The team — Major Arc

Ross Wilson [Chair]

Ross is a lawyer and mediator from Wellington who spent most of his working life as a union leader, but for the past 10 years, since retiring as President of the Council of Trade Unions, has been involved in international development and governance work. He welcomed the opportunity to Chair the Trust from mid 2017, and enjoys working with the talented group of fellow trustees.

Mere Boynton

Mere is of Te Aitanga a Mahaki,Te Aitanga a Hauiti and Tuhoe descent. She is a multi-talented singer, actor and MC. She has had formal training in voice and she has developed her own style of singing that draws upon her classical training and taha Māori. Mere is well known for her ability to cross genres from opera through to light jazz and waiata Māori. She has worked in events management and community engagement for Wellington City Council, Taki Rua Theatre and Te Papa Museum. She currently resides in Napier and is the programme manager for the Te Ha Trust, Tairāwhiti. Mere continues to create and collaborate with other artists on new music and theatre pieces.

Rebecca Guppy

Rebecca has worked in hospitality for over half of her life. With a massive love for food she spends her days making treats in the kitchen at the Seashore Cabaret. She is also an art school drop out and has an interest in writing and lots of things creative. When she isn't in the kitchen she is knitting or hanging out with her dogs. She has welcomed becoming part of Major Arc as a way to exercise her artistic vision and Major Arc welcomes her fresh perspective and energy. She is currently working on a book with the support of Major Arc. A work that combines her writing with visual art.

Emily McDowell

Emily’s ‘pro-social’ documentaries and/or campaigns have been screened by broadcasters including BBC World, MTV International and Al Jazeera, and are typically further shared as educational resources. Her series on young people and climate change aired to the world’s largest youth audience. She co-produced/directed High Tide Don’t Hide, the internationally screened feature documentary on student climate strikers, on which Major Arc was pleased to partner.

Tina McNicholas

Tina is Fijian and grew up in Porirua East, New Zealand. Over the last 25 years Tina has held various policy, management and governance roles within the public and NGO sectors in New Zealand, and international development in the Pacific. Most of Tina’s career has focused on improving the health and wellbeing of Pacific peoples. She is passionate about community development, civics and citizen participation, and remains active in community governance roles, training and advocacy. Tina is super excited about joining Major Arc and hopes to continue her fledgling journey in creative writing.

Amanda Millar

Amanda has a life-long passion for telling people’s stories. She has worked in journalism for over 30 years, gaining 18 national awards for her reporting on TV current affairs programmes, 60 Minutes, 2020 and Sunday. She also has produced more than 20 independent documentaries. In 2010, she left Mediaworks to set up her own communication company, AmandaMillar & Co. Her aim is to continue to tell stories that make a difference and inspire change in the lives of New Zealanders.

Lala Rolls

Lala is a Fiji-born European who migrated to New Zealand at the age of 17. She is the founding director of Island Productions Aotearoa. Her work has a strong Pacific and Maori focus and includes music videos for indigenous musicians in New Caledonia, Fiji, and Rapa Nui; many television documentaries; short films and the acclaimed feature documentaries ‘Children of the Migration’ and ‘Land of My Ancestors’. Lala has also had a long career as an editor of both documentary and drama. She is currently working on the feature drama script for ‘Shearers Motel’ (an Australian co-production) and ‘Tupaia's Endeavour’ - the international feature documentary supported by Major Arc.

Viv Winter

Viv Winter is a big-time fan and supporter of independent filmmakers telling local stories and currently works as a production accountant on local films and serves as an independent consultant with the NZ Film Commission. She is also involved in her local community gardens and enjoys living the good life in Wellington with her partner and two teenage sons. Working in film has been like finding whanau and cements the belief that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Ken Piddington [Chair], RIP, 1933-2014

Ken came from a lengthy national and international career in public policy. He was the first Director of the NZ Planning Council in 1977, Commissioner for the Environment from 1980 to 1986, and head of the Department of Conservation for its first two years. A call from the World Bank in 1988 triggered a series of different challenges: the establishment of the Global Environment Facility in 1990 and the directorship of the new Department of Environment. Major Arc was honoured to have Ken as our Chair.

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