Seeking new members for our voluntary board

Who we are

Interpreting New Zealand is an incorporated society with charitable status, begun by a group of former refugees 30 years ago to meet the need for trained and supported interpreters in Wellington. We now provide training and professional interpreting services throughout New Zealand. Our funding model is that of a social enterprise: the requesting organisation pays a fee which covers the interpreter’s pay and contributes to the organisation’s overheads funds. The service is free to the migrant/former refugee end-user.

We are governed by a voluntary Board, whose members are elected at our AGM every November. It is a culturally diverse board, many of whose members are migrants themselves.

The standard term of office for each board member is two years, with the option of standing for election again for two further terms. Officers can of course resign at any time.

This November we hope to elect three new board members to join the five who are continuing.

?The commitment

The board meets in the evening 6 to 8 times a year, sometimes in the Interpreting New Zealand office in Wellington and sometimes on-line. If the meeting is in the office out-of-towners can participate remotely.

For each meeting the papers are made available on-line so that members can read them and add comments prior to the meeting.

If they have the time and the expertise, individual board members may be asked to volunteer to undertake small special projects to further the organisation’s strategic objectives.

Most years we will have a one-day weekend session – either a governance training workshop or a strategic planning workshop.

This year we are having a strategic planning workshop on Sunday November 27th, attended by senior staff, the new 2022-23 board, and the 2021-22 members who stood down at the AGM.

The first meeting of the 2022-23 board is on December 6th. At that meeting the dates for 2023 will be confirmed.

Ideal applicants

This year we are especially interested in recruiting people with leadership skills.

Governance experience is welcome but not essential – we have our own governance manual and we include a short governance training session in each of our meetings.

Most importantly, we seek people who value the contribution of migrants and refugees to New Zealand and who want to play a part in minimising the barriers to their living well here.

The process

If you are interested, email the Board chair: [email protected]. She will then ring you to discuss the role and your interest in it.

If, after that conversation, you are still interested in standing for election, you will be asked to submit a simple expression of interest form to the board by November 9th.

The AGM is in the early evening of November 15th. A summary of what you have submitted will be available to the members at the meeting and, if you are able to be present, either on-site or on-line, you will be asked to speak briefly about yourself before the vote is taken.