
woa Presenters and Committee
Ruth
Todd - Co-ordinator:
After a long career
in secondary & tertiary education, Ruth had the opportunity to initiate
women on air at the end of 1992 & plan a stimulating radio programme for
Suffrage year in 1993. Ruth is still enjoying the challenge 18 years later. In
2000, Ruth was made a Member of the NZ Order of Merit for services
to women & New Zealand writers. Ruth & Morrin were
the presenters of 'Bookmarks' on National Radio for
eight years and
are currently planning The Press
Christchurch Writers' Festival
Morrin Rout
Joanne Neilson
Joanne Neilson has
been with women on air for over 16 years now. Well known for her
cookbook "Never Trust a Skinny Cook!" and her passion for sequins and all
things sparkly, Joanne worked full time as a Patternmaker and Graphic Artist for
an international clothing company and recently trained to be a hairdresser
winning the pre trade apprentice award at the Wella Regional Hairdressing
competition, was one of NZ's first Civil Union celebrants
and also works as an after dinner speaker, cabaret performer, compere, makeup
artist, food writer, sometimes TV reporter. Her own radio programme
"TranSister Radio" was a finalist in the NZ Radio Awards in 2000 and
after 10 years was back on air and enjoyed another very successful 18 month run. In 2000 the
LGBT Community named
her Female Icon, Joanne has been voted Woman of the Year and received a Lifetime
Achievement Award by the same group. Joanne has finished her second book this
time Gluten Free yet to
be published. Recently married Joanne is currently enjoying a year in Gisborne
on a farm.
Helen Lowe
Helen
Lowe is an award winning writer and poet whose first novel, Thornspell, is
published by Knopf, USA; Thornspell won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best
Novel: Young Adult in 2009. The first of Helen’s forthcoming 4-book series, The
Heir of Night, will be published by HarperCollins USA and Hachette
(Australia/New Zealand) in October 2010. The UK edition (Little, Brown & Co) is
scheduled for March 2011. Helen’s poetry and short fiction have also been widely
published and she has been presenting a monthly poetry feature for Women on Air
since March 2007. To find out more, you can visit Helen on her blog:
http://helenlowe.info/blog/
woa trustees
Pat Penrose
Secretary: Pat Penrose been on
women on air since March 1997 and is self-employed as an Early
Childhood and Parenting Educator. Pat enjoys working with groups, running
courses for parents, working with early childhood services and being a
grandmother. Pat is also a trustee on Fathering the Future Trust and
recently written a Course for Fathers, which will be run by a man. Has written
'Take Another Look', a book about observing children used as a
text in early childhood training, also written a series of 12 pamphlets 0-3
years, a regular column in the local newspaper and a booklet called
'Choices in Early Childhood'.
Sarah Ayton
Sarah Ayton has worked in community
access radio since the conception of Plains FM in 1987. She was the
Plains FM manager from 1991 to 1997. Since then she has been advising community
access stations around the country for NZ On Air. Has co-written
the Handbook for Community Access Radio in New Zealand. She is secretary of the
Association of Community Access Broadcasters' (NZ/Aotearoa) - ACAB, and
also of the governing body of Plains FM, the CCT. And surprise! Sarah is an avid
reader, enthusiastic tramper, and would travel forever if she could.