MEDIA RELEASE
IPANZ Welcomes New President

Wellington, 14 December 2009 – At a special general meeting held on 9 December, the Institute of Public Administration New Zealand elected Len Cook as the Institute’s new president.

“Mr Cook brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this role,” said IPANZ board member Aimee Nicholson. “The organisation is currently in good stead and we look forward to working with Mr Cook to further the Institute’s work to promote improvements in policy, administration and management in the public sector.”

Mr Cook is a professional statistician who was Government Statistician of New Zealand from 1992 to 2000. He also served as Director of the Office for National Statistics, United Kingdom, and Registrar General of England and Wales from 2000 to 2005. Currently Mr Cook is a senior associate with the Institute of Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, and on the advisory board for the New Zealand Centre for Social Innovation.

Mr Ross Tanner, who served as the Institute’s president for over three years, had recently advised the IPANZ management board that he would be stepping down from the role.

Under Mr Tanner’s presidency the voluntary, not-for-profit organisation increased the number of seminars and events it offered, expanded its programme to include a successful Parliament in Practice training series, instituted the IPANZ Gen-i Public Sector Excellence Awards, and revamped the Institute’s journal Public Sector and its website.

As IPANZ Vice President Brenda Pilott said, “IPANZ has made great progress under Ross’s leadership and he leaves the organisation in good heart and well placed to be even more effective and influential in the future.”

After the proceedings, IPANZ members welcomed Mr Cook as the new president. His presidency became effective immediately.

ENDS

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