Ara Foundation is governed by a group of trustees with a diverse range of experience and knowledge across a range of sectors.
Dr Jessica Templeton – Chair
Dr Jessica Templeton (Waikato-Tainui) brings leadership and experience spanning innovation and regional development, corporate governance and applied academic research. Her Ph.D. in entrepreneurial behaviour and extensive transformation expertise combined with a passion for unlocking human potential through education, employment and enterprise, informs her stewardship of Ara Foundation’s endowment and grants programme.
Cherrie Roache – Deputy Chair
Cherrie has spent the last 20 plus years in the Telco and IT industry in varied Senior Executive roles and portfolios. These have varied from leading challenging business change and transformation, Mergers and acquisitions through to Sales, HR, Service Delivery and Project Management. She sits on 3 Boards and has continued to develop experience at Governance.
Cherrie, of Samoan heritage, has lived in Fiji, New Caledonia and Australia. This grounding has given her an appreciation for different cultures and an understanding of what it takes to build strong relationships and networks in new places. She is passionate about family, the development and enrichment of people through further study, sponsorship and mentoring into fulfilling Careers and is proud to call Christchurch home.
Amanda Wall
Amanda is a proven public sector leader with extensive senior experience across central and local government. She brings expertise in strategy, policy and governance, along with a strong track record of working collaboratively to deliver positive outcomes for people and communities. She is passionate about lifelong learning and creating opportunities for others to thrive. Amanda has been a trustee since 2024.
Julia Johnston
Julia is the director of Johnston Law – Migration Tax specialists. Throughout her career Julia has worked in law firms as well as international accounting firms and specialises in Tax and Relationship Property. The combination of law, commerce and accounting gives Julia a broad skill base and her well-rounded approach and empathy enable her to give accurate and practical advice. Julia became a Trustee of the Ara Foundation in early 2022.
Darren Mitchell
Darren Mitchell is the Chief Executive of The Ara Institute of Canterbury and is a skilled and experienced executive with a long and successful career in education management and leadership. He has been with Ara for the past 20 years.
Darren has been a member of Ara’s executive leadership team for 16 years. Before being appointed Ara’s Acting Chief Executive, he was the institute’s Deputy Chief Executive – Chief Operating Officer. In this role he had executive-level responsibility for the portfolios of finance, facilities management, ICT, organisational performance, strategic and operational planning, capital works and sustainability, and provided oversight across the total institutional budget of $116m with approximately 1,000 full-time equivalent staff.
At its fundamental core, Ara’s purpose is to transform people’s lives through education. This is something that Darren feels very passionately about and why he has committed a considerable amount of his working life to Ara. “My personal vision for Ara is to see it flourish in the new vocational education system and to be recognised as being at the forefront of provisioning contemporary vocational learning and teaching to the Canterbury region.”
After gaining a degree in accounting from the University of Otago, Darren spent the first decade of his career at a national chartered accounting firm where he provided advisory services to a wide range of clients and industries. Darren is a Chartered Accountant with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and has been the Chair of its public sector consultation committee. He is a trustee of the Ara Foundation, the Ōtautahi Education Development Trust, and of World Skills New Zealand. He also has strong relationships with key Government agencies and a proven track record in working collaboratively with stakeholders to deliver beneficial outcomes.
Annemarie Mora
Annemarie is a past Chair of the Ara Foundation and after a couple of years break has once again become a trustee. She is an award-winning communications and engagement specialist with nearly 20 years’ experience in the private and public sectors. She has led the communications function for some of Queensland and Christchurch’s largest infrastructure projects.
She brings to the table extensive management team experience, robust knowledge of governance policies and procedures, thorough knowledge of Health Safety and Environment best practice, a deep understanding of organisational culture and high-performing teams, astute risk management, and financial acumen. She is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors and is a senior solicitor at Parry Field Lawyers.
Gene Andrews
Gene Andrews became a trustee of the Ara Foundation in 2025 as he has the greatest respect for tertiary education.
He has vast experience in the finance and banking field and has a passion to support people’s educational aspirations. He is keen to support the purpose and the mission of the Ara Foundation to assist students and staff with their professional development goals.
Tim Chaw
Tim Chaw is a Chartered Accountant, business adviser and director of Christchurch accounting firm Rodgers & Co. He advises privately owned businesses, property groups, trusts and charitable organisations on governance, strategy, taxation and business growth.
Tim brings extensive commercial and financial expertise to the Ara Foundation, along with a strong commitment to education and community development. Through his work, he assists organisations to navigate change, identify opportunities and build sustainable futures.
A strong advocate for lifelong learning and professional development, Tim is passionate about creating pathways that help people reach their potential. As a trustee, he is pleased to contribute his skills and experience to support the Foundation’s work in enhancing educational opportunities and outcomes for Ara students and staff.