Whanganui & Partners: local economic development

Jonathan leads Whanganui & Partners and is responsible for guiding our strategic direction and supporting the Whanganui & Partners team to achieve at a high level. He heads Whanganui & Partners' engagement with the public and with Whanganui District Council. Jonathan has lead Whanganui & Partners since early 2023. He has two decades of marketing management experience through positions at AXA and Rank Group in the UK and has been Head of Marketing at UCOL in NZ.

Emma works directly with artists and creative workers to make Whanganui a place where creatives thrive. She has been working in the arts for two decades, as an artist, consultant, curator and advocate. She is deeply involved in the local arts community and has been a member of the Public Art Steering Group for the Whanganui District Council, the Keynote Speaker for the CoLab glass conference in 2019 and co-founder of the Whanganui Small Publishers Group.

As Strategic Lead - Business, Tim works directly with local business owners and sole traders to help them achieve their business goals. He advises on new business ideas, staffing, location, product development, markets and more. Tim initiates programmes to engage and support the business community and to attract businesses and investment to Whanganui.

Colleen works with agribusiness stakeholders to develop strategies and initiatives that will develop our region into a food and fibre powerhouse. Colleen knows the rural sector through experience as both a regional councillor and involvement with the business side of dairy farming. She regularly facilitates sessions to help rural people increase their profitability, add to their knowledge base and connect with those within and associated with the agricultural sector.

Rach works closely with education providers and industry to make sure that the right training and educational opportunities are available to build the skills that our economy needs. Rach loves taking on big challenges and is passionate about helping people realise their potential. Prior to joining Whanganui & Partners, Rach held the title of Manager of Sustainable Funding and Innovation at Te Manawa in Palmerston North. She has also worked for UCOL Whanganui and was pivotal in the establishment of the Te Pae Tata - Ruapehu Community Learning & Tech Hub, in Ruapehu.

Paul works with our tourism operators and regional partners to lift the value of the visitor economy in Whanganui. He produces and contributes to publications and guides promoting Whanganui and leads Whanganui's Regional Tourism Organisation. Paul wants visitors to love their time in Whanganui and wants to see the visitor industry thrive, and our local economy do so along with it. Paul has years of experience working in the tourism industry in New Zealand and internationally. Paul also has line management of the i-SITE team.

Rebecca oversees the promotion of Whanganui as well as managing our event fund. She ensures Whanganui's profile continues to be raised positively and meaningfully and builds Whanganui's reputation as a destination to visit, live, study and invest. Rebecca also leads the agency's media engagement. She has extensive media experience in editing, journalism, social media moderation and newspaper production.

Billie is responsible for overseeing the running of our busy isite. She is an expert on what to do, see, and where to stay in Whanganui. She makes sure visitors have the very best experience possible when they come to the isite and leave with the intention of returning to Whanganui again. Billie has been working in the visitor industry for most of her career and is proud of the isite's overwhelmingly positive user feedback.