The team who will direct Wellington's LGBT sport and cultural festival for 2011 is now confirmed as David Hindley and Virginia Hopkins-Burns were elected the men's and women's co-chairs for the 2nd Asia Pacific Outgames at the group's AGM at the weekend.
Hopkins-Burns had been acting women's co-chair since earlier in the year. Hindley takes over from acting co-chair Hamish Allardice, who did not stand for election as co-chair but who remains on the Executive organising group with a wide-ranging brief.
The Executive body elected at the AGM are: Men's co-chair, David Hindley; Women's co-chair, Virginia Hopkins- Burns; Secretary, Kevin Haunui; Treasurer, Mark Fairey; Convener – administration, James Barwell; Convener – arts and culture, Kong Guan Ho; Convener– conferences, Barry Taylor; Convener–legal, TBC; Convener–logistics, operations and volunteers, Hamish Allardice; Convener–marketing and communications, Debbie Gee; Convener–registration, Peter Gordon; Convener–Sponsorship and funding, Darryl Parrant; Conveners–sport, David Huxford and Karen Moses; Convener–website, Peter Soukolopoulos.
"I am delighted at the calibre of people we have on the Executive team," David Hindley tells GayNZ.com. "There is a real depth of professional skill, experience, and community commitment which will help us deliver an extraordinary experience in 2011."
Congratulating her newly-elected colleagues, Virginia Hopkins-Burns says "we have the opportunity to produce an event of considerable significance to the rainbow community of the Asia-Pacific region. Much of the planning has been completed and we're now weaving all the strands together. I look forward to working with you all."
The Outgames is a week of sports competition, visual and performing arts events, conferences, and parties, to be held from Saturday 12 to Saturday 19 March 2011. It will draw participants from throughout New Zealand, Australia, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. For more information, see the 2nd Asia Pacific Outgames website here.
