Board farewell’s Steve Taw and Keith Land

Steve Taw

Unfortunately, Steve was unable to join the Charter on his final day as one of the founding members of the Charter Board as he is currently domiciled in Westport helping them through their flood recovery projects.

It is with sadness that we farewell Steve Taw from the Safety Charter Board this year.  Steve was a founding member of the Safety Charter as it transitioned from a WorkSafe initiative to a stand-alone entity.

During the establishment phase of the Safety Charter, the working group tasked with development of the board saw it as critical to have executive level representation and input from the commercial building sector.

Steve was the South Island Regional Manager for Hawkins, he had a reputation of being an astute and respected business manager in the commercial construction sector, someone who knew keenly how things worked at site level through to board level.

Being very well networked and respected, Steve was an attractive target to invite onto the board and welcomed the opportunity when it was offered.

Steve has been very straight up about the expectations, performance and delivery of the Charters goals and how they were executed. Steve’s knowledge of commercial construction has been invaluable when reviewing and ultimately signing off strategic plans effecting that sectors involvement with the Charter.

Steve’s other strength that had a positive influence during his time on the Charter board was his genuine passion for people and how their lives were affected by the demands of their working environment. This passion was very evident when Steve was providing board support and oversight for the Health and Safety Leaders Working Group.

Steve editorials for the Charter newsletter and website were always well written with depth, about people lives and their health. 

Both Board and Staff wish Steve all the best in his future endeavours and acknowledged his time on the board with a founding member plaque.   

Keith Land

It was also with sadness that the Charter farewelled Keith Land from the Board.  Although Keith’s tenure on the board has not been board as long as Steve, his connection with the Charter goes back to the very early days, when we were the Canterbury Rebuild Safety Charter.

Keith’s drive and passion for the Charter has been second to none, he has approached the portfolio of Audit & Risk with dedication and commitment.   In addition, Keith undertook the arduous task of ensuring the Charter’s policies were relevant, current and fit for purpose. 

Keith had very sound financial acumen and could be relied upon to go over the accounts meticulously.  He also provided down to earth advice when dealing with complex issues of insurance, accounting, and risk.

His insurance background meant that he was cautiously optimistic about most things, and this included the Charter and its role going forward. He believed in the greater good that we are trying to create, and also in the Governance foundations that underpin success.

Both Board and Staff wish Keith all the best in his future endeavours and would like to acknowledge his time on the board with a small token of appreciation.