Northland Inc GM Appointed Chair Of Economic Development New Zealand

Over the past six years Economic Development New Zealand has evolved into a thriving, sustainable and resilient organisation providing professional services to thousands of economic developers across New Zealand. 2023 marks a further evolution in EDNZ’s history as the Chair of EDNZ, Pam Ford, (December 2019 - November 2022) Director of Investment and Industry, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited passes stewardship of EDNZ to the incoming Chair, Vaughan Cooper, General Manager Investment and Infrastructure at Northland Inc.

Vaughan Cooper, GM Investment and Infrastructure at Northland Inc has been appointed as Chair of Economic Development New Zealand.

In departing from the role of Chair, Pam said “ It has been a privilege to serve as Chair of EDNZ My sincere thanks go to past and present Board members, the CEO Susan Houston, and EDNZ members who have supported me in the role of Chair. The organisation is in good hands with Vaughan as leader who has both a keen sense of the legacy he is inheriting and the importance of EDNZ’s role in New Zealand’s economic development landscape.”

Vaughan will take up his role as Chair at the upcoming January Board Meeting. Vaughan has served on the EDNZ Board before and has impressed as both a strategist and a people person with exceptional engagement skills. His pragmatic approach and depth of economic development experience will stand him and EDNZ in great stead as EDNZ moves forward.

The CEO of EDNZ, Susan Houston (March 2017 – February 2023) will also be passing on the baton in 2023. Susan has worked hard over the past six years to revive EDNZ. In commenting on her time at EDNZ Susan said “I feel that I have achieved the objective I set myself in 2017, which was to create the necessary changes to allow EDNZ to grow and become all that it could be. It is now time for me to pass the baton to someone with new energy and vision knowing that EDNZ is in good hands. My thanks to past and present Board members for their support and to the many members of EDNZ who have been just awesome to work with.”

The incoming Chair, Vaughan Cooper thanked both Pam and Susan for their committment to EDNZ over many years “I am sad that I won’t have the opportunity to work with Susan as CE, she has become somewhat of a legend in New Zealand’s economic development landscape but I do wish her well in her new role. I am optimistic about the future of EDNZ and look forward to working with my fellow board members to drive the organisation forward.

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