Friday, December 5, 2008
New Chancellor elected to University Council

Wellington company director Dr Russell Ballard has been elected to replace Nigel Gould as University Chancellor.

Dr Ballard, 64, a former high-ranking civil servant who headed several government departments, has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from Massey (1967) and a Master's (1969). His PhD is in forest soils from the University of Florida (1974) and he also has a Diploma in Company Direction with distinction from Britain's Institute of Directors (2003).

Dr Ballard says he put his name forward because he is committed to the vision of elevating Massey to a pre-eminent position among New Zealand universities and to the top echelon of international universities. "I know I share this vision with the new Vice-Chancellor and Council members and I look forward, with your support, to providing leadership in pursuit of this vision."

He says the fundamental building blocks to achieving the vision are: providing a superior student experience and making Massey a workplace of choice for staff.

"Both the VC and the Council have key roles to play and I believe I have a good appreciation of the joint and separate roles of each. I am confident that I have the style, values and knowledge that will contribute to an inclusive, cohesive, energetic and productive Council operating within a robust framework of governance principles and ethical standards."

In 2002 Dr Ballard was one of a group of distinguished alumni to be awarded Massey's 75th Anniversary Medals. He was appointed to the Council in 2005, one of four nominees of the Minister of Education, and chairs its Performance Review Committee. He was named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management.

Mr Gould, the longest serving Council member and Chancellor for the past six years, will remain on council but decided not to offer himself for re-election as Chancellor. Stephen Kos remains the University's Pro-Chancellor.

ENDS