At our last meeting we were appraised of the life and times of our Guest Speaker, Damian Light including the challenges (and opportunities) facing the Howick Local Board in 2023. Damian is the Chair of the Howick Local Board, responsible for decision-making on local issues, activities, and services such as libraries, parks and community programmes.
Before being elected in October 2022, Damian worked for over 15years in process improvement and business performance. He is a member of the NZ Institute of Directors and has served on a range of boards including local community groups, charitable organisations, and commercial businesses.
With over 150,000 residents to serve, the nine members of the Local Board face tough decisions this year as Auckland Council’s financial challenges mean reductions in funding - how do we do more with less?
Damian's emphasis on opportunities rather than problems, gave the members some hope in the decision-making process now confronting this local board. We look forward to his return visit sometime in the months ahead, once their budget has been finalised and he is able to explain what decisions they had to make and why.