Our People

Helene Phillips
– Chairman

Helene and her partner, Peter Jarvis moved to Acacia Bay in Taupo to semi-retire in 2008.

A Director of Ferner Galleries, one of New Zealand’s leading art dealers founded by Peter in Auckland in 1985, Helene is a former Foundation Trustee of the Auckland Art Fair and Trustee of the Lake Taupo Arts Trust. She has been President of the Tauhara Luncheon and Lecture Club, a member of the Taupo Women’s Club and was secretary of the organising committee for the 69th annual conference of the New Zealand Rhododendron Association held in Taupo in 2013. She served as an Ambassador of the Geyser Community Foundation from 2013 until her appointment as a Trustee in 2018. Helene was elected Chairman in 2021.

Chris Spargo
– Deputy Chair

Chris formed specialist law firm Blackman Spargo (Rural and Commercial Law) with Ian Blackman in Rotorua in 2003 and has been practising for 16 years.

Blackman Spargo specialise in rural and commercial law, the majority of which involves legal structures, family trusts, tax advice, property transactions, subdivisions, company legal work and overseas investment. A member of the New Zealand Law Society Rural Technical Committee, he has chaired the Society’s Rural Law Conference.

He is married to Heather and they have two children.

Jan Bolton

Jan Bolton is no stranger to the Community Foundation concept. A long-time supporter of the Kaingaroa Village and Murupara communities, she joined Geyser’s Family of Donors back in 2009 and having been appointed as a Trustee in 2021, looks forward to becoming more involved.

A successful local business woman, Jan is proud to live and work in Murupara, where she owns and manages Kaingaroa Roading Contractors, which maintains the unsealed road network in Timberlands’ world renowned Kaingaroa Forest Estate spanning some 200,000 ha in the Central North Island. Six years ago, Jan bought the local garage to house the roading equipment and has also kept it as a working garage.  She can now be found pumping gas from 8 am to 5 pm, five days each week and loves it.

Appointed as a Trustee by the Mayor of Rotorua, Jan has one daughter, a son-in-law – both of whom work for Red Stag Timber, and a granddaughter who attends Murupara Area School.

Mary-Robyn Clement

Born and raised in Rotorua, Mary-Robyn is a chartered accountant and Associate of True North Chartered Accountants. She began her accountancy career in Sydney, and after a short break to raise her family, returned to work in Rotorua. With over 20 years’ experience in the chartered accountancy field, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Geyser.

A people person, Mary-Robyn has four adult children and two grandchildren. In her spare time she enjoys walking, reading and relaxing with friends and family.

Ann Nicholas

A planning consultant, Ann is a principal of Sigma Consultants, a company she helped establish in Rotorua in 1993. Originally from Christchurch, she completed her planning degree in Auckland before moving to Rotorua 40+ years ago, where she and her husband, Ian, who died in 2013, brought up their three children.

The local community has always been important to Ann. She has been involved in a number of voluntary organisations in Rotorua, including being an active member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Rotorua. Outside of work, Ann enjoys walking, biking, gardening and reading, as well as a variety of handcrafts, and spending time with family and friends.

Don Stewart

Having moved to Rotorua from Auckland in 1980, Don is a well-known and respected Chartered Accountant who has practiced for more than 40 years.

A principal of Nairn Fisher for the past 25 years, Don advises a wide range of clients in the areas of taxation, business structures and succession planning.

He has been involved with many community organisations over the years, including working with the JR McKenzie Trust, and is a Past President of Rotorua Lakes Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow.

Don and his wife Clare have three adult children and several grandchildren.

They are passionate about Rotorua and the lifestyle it offers; golf, fishing and mountain biking are favourite activities when time permits.

Alan Wills

The rural community of Reporoa has always ben important to Alan, who grew up there. His parents purchased land post WW2, one of the 170 pioneering families to settle there in the early 1950s.

Educated in Reporoa, Auckland and Canterbury (where he met his wife, Alison), Alan always wanted to be a farmer. After graduating from the School of Agriculture of Canterbury University College (now known as Lincoln University), he took up a 50/50 share-milking position on a family property in Reporoa. He and Alison married in 1976 and after six years share-milking, they purchased part of the family sheep farm and converted it to dairy.

Alan spent 15 years chairing the Board of Trustees of both Reporoa Primary and Reporoa College, and recently completed a six-year term as President of Rotorua/Taupo Federated Farmers.

In his spare time, Alan enjoys competition ploughing and led the New Zealand team overseas to compete at the World Ploughing Championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Alan and Alison have four adult children and 12 grand children.

Well-known in the local community, she grew up in Waikite Valley, and was educated in Rotorua, Reporoa and Wellington. A Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand, Annette is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Rotorua Lakes and a Paul Harris Fellow. She has considerable experience in the community sector having worked with a number of community organisations, locally and further afield, including The Tindall Foundation, JR McKenzie Trust and Rotorua Trust.

You can contact Annette on (07) 349 7496 or email annette@geysercf.org.nz

Passionate about the non-profit sector, she co-founded a small charity in her twenties to raise funds for marine mammal research. Originally from Katikati, Vicky moved to Rotorua 20-odd years ago. A keen mountain biker, she can be found enjoying the trails in Whakarewarewa Forest in her spare time.

You can contact Vicky on (07) 349 7496 or email vicky@geysercf.org.nz