2019 Common Election results

Hello. My name is Andy Grant and I am standing for Allenton School’s Board of Trustees.

I am a previous student of Allenton School, I started in 1983. I am the father of Zara who is currently in room 13, she will turn 6 in October. Charley is our other daughter, she is 3 and attends ABC next to Allenton School some days of the week. I am married to Tamara.

I am currently a director on three commercial boards. Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Ltd, Rangitata Diversion Race (RDR) Management Ltd and Co-operative Business New Zealand. I am the general manager of our families farming operation just north of Allenton. Our farming operation has an advisory board with 2 independent directors and employs 15 fulltime staff at the height of our season. I am a member of the Institute Of Directors’ and have attended a good number of governance training and development courses over the last 5 years. Prior to coming back to the family farming operation I was a rural bank manager.

With this current and previous experience, I believe this will allow me to bring some value to the board. I have had project management experience as a banker, also managing on our farm operation and as a director with Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Ltd.’s multi-million dollar underground pressurised piping upgrade. So I would be really excited to be able to be part of the Allenton School’s board of trustees while the school’s classroom’s/buildings project was in progress. To work hard and smart with the board to make the approved funding go as far as possible, ensuring an improvement in the children’s and staff experiences at Allenton School. This should also increase teacher’s desire to apply to Allenton School in the future when any vacancies do arise.

Craig Jakich
Elected

My name is Craig Jakich and I am standing for the Board of Trustees at Allenton School. My oldest son Fraser is currently in Year 2 and my youngest son Hunter will be starting next year.

I hold a Bachelor in Laws and a Bachelor in Commerce degree and am a Chartered Accountant. I am in charge of the Ashburton office of KPMG, a global accounting firm where we provide compliance and advisory services to local small and medium sized businesses.

I am on the Board of Trustees for a South Canterbury based charity, helping them establish an Early Childhood Education Center and am currently mentoring a rural Mid Canterbury primary school through the Strategic Leadership Program run by the Springboard Charity.

Throughout my career and volunteer work, I have a wide range of experience and expertise to assist Mr Tilby and help Allenton School continue to grow over the the next 6 years that my children will be pupils. I am able to provide assistance on all aspects of financial management, strategic management, and workplace management.

I am particularly excited about working with the Board through the challenges and opportunities that come with the redevelopment of the middle school classrooms and the changes in learning environment this will bring.

It would be my privilege and pleasure to serve on the Board of Allenton School to represent you and your children.

Thanks.

My name is Michael Wong and I am standing for Allenton School Board. I'm a father of three children - one at College, one at Intermediate and one here at Allenton. Outside of the school, I am the Council's Building Services Manager where I am responsible to ensure that all construction within the District is compliant. I am also a member of a government appointed committee providing guidance to the Ministry of Business Employment and Innovation in relation to the Building Act and Building Code.

As part of the current Board, I am a member of the Board Property Committee which is currently very busy with the Ministry of Education build of five replacement classrooms and an additional one for roll growth and therefore I would like to continue to contribute to the schools' direction to ensure the current and future students are learning and growing in the best environment possible. This means that the children learn in a safe and fun place, and leave with the knowledge and social skills to enable them to successfully transition to intermediate school and beyond.