Business – Tradition of honouring service with life memberships continues – EMA

At its Annual General Meeting (AGM) this week the EMA honoured the contributions of one former and one current board member with life memberships.

Presented by current EMA Board Chairman Andrew Hunt, the first membership was awarded to David Jack. David was a member of the Manufacturers Forum for several years before being elected to the Board in 2014, and during that time has served as he Chair of the Health and Safety Committee.

The second life membership was awarded to Peter Elder. Peter’s long association with the EMA began when he commenced with the Auckland Employers Association (AEA) as an Advocate from 1988 – 1991. Peter was working with the Auckland City Council when he returned to the EMA as a board member in 2000.

Andrew Hunt says both Mr Jack and Mr Elder had made huge contributions and thanked them for their invaluable service.

“We have been fortunate to have both David and Peter’s expertise over many years. Peter’s services to member businesses, staff, and partners as both a board member and contractor have been greatly appreciated. We wish him all the very best in his retirement,” says Mr Hunt.

“We are grateful to retain both Peter and David’s experience as life members, and we know their association with the EMA will continue into the future.”

Also presented at the AGM yesterday was the EMA’s online Annual Report for the financial year to June 30, 2021. It highlights a challenging year amid COVID-19 for the EMA and the business community, and agile initiatives to support them.

“This year, we are proud that our membership has remained stable, our close work with Government has helped deliver the best outcomes for business, and that our AdviceLine and Business Helpline were able to provide more support than ever during an extremely challenging year,” says Mr Hunt.

“At the same time we have taken significant steps to transform our organisation towards the future, especially with digital platforms, to ensure we continue to serve our community to the best of our ability.”

The EMA is New Zealand’s largest business service organisation dedicated to helping people and businesses grow. It offers advice, learning, advocacy and support for more than 7,400 businesses as members of the EMA, ExportNZ and The EMA’s Manufacturers’ Network. The EMA is part of the BusinessNZ Network and its territory spans the upper North Island. The EMA also offers many of its services nationally to member businesses, and through its partners.