And the finalists are...

THE DOMINION POST PROUDLY PRESENTS THE 2010 WELLINGTONIAN OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Sport Government Business

In association with Hawkins Construction, the sport category celebrates those In association with Westpac, the government category recognises efforts at both In association with the Employer’s Chamber of Commerce Central, the business involved in sport in any capacity, as a player, official or volunteer. local and national government levels. Public service plays a significant role in the category celebrates the terrific businesses based here in , large and small. Wellington economy, with many great things happening and committed individuals They’re committed to Wellington, critical to our economy, and often have inspiring at the forefront of developments. and entrepreneurial leaders driving their success. Ricki Herbert is a household name in New Zealand thanks to the heroic exploits of the All Whites, and the Wellington Phoenix. His success has spurred Wellington Ken Douglas Steve Gianoutsos on to become New Zealand’s football capital and has put Wellington on the global Ken Douglas has seen life from all angles - as a leading trade unionist, sports football map. organiser, board member, policy maker, and long-standing Porirua City Councillor. Steve is the founder and inspirational leader of the Mojo Coffee phenomenon. He holds the President’s chair at the Titahi Bay Golf Club, an honorary doctorate Since opening in May 2003, Mojo has grown to 22 outlets, over 160 staff and sells from Victoria University and is a Member of the Order of New Zealand. more than 40,000 cups of coffee per week nationwide - making a little taste of Gareth Kean Wellington available to all New Zealanders. Last year Gareth Kean was a prefect at Wellington College and was named Emerging Sportsman of the Year. He recently emerged from the pool in Delhi the silver Ruth Gotlieb Joe Letteri medallist in the men’s 200m backstroke, setting a new NZ record in the process. Ruth Gotlieb has put in the hard yards as a Wellington City Councillor, serving Joe Letteri is a director, co-owner and unsung hero of Weta Digital. Over the last seven consecutive terms for the Eastern Ward. She’s also been a regional councillor decade, he’s changed the definition of ‘what’s possible’ in filmmaking - these Ma’a Nonu and on the Capital & Coast District Health Board. She’s recently called it a day innovations ensure that Weta Digital continues to pull in filmmakers from all over Ma’a Nonu is known as a good team player, whether that team’s the after 27 years serving the people of Wellington. the globe. All Blacks, the Hurricanes, Wellington Lions or Oriental-Rongotai. This season, Ma’a has reached a new level and he’s managed to nail the John Hamilton Martin Simpson formula that lets him deliver quality performances on a regular basis. As the Director of Civil Defence, John Hamilton has been busy this year, what with Martin Simpson is GM and one of the owners of Fraser Engineering - the company tsunamis, floods and earthquakes. Shaken but not stirred, he’s pleased with the that makes, among other things, fire engines. Around 60 of them a year, in fact, way his team has responded to the Canterbury quake in particular, and the way and new orders keep the phone lines running red hot. Martin leads with a passion Mark Paston is a well-regarded shot-stopper, considered by many to be New people have taken Civil Defence messages on board in general. and his goal is to create a billion dollar company. Zealand’s best goalkeeper. In recent years he’s interchanged the No1 shirt with but played extremely well in all 3 matches at the 2010 World Cup. He now seems happily entrenched with the Wellington Phoenix with Ricki Herbert his coach for both club and country. Youth Environment Arts

In association with Massey University, the youth category recognises that our youth In association with Opus International Consultants, the environment category In association with The Wellington Company, the arts category celebrates of today will, and are, shaping the Wellington of tomorrow. celebrates those individuals who are making an important contribution to the Wellington as the cultural capital of New Zealand. environment around Wellington. Gabe Armstrong-Scott John Psathas Karen Fifield 14-year-old diver Gabe Armstrong-Scott was New Zealand’s youngest John Psathas is one of a few New Zealand composers who are continually competitor at the Commonwealth Games, finishing 11th in the 1m springboard Karen Fifield CEO of Wellington Zoo has led its greening - winning the 2009 performed on the international stage. His music has been commissioned and dive, and 10th in the 10m platform, breaking 300 points for the first Sustainable Business of the Year for the Wellington Region and 2009 National performed by many great musicians and orchestras around the world, including time to set a New Zealand record. Recently Gabe, at age 13 became the People’s Choice Sustainable Business of the Year. Karen says Wellington Zoo must much of the ceremonial music for the 2004 Olympic Games. This year his work current New Zealand Open 1m springboard and Open Platform champion. ‘walk the talk’ in becoming the best little zoo in the world. received it’s Carnegie Hall debut, he completed his first feature film score for “Good For Nothing” - the world’s first pavlova western, and he was Distinguished Maria English Kevin Hackwell Guest Composer at Winnipeg’s 2010 New Music Festival. Then 18-year-old Maria English capped off a stellar high school career by beating Kevin Hackwell is the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society’s advocacy manager. Taika Waititi everyone in the world taking the Cambridge International A-level English exams. She His is a busy role, and wide-ranging. It includes being the Society’s rep with the At the Qantas Film and Television Awards in September 2010, film-maker Taika received the good news while in the middle of a national secondary schools’ choir national Kiwi Recovery Group, doing all it can to keep our national icon alive and Waititi scored an unprecedented triple header by winning awards for best director, rehearsal and is currently in Qatar as captain of the national secondary schools kicking. screenplay and supporting actor for his movie Boy. They’re not the only awards for debating team. Colin Ryder the movie or Taika. He is also famous for his Eagle vs Shark and contributions to the Flight of the Conchords series. Eli Kent For more than two decades, Colin Ryder has been the driving force behind some Eli Kent is a 22-year-old writer, whose first full-length play Rubber Turkey won the of Wellington’s biggest conservation projects – like transforming Mana and Matiu/ Alison Wong Peter Harcourt Award for Outstanding New Playwright of the Year at the 2008 Somes Islands into vermin-free protected sites, protecting a rare black-billed seagull First time novelist Alison Wong won the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Award Chapman Tripp Theatre awards, while his third play The Intricate Art of Actually colony at Baring Head, and the establishment of the Taputeranga Marine Reserve for Fiction for her book, As The Earth Turns Silver. The impressive debut was the Caring (performed in his bedroom) won “Best Theatre” in the NZ Fringe Festival off Wellington’s south coast. culmination of more than a decade of research and writing, and a startling career 2009, Most Original Production in the 2009 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards and change, as Alison made the jump from maths graduate IT worker to poet and is currently touring nationally. novelist. Community Science & Service Technology Education In association with Wellington Airport, the Community Service category honours In association with Hutt City Council, the Science and Technology category lets us In association with Wellington City Council, the education category celebrates those those individuals who make an important contribution within the greater Wellington recognise the intellectual capital of Wellingtonians, and nowhere does this shine more individuals who may have made education their life’s mission. The education sector community. This category celebrates our unsung heroes, those who often work than in science and technology. makes a huge contribution to Wellington, from preschool right through to tertiary. tirelessly behind the scenes, and fulfil crucial community functions. Sir Paul Callaghan Warwick Bell Ruth McDavitt Sir Paul Callaghan is one of the most influential scientists in the country. He’s a Ruth McDavitt led the team that organised Software Freedom Day Wellington - a Warwick Bell has been involved in leadership roles in a number of organisations, world-leader in nuclear magnetic resonance and nanotechnology – real science worldwide celebration of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and an Open including Scouting since 1979 – from scout leader to National Commissioner, that’s having a real impact on the world and New Zealand’s place in it. and the Rotary Youth Leadership programme. He’s made a massive contribution Source Advocate category finalist in The New Zealand Open Source Awards. She to the Wellington community, helping shape the lives of thousands of young Rod Drury also runs the “Summer of Tech” programme linking up promising undergrads with Wellingtonians. One of New Zealands leading technology entrepreneurs, Rod is a member of the Wellington IT & tech companies for paid work experience. Vanisa Dhiru New Zealand Hi-Tech Hall of Fame. He’s also CEO and founder of NZX-listed Xero Roger Moses - the online accounting solution for small businesses. Roger Moses has been Headmaster of Wellington College for 15 years, and a Vanisa Dhiru is the consummate volunteer. She juggles work and other commitments to spend twenty hours – sometimes more – a week helping others, as the youngest Professor Swee Tan teacher for more than 30 years. He admits it is sometimes a tough job, but the ever President for the YWCA of Greater Wellington, a Justice of the Peace and much Professor Swee Tan is a plastic surgeon working at the sharp end of plastic surgery rewards are great. Roger is also the National Chairman of the Association of Boys’ more. and research. His team’s recent ground-breaking discoveries in the treatment Schools and serves on the Executive of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition. Sara Scott of birthmarks have important implications in the management of cancer and Dr Gillian Turner regenerative medicine. Dr Gillian Turner has inspired generations of young scientists through her work Sara Scott is a choreographer and dance teacher in Tawa, who got 700 locals dancing and singing in the “Tawa Goes to Town” community music festival last Dr John Watt with science fairs, teaching, student advice and outreach at Victoria University. She month whilst undergoing chemotherapy herself. Getting the best out of others Dr John Watt, the star of the TV Science show “Ever Wondered” has been named the has led the judging of the NIWA Wellington Fair since 2004. The publication of while not feeling the best yourself is a pretty huge achievement. top emerging scientist in the Prime Minister’s science awards for his research into her popular science book, North Pole South Pole, further conveys her enormous reducing vehicle exhaust pollution. capacity to captivate her audience, and to engender curiosity and lifelong Treena & Marcus Van Rijssel learning. Treena and Marcus van Rijssel are the force behind the House of Grace, where young pregnant women have been going to learn about babies, and life in general, for the past 8 years. The house is staffed by volunteers, financed through donations and administered with love. Category winners and the 2010 Wellingtonian of the Year will be announced on Thursday 25 November at the Wellington Town Hall. For ticket information visit dompost.co.nz/wellys