Blind Foundation's Chief Executive Resigns

Royal New Zealand Foundation For The Blind's Chief Executive Resigns

Jane Holden, Chief Executive of the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind (RNZFB) announced her resignation today after four years of leadership.

Ms Holden says that she tendered her resignation with mixed emotions, but believes she is leaving the organisation in a robust position.

"My time at the Foundation has been challenging, but I am confident that I will be leaving the organisation in a stronger position than when I joined.

"The staff working for the Foundation are committed not only to the organisation but more importantly to ensuring their work with members is of a high professional and caring standard.

"I believe the Foundation has the capacity to be the leading edge charity in New Zealand and to lead the world in a number of important blindness issues.

"In New Zealand we will shortly become the first charity of our kind that has modernised governance to ensure the underlying principle of self determination and self accountability is possible."

Ms Holden says she can see a strong future for the Foundation under the new governance structure with sincere partnerships between blind and sighted citizens being achieved.

Jonathan Mosen, RNZFB Chairman, says the Board of Trustees accepted Ms Holden's resignation with regret, but adds that her legacy to the Foundation is an impressive one.

"Right from the start Ms Holden's energy and innovation impacted positively on the Foundation.

"In her time with the organisation she has developed and implemented a strategic plan, introduced a new organisational structure that created greater national consistency of service delivery and delivered more service to a growing number of blind and vision-impaired New Zealanders."

Mr Mosen says that Ms Holden cultivated strong relationships with RNZFB consumer groups, disability organisations, community groups and with Government and most significantly, her determination helped to see the introduction and implementation of the future governance of the Foundation.

Ms Holden's resignation takes effect from November 2002.

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