The Board of Trustees

Meet the 4 Trustees that govern Hearing Dogs for Deaf People New Zealand:

Jim Shepherd - Chairman

Jim Shepherd is a retired Chartered Accountant having been in a public practice environment for 37 years.  Jim has been a piper in the Pipe Band World for a long time and is a member of the Management Board of the New Zealand Pipe Band Association.  Jim's other long term activity is as a Rotarian and he currently holds the position of Assistant Governor.

Jim's family have had dogs as long as he can remember and currently has two Gordon Setters.  They have been involved in breed showing (they both hold Champion status) and also compete in agility competitions.

Hearing impairment is present in his family and he is aware of the difficulties this disability poses.  The concept of having dogs helping people with hearing impairment means the dog leads a useful life and the person has a loyal hearing aid.

Jim was elected to the position of Chairman effective from 1 June 2010.

Frank Lowry

Frank Lowry's first experience of fundraising began in 1955 as a stewardship visitor for his Church, then as a medical laboratory manager sourcing funding for research and services within the hospital/school of medicine community in Christchurch.

Frank moved into the not-for-profit sector and as a CEO and volunteer with the Cancer Society of New Zealand.  He have assisted other chairites as a trustee/fundraiser - the Rata Counselling Service and the MS & Parkinsons Society - both in Canterbury.

In the Queen's Birthday Honours 2000, Frank was awarded Membership of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to cancer awareness/education and control programmes coupled with palliative care activities.

Semi-retired to New Plymouth in 2006 and after listening to a public speaker for Hearing Dogs decided this was something he wished to be part of.

Ted Broadhurst - Secretary

Ted Broadhurst is a retired professional engineer who has been associated with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People New Zealand since 1999 after visiting Hearing Dogs in the UK.

He along with others formed the Taranaki Establishment Group that gained the funding and was instrumental in locating the Training Centre in New Plymouth.

He has been a trustee since 2000 and is the present Hon Secretary to the Board.

Ted's wife Susan is hearing impaired and she has her faithful Hearing Dog companion Barlow (pictured).

Rob Davis

Rob Davis is an experienced marketer, having spent the last 30 years working in advertising agency environments on many of New Zealand's blue chip corporates.

Currently he is an executive director of trans-Tasman digital marketing specialist Admission Ltd, as well as director of boutique purlisher Micromarketing Ltd, and a director of the green fields social marketing company Health Rewards Ltd.

Rob is also a founding Trustee of the Grocery Charity Ball Trust, which over the last 6 years has raised and donated over $1.2 million to New Zealand chairtable trusts.