Monday July 27th was the first day on deck for the new CEO of Hospice Whanganui, Davene Vroon.
Davene was appointed to the position after the retirement of Karen Anderson, who had been in the CEO’s chair for 14 and a half years. Karen had signalled her retirement late last year and then with the sudden and sweeping changes brought about by COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown, stayed on to lead the team and the organisation through that time. We are all grateful to her for that generosity.
Davene comes to us from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and for a number of years most recently in the role as New Zealand’s Deputy High Commissioner in Papua New Guinea. She has also held roles in the humanitarian sector globally and has vast experience in organisational development and leadership. Davene is really excited to return to her home town here in Whanganui after many years away and is looking forward to being part of the team at Hospice Whanganui.
It’s an exciting and interesting time ahead for everyone and as we bid Karen farewell, we welcome Davene into the Hospice family.
Pictured are Karen on her last day and Davene on her first day!
