About Us
Trustees
The Trust Deed provides for up to nine trustees serving three-year terms, including one Trustee appointed by the HB Regional Council (so long as HBRC is a significant funder). Trustees appoint the other members.
Andrew Russell
Andrew farms sheep and beef at Tunanui Station in the Sherenden district with Kieran Wills. His family has farmed Tunanui since 1860, giving him a deep connection to the land and community between the region’s two rivers. Andrew has extensive community and governance experience, including 30 years as a Rural Fire Officer, service on the Pukehamoamoa School Board and Sherenden Hall Committee, and membership of the Hawke’s Bay Federated Farmers executive. He also spent 19 years as a trustee of a charitable trust, including five years as Vice Chair. Having farmed through significant weather events, regulatory change and shifts in the local community, Andrew brings practical experience, strong local knowledge and a long-term perspective to the Trust.
Scott Lawson
Scott is a leading Hawke’s Bay grower and one of New Zealand’s largest producers of certified organic berries and vegetables. His business, True Earth, was an early pioneer in organic production and has been certified organic since 1994. Alongside his farming career, Scott has contributed extensively to industry and grower organisations. He is Chair of Hawke’s Bay Vegetable Growers and has previously served on the boards of LandWISE and BioGro. Scott brings deep practical experience in horticulture, organics and industry leadership, together with a long-standing commitment to improving the resilience, sustainability and performance of Hawke’s Bay’s primary sector.
Willie White
Willie manages his family’s 1,100-cow dairy operation, which has been transitioning towards a regenerative organic system since 2019. He holds a B.Com (Ag) from Lincoln University and, after time overseas, spent eight years in rural banking across the Waikato and lower North Island. Willie is actively involved in the Ashley Clinton community, helping establish the Tukipo Catchment Care Group and supporting the Sherwood Cricket Club, whose home ground is on the family farm. He also serves on the Sherwood School Board of Trustees. A graduate of the 2020 Fonterra Governance Development Programme, Willie brings a strong mix of farming, finance, governance and community experience to the Trust.
Richard Pentreath
Richard brings more than 25 years of experience across horticultural production, consulting, industry extension and project delivery. As both a grower and adviser, he has a strong understanding of the commercial and practical challenges facing horticultural businesses, from improving performance and managing risk to navigating industry change. Richard combines hands-on management experience with commercial insight and an evidence-based approach to decision-making. He is passionate about supporting a productive and resilient horticultural sector while balancing commercial performance with the long-term stewardship of people, land and resources.
Xan Harding
Xan is a Bridge Pa grape grower with experience across both conventional and organic production. A former Hawke’s Bay Regional Councillor, he has a strong background in farmer catchment groups, regional water issues and finance. Xan has worked at the intersection of farming, environmental management and regional decision-making, giving him a practical understanding of the pressures and opportunities facing the primary sector. He is particularly interested in helping farmers and growers respond to climate change while maintaining profitability, strengthening resilience and ensuring agriculture remains an attractive and rewarding industry. Xan brings strategic thinking, sector knowledge and a strong focus on practical, farmer-led solutions to the Trust.
Di Roadly
Di is the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) representative on the HBFFCT and an elected HBRC Councillor for Wairoa. She brings more than three decades of farming experience in the Ruakituri, alongside a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and farmer-led change. With a background in education, event management, governance and community facilitation, Di is a member of the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Farmer Council, an MPI Community Hub Facilitator, Coordinator of the Guardians of the Ruakituri Catchment Group and an Environmental Commissioner. Her approach centres on supporting farmers as active stewards of the land, with healthy soils, capable people and practical action at the heart of lasting environmental outcomes. Di brings extensive rural, community and regional governance experience to the Trust.