Basketball Hawkes Bay has welcomed a couple of heavy hitting members to its board in its latest governance cycle. Napier City Council’s CEO Stephanie Rotarangi and Sport New Zealand’s Charissa Barham have been appointed onto the board for a 3-year term. Basketball Hawkes Bay’s current Chair Keith Price is excited about the presence and skills the new members will bring to the board. “It’s exciting to get the calibre of Steph and Charissa joining the board. Basketball is ready to go to another level in this region and the skills and experience these two bring will help to accelerate this transition”. Basketball Hawkes Bay’s General Manager Nick Hogan echoed these sentiments “The addition of the new members is exciting for the organisation and the game in Hawkes Bay, I am looking forward to working with this board to help shape the direction of the organisation and have some really good people to lean on to support myself and my team”.

Both Price and Hogan thanked the outgoing members of the board, Nikki Livingston and Cheree Ball. “Both Nikki and Cheree have been important in shaping the organisation to this point and played important roles in the shaping of our current strategic plan, both members provide plenty of input and direction at board meetings and we will miss them going forward” Price stated.

Rotarangi and Barham (bios below) join current board members Keith Price (Chair), Shane Brown, Ben Hill, Gareth Newland and Everard Bartlett for the next governance cycle.

Stephanie Rotarangi – CEO Napier City Council

Steph moved to Napier in 2021, with husband Ants and three children, to take up the role of Napier City Council Chief Executive.  Prior to joining local government , Steph's career as a firefighter took her around the world.  More recently, Steph coordinated the Covid-19 pandemic response in Victoria (Australia) and also controlled the state's response to the devastating 2019 Victorian bushfires.  However, it is sport that has contributed to many of Steph's leadership qualities including building her confidence and resilience, as well as teaching her the importance of individual effort and collective goals.  Growing up in south and central Otago, basketball was a sport that was taken seriously and played by many.  Not only because it provided protection from the infamous Otago weather but because it was accessible to all.  Steph has really enjoyed watching the growth of basketball and is looking forward to being part of its future in Hawkes Bay.   

Charissa Barham – Sport New Zealand Sport Consultant – Sunshine Cluster

Charissa whakapapa’s to Ngati Kahungunu and comes from a whanau that has been ingrained in Sport in Hawkes Bay. Currently residing on a sheep and beef farm in Sherenden with husband Andy and 3 children Kade, Anika and Mana who board at Napier Boys and Napier Girls. Her current mahi is Sport Consultant for Sport New Zealand looking after regional RST’s – Sport Hawkes Bay to Sport Northland and NSO’s alongside contributing to the current Sport New Zealand strategy. Historically she has worked in secondary education and more recently various at Netball NZ and the Pacific Islands (Strategy, Coaching, Youth development, Selecting, Sector leadership). She is proud to be from Hawkes Bay and passionate about giving back to sport that has given her whanau many experiences and memories.

Article added: Monday 16 May 2022