About NZILE

Meet the NZILE Councillors

	President
		Carol Newton (email) Chapman Tripp Solicitors Auckland Ph: 09 357 9043	Carol is a Fellow of the Institute and has over 25 years experience in law, presently practising in the Trust and Estate Administration area.  Carol joined the Council in 1989 and started the Institute's newsletter Envoy.  Carol relaxes with her love of gardening and yoga.
	Vice President
		Jenny Gilmore (email) Tompkins Wake Ph: 07 838 6013	Jenny started working at Tompkins Wake in December 1970, initially in accounting and then a secretarial role. She started working as a legal executive in July 1979 and completed the Legal Executive Certificate in 1981. She is a Fellow of NZILE and an associate at Tompkins Wake, where she manages the property department. Having been one of the first graduates of the Diploma in Legal Executive Studies in 2005, Jenny’s other interests include golf and gardening.
	Treasurer & Auckland Branch President
		Robyn Shephard (email) Opus International Consultants Ph: 09 355 9230	Robyn started her career at LINZ, completing the NZ Certificate in Survey Draughting. In 1997, after an internal shift to Property Services, she completed the New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive Course and in 2006 she completed the University of Waikato Diploma in Legal Executive Studies. Robyn joined Opus International in 2000, dealing primarily with Crown and Local Authority land and determining land status for surveyors and others needing to sort anomalous issues. She has a penchant for NZ land history dating back to pre- and post-Treaty acquisitions. In her spare time Robyn spends time with her family, does voluntary work for Kidz First Hospital neo-natal unit and enjoys solving cryptic crosswords at any opportunity.
	NZILE Executive Officer
		Joanne Buckton (email) PO Box 64 232 Botany Auckland Ph: 09 250 1630 Fax: 09 250 1631	Having worked in a variety of law clerk roles while studying for her Legal Executive Qualification, once attained, Jo worked as a Legal Executive until leaving to assist in the family business. Two children and many committees later, having also assisted in the establishment of the Howick Free Legal Service, Jo joined NZILE in early 2001.
	Canterbury Branch President
		Carol Johns (email) Clark Boyce Christchurch Ph: 03 379 4420 Link to website	I have 18 years legal office experience and qualified as a Legal Executive in 2000. I assist seven partners in the firm of Clark Boyce with a wide range of conveyancing transactions. I am married and have three teenage daughters. I love dogs and have a 5 year old standard black poodle. I am interested in art and enjoy sewing. .
	Nelson Branch President
		Shirley Taylor (email) Rout Milner & Fitchett Nelson Ph: 03 548 0064	Shirley qualified as a Legal Executive in 1990 while working at the same law firm in Nelson that she works for today. Shirley is married with 2 adult sons and enjoys the Nelson scene to the fullest – boating, music, the arts and of course the local wineries. Shirley enjoys travel and, if her youngest son ever stays still in one spot long enough, she hopes to use her long service leave to visit him in Europe.
	Northland Branch President
		Vanassa McGoldrick (email) Henderson Reeves Connell Rishworth Ph 09 430 4350	Vanassa McGoldrick qualified in 1990 as a Legal Executive, and initially worked in Auckland, initially for a medium sized firm, and then for a sole practitioner. Mid 1990s saw her take off (again) overseas where she continued to work in the legal field, but more in secretarial roles, before returning to New Zealand in 1997 to have her children. Vanassa is a sole parent of two lively girls aged 7 and 9 and returned to legal executive work three years ago with Henderson Reeves Connell Rishworth. She is based in the commercial team and enjoys a mixture of conveyancing, commercial, estates and trusts. Vanassa has been disabled from birth and has a passion for helping create a barrier-free environment within New Zealand and to help the disabled community at local and national levels..
	Rotorua/Bay of Plenty/Gisbourne Branch President
		John Payne (email) C/- Keam & Associates, Tauranga Ph: 07 577 9959	John is a Fellow of the Institute and has legal experience spanning around 35 years. He commenced with a Queen Street, Auckland firm, later moving to Manurewa, then Tauranga. John is now an associate of Keam & Associates, where he has worked for 19 years. John is married to Maureen. They have a son (now living in the USA) and a daughter, who with her husband and three boys now live in Hong Kong. John is passionate about his family. His interests include home and garden, walking and cars, both modern and classic.
	Waikato Branch President and Council Delegate
		Jackie Judson (email) Tompkins Wake, Solicitors Ph: 07 838 6016	Jackie started working at Tompkins Wake in 1981, initially as an administrative assistant working for three Legal Executives. She received the New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive Certificate in 1995. She is a Fellow of the Institute and works within the property team at Tompkins Wake. Jackie’s spare time is kept busy with her husband and young daughter.
	Wellington Branch President
		Pamela Steer (email) Brandons Ph: 04 472 6904	Pamela began her legal career in 1977 as a legal secretary in a Lower Hutt firm and has been working in a legal environment for over 20 years. Pamela enjoys working in the legal profession and also enjoys being involved with The New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives. Pamela currently works as a legal executive at Brandons in Wellington city. She has three sons, a daughter, a grandson and another grandchild due in October 2007 (hence she has only worked 20 years out of the last 30 in the legal profession).
	Councillor
		Gillian Whinray (email) Norris Ward McKinnon, Solicitors Hamilton Ph: 07 834 6034	Gill qualified as a legal Executive in 1983 and became a Fellow of the Institute in 2000. She was one of the first graduates of the Diploma in Legal Executive Studies in 2005. She has worked at Norris Ward McKinnon for 21 years and has recently been appointed an Associate of the firm and the team leader of the property team. Gill joined the council in 2006. Gill enjoys movies and reading in her spare time and spending time with family and friends.
	Councillor
		Erin Gibson (email) Willis Toomey Robinson Ph: 06 835 3229	I have worked as a legal executive for just over 20 years. I started out at Willis Toomey Robinson in Napier and then did a lengthy stint at Langley Twigg, returning to Willis Toomey Robinson about three years ago. I have always worked in the Family Law area although I have tried my hand at a bit of conveyancing and immigration work. I have always held an interest in Family Law especially the area of Child Law and Domestic Violence. I basically run my own practice with referral to our team solicitor or the partner in charge of our team when required. As well as this, I am a tutor for the NZLS Legal Executive Course introduction paper "Law Office Practice". I have tutored this paper for three years and enjoy being involved in education. I started off my career as a teacher and like the challenge of making it fun and interesting. I am also a Justice of the Peace. I enjoy time with friends and family and travelling. Last year I went to Korea and this year I am off to Italy for six weeks. I live in sunny Hawkes Bay and truly love the life style here. We are lucky to have great wineries and a number of fabulous events throughout the year.
	Councillor
		Vivienne Nesbitt (email) Ph:	Viv moved to NZ from Scotland 25 years ago and worked in a variety of different jobs before undertaking the NZLS Legal Executive Course. She graduated in 2003 and has worked for Public Trust in Lower Hutt since 2004, specialising in conveyancing. She enjoys travelling, gardening and is a self-professed computer geek.
	Councillor
		Linda Whatson (email) Scholefield Cockroft Lloyd Invercargill Ph: 03 218 4089	Linda is a Fellow of the Institute and has been employed by legal firms since 1982. She has been employed by Scholefield Cockroft Lloyd since 1988, completed the Legal Executive Certificate in 1992, and is currently specialising in residential conveyancing and assisting with farming transactions. Linda has been on Council since 2004 and feels it is important that some representation from the lower South Island be maintained at Council level. She has a son and daughter both living in Southland. She has been a member of Lions International for the past 26 years, chaperones her daughter's senior grade marching team and enjoys gardening and porcelain doll making.