with friends from other organisations and to make new connections, both strengthening our reach around the Motu. Whilst conferences are expensive, attending can hit many birds with one stone and its important to get out of your own area, headspace to remind yourself that you are not alone in what’s going on; that there are people with ideas around you; and that (while it can be a draining experience) it is a fantastic way to recharge your spirit. We look forward to hosting our Members at our Members’ Only Hui on Friday, 7th November in Te Whanganui-a-Tara /Wgtn for exactly those reasons. Oh, did I mention it’s also our 50th Anniversary celebrations? Patrick Davies, Engagement Officer