Trust Board
John Simpson
John Simpson has been the executive trustee for the Maerewhenua Trust Board since its inception in 1985 when it applied the foundation fund of $30,000 toward the deposit on its first property at Greenlane in Auckland.
In the years since, he has learned the art of cultivating good, positive and enduring relationships with tenants, real estate agents, valuers, lawyers, bankers, insurance brokers and tradespeople.
He credits his experience as a youth trainer at Auckland’s Penrose High School, the Boys’ Brigade and the Christchurch YMCA as the basis for these relationship skills that have been a key factor in the trust’s evolution into the entity that it is today.
He lives at Wainui on Banks Peninsula where his current interests include ridding his local neighbourhood of possums, learning more about sea kayaking and pack rafting, and taking up any opportunity to get into the hills with a pack on his back.
Mark Simpson
Mark Simpson grew up in Christchurch with a passion for the outdoors, excited for the next family Easter weekend tramp, YMCA summer cycling camp or YMCA winter ski camp.
Paragliding is now his primary recreational pursuit, but he is still a keen backcountry skier and mountain biker.
He is currently based in Telluride, Colorado where he raises a young family, works as a real estate agent, and owns a real estate investment entity.
His association with the Maerewhenua Trust began 20 years ago when, as a teenager he helped paint and maintain buildings that are now its cornerstone assets. He now looks forward to using his professional experience to assist in guiding the philanthropic efforts of the trust for many years into the future.
Daniel Parkinson
Daniel is a FMC member, and assists with the financial side of things for FMC. Based in Christchurch, he loves exploring new places in the outdoors, generally trail running and tramping. Bagging New Zealand’s numerous, varied and spectacular backcountry huts is a particular passion, and nothing sparks more joy than clambering up to a remote ex Forest Service Hut painted bright orange. Daniel is a chartered accountant with ten years’ experience, including at BDO in Wellington and EDF Energy Renewables in the UK. He currently works as an accountant at Generus Living Group, and has built up good experience in accounting for commercial property.
Les Bouterey
Les Bouterey has been in the Boys’Brigade for 60 years, starting as a youth member at the age of 14. He has since captained a large, active Christchurch Central City BB company for 25 years, been the National President for 6 years, and is currently the national adjudicator for the Queens Badge award.
He retired as an electrician for NZ Post with a 45 year service record, and has since project managed the St Paul’s Trinity Pacific Presbyterian church’s EQ rebuild and served as the Property Manager.
Les has always been grateful to the BB for introducing him to outdoor activities which directly led on to his enthusiasm for tramping and mountaineering into the wild places of NZ.
With this passion for the outdoors, he was inspired to enthuse teenagers of the younger generation, and he counts it a priviledge to have retained links with so many of these people whereby to this day, group trips into backcounty NZ are still an important part of their lives.