OUR TEAMMeet The People Behind the Foundation
A small, committed team and volunteer board work together with hospital staff and donors to deliver meaningful healthcare improvements.
Our Trustees
Meet the visionary leaders driving our foundation's mission forward.
Jon Bitcheno
Jon is a retired risk manager and insurance broker who has worked in the UK, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore and India. He has specialised in the construction industry advising contractors and principals about risks around specific projects and managed several businesses in Asia.
Since retiring to Queenstown in 2008, he has been involved in many community organisations and societies and currently chairs the Lakes District Hospital Foundation.
Jon is married to Robyn and they have 2 children with families in Auckland and Dunedin. His interests include playing golf, music and bridge and, when possible, continues to regularly travel overseas.
David Hunt
David has a background in Biochemistry and Medicine, and is a retired Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care. He worked in Canada, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and Ukraine before arriving to work in New Zealand in 2003. He has lived in Dunedin and the Queenstown area since then, and is now based in Frankton.
David is very interested in the future of healthcare in New Zealand, and especially in Central Otago. His experience in a wide range of systems has convinced him of the need for a major rethink of the way our health system is organized and funded.
David is married to Hilary, a former educator and writer, and together they travel regularly to indulge a love of opera and music, and to maintain contact with many friends.
Kim Wilkinson
Kim is a retired pharmacist who owned and operated Life Pharmacy Wilkinsons in the Queenstown Mall for 32 years until 2016. He and his wife also established Remarkables Park Pharmacy and Five Mile Pharmacy with young partners. Before arriving in Queenstown he worked in retail and hospital pharmacies in NZ, Australia, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
As a long time local he has been involved in many community groups and organisations and has been a trustee of the Lakes District Hospital Foundation since 2018.
Kim is married to Marie and they have 3 children living in Christchurch and Nelson. He enjoys golf, cycling and overseas travel.
Emily Nelson
Emily is the Service Manager at Lakes District Hospital and represents Health New Zealand on the Foundation. She began her career in corporate marketing with FMCG and tourism organisations in New Zealand and abroad. After moving to Queenstown in 2010, Emily completed a Master’s in Public Health, starting her transition into the health sector with Public Health South at the former Southern DHB, where she developed a passion for improving community health outcomes.
Joining Lakes District Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, Emily is committed to advancing health equity, ensuring rural and remote communities have access to timely, high-quality services, and improving local service delivery.
She lives in Arrowtown with her husband Sam, their three teenage children, and Mabel, their black Staffie. Outside work, she enjoys hiking, yoga, reading, and family time—skiing, surfing, boating, or cheering on the sidelines at sporting events.
Jayne Macdonald
Jayne is a partner of law firm Mactodd, and is a founding trustee of the Lakes District Hospital Foundation. Jayne has spent her working career of some 30+ years working in the Queenstown Lakes and wider Central Otago area.
She is also a Trustee of the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust and her firm’s charitable trust, the Mactodd Community Charitable Trust.
Jayne is married to Rod and between them, they have 4 children with families in Melbourne and Rangiora. Her interests include Pilates, Wing Foiling and other water sports, and keeping fit in general. When she can find the time, she enjoys a good book.