From the Development office

Development Director of Development, Miranda report Newbury, left St Andrew’s at the end of Term 1, after making a significant contribution to the College during her Along with fundraising, ‘friend raising’ three years in the role, says Rector, is another important role of the Christine Leighton. “Miranda gave Development Office. “The Development outstanding service to St Andrew’s, team has strong connections with having connected with hundreds of all parts of the College community, parents and Old Collegians, worked including our Old Collegians, through tirelessly on projects such as Year 9 the huge schedule of events our Parent Volunteers, the Community Alumni and Community Relations Business Directory, Community Co-ordinator, Lisa Clark, organises.” Support Programme, and sponsorship recognition. This was in addition Christine says another of Miranda’s to fundraising efforts for the new leadership strengths during her time Performing Arts Centre and the at the College was developing her St Andrew’s College Foundation team. “Mel and Lisa are both strong which supports student scholarships, contributors, who are getting on and both of which have had great support doing great work, ensuring the office from our parent community and continues to run seamlessly.” Old Collegians in recent years. Her impact was quite remarkable.” As Rector, Christine is personally very involved in all fundraising activities Christine says a highly functioning and attends up to 10 Old Collegian Development Office is paramount reunions and events every year. to St Andrew’s, which like other independent schools, receives minimal “It is important our alumni remain government funding. “The majority of connected to their school and hear funding comes from the fees which the stories about the opportunities are charged to parents, which is enjoyed by today’s students. These augmented by funds raised through engender a sense of pride in their our various philanthropic programmes, school which can result in financial managed by the Development Office. support for our future projects or The generosity of our community has facilities. Giving back remains an contributed to the significant building important aspect of an independent projects over the last 12 years.” education,” she says. Meet the Development team

Thanks Donors to our

Theatre Seats and Notes Gordon MacLeod and Family

Gold Note - Theatre Jianping Wang and Yu Zhao

New Strowan Members Ron Sherlock

New Highland Members Jianping Wang and Yu Zhao

New Thompson Founders' Circle John and Alison Westgarth

New StAC Fellow Members Ben and Penny Gough - The Ben Gough Family Foundation

Former Director of Development, Miranda Newbury, and her daughters Mila (OC 2022) and Emma (OC 2021)

Alumni and Community Relations Co-ordinator, Lisa Clark, and Development Co-ordinator, Mel Rissman

Development Co-ordinator, Mel Rissman, and Alumni and Community Relations Co-ordinator, Lisa Clark, are the capable teamin the St Andrew’s College Development Office.

Mel joined St Andrew’s in 2019, after being employed in a senior administrative role at Greymouth High School for eight years. In her busy role in the Development Office, Mel is responsible for a variety of tasks, including recording of family legacy gifts and pledges, giving-related enquiries, research and reporting, updating the Community Business Directory, reaching out to ask for new volunteers to the College and managing them through the vetting process, and updating the Thanking our Donors, Strowan Club Members, and Sponsors sections on the College website. “I like that every day is different, and I enjoy working on many different projects,” she says.

As the Alumni and Community Relations Co-ordinator, Lisa Clark has become well known to many in the Old Collegians community. Her key roles are to find and reconnect with missing Old Collegians, and organise the large number of alumni reunions and events held at the College each year, which reunite old friends and classmates. “I love hearing the Old Collegians’ wonderful stories about their time at the College, and enjoy finding the Old Cols who haven’t been in touch with the College since they left. My favourite part is the reunions themselves – watching old friends see each other, often for the first time in many decades. I am also the Secretary of the Old Collegians Executive and attend their monthly meetings. My days also involve being a budding writer, a social media poster, a detective, and an average statistician.” Lisa previously worked in sales and marketing at TVNZ, and has run her own business, Town & Country Homesit for 22 years. Her son, Archie, will start in Year 9 at St Andrew’s next year, and daughter, Lulu, will follow in 2025.