ŌCHT Board of Trustees
ŌCHT Board of Trustees
Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust is a charitable Trust governed by a Board of Trustees. They’re leaders in our community and in our organisation’s mission to provide the best community and affordable housing now and well into the future.
The Board sets our direction and ensures we operate responsibly, sustainably, and with accountability to tenants, partners, funders, and our community. It does this by overseeing strategy, financial management, risk, governance policies, and organisational performance, all while respecting the separation between governance and management.
Meet our Trustees
Darren is an independent Trustee and serves as Board chairperson. In his business and leadership career, Darren has placed strong emphasis on developing people and building capable, values-led organisations. He brings a particular focus on leadership wellbeing, organisational culture, and long-term sustainability.
Chairperson
Darren Evans
Philippa is an independent Trustee and serves as Deputy chairperson. She has extensive experience working with boards and board sub-committees, in formal governance roles and extensive senior executive experience reporting directly to boards. She has been Executive Director of the South Island New Zealand Needle Exchange Programme, Director at Deloitte, Chief Operating Officer at Lincoln University, and Change Programme Lead at the Ministry of Health. Philippa is motivated by improving outcomes for people with complex health and social needs, with a firm belief that secure housing is a fundamental enabler of wellbeing.
Dr Cotter Tait is an independent Trustee, bringing extensive expertise in infrastructure, governance, and the built environment.
Sina has more than two decades experience in consulting engineering as a Chartered Professional Engineer (Civil), and holds an MBA and a PhD in Construction Management.
Sina was named Governance New Zealand Women on Boards Emerging Leader in 2021 and is a Director of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission. She also holds governance roles with CEAS, the Engineering New Zealand Foundation, North Otago Irrigation Company, and the Cashmere High School Board of Trustees. In addition, she contributes to the Canterbury–Kaikōura Lotteries Committee and the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Review Panel.
Sina believes infrastructure leaders have an important role to play in addressing wider societal challenges, including housing equity. She actively supports the next generation of engineers through sponsorship of the Cotter Tait Scholarship at the University of Canterbury for Māori and Pasifika engineering students.
Deputy chairperson
Philippa Jones
Dr Sina Cotter Tait
Geoff is an independent Trustee with a background in finance, sustainability, and ethical business practice.
He has more than 15 years’ experience in financial leadership and currently leads the Finance and Sustainability functions at Jade Software, where he focuses on strengthening commercial decision-making and advancing the organisation’s sustainability journey. This has included guiding Jade to become a certified B Corporation and leading comprehensive Scope 1–3 carbon analysis.
Prior to joining Jade, Geoff was Finance Manager at Trade Aid, New Zealand’s leading Fairtrade organisation, where he supported ethical supply chains and social impact outcomes.
Geoff has also held governance roles as Treasurer of Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand and Vice Chair of the Canterbury Community Earthquake Recovery Network, bringing valuable experience in not-for-profit governance and community resilience.
Geoff Walker
Jess is an independent Trustee. She is an experienced lawyer and policy adviser, specialising in resource management, planning and local government law. She is a member of the New Zealand Law Society and is admitted as a Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.
Jess is currently principal adviser/legal counsel at Te Kura Taka Pini, the freshwater group of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Jess is also a co-owner of a small social enterprise, Offcut, and sits on other community-focused boards.
Jess was the inaugural intern trustee with ŌCHT, spending two years learning and being mentored before stepping into a full trustee role. Jess is passionate about serving her local community and knows how a safe, affordable, and comfortable home can make a positive difference to the wellbeing of not only tenants and their families but the wider communities they are part of.
Jess Riddell
Nathaniel Herz Jardine
Nathaniel is a Christchurch City Council appointed Trustee. He is city councillor for the Heathcote Ward.
Craig is an independent intern Trustee with experience across the public and private sectors, bringing a strong interest in transformation, continuous improvement, and effective governance.
His background includes senior roles in infrastructure planning and large-scale transformation projects, including leading terminal transformation and long-term strategic infrastructure planning at Christchurch International Airport.
Craig holds a Master of Business Administration (Sustainable Business) and brings a practical, outcome-focused perspective informed by experience across commercial operations and public sector environments.
Simon Britten
Simon is a Christchurch City Council appointed Trustee. He is deputy chairperson of the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board.
Craig Dunstan
