Governance vs Management: Understanding The Difference
In small community and grassroots organisations, the line between governance and management can feel blurry – especially when everyone is a volunteer, and people wear multiple hats. Understanding the difference helps boards and committees work more effectively.
Governance is about direction, oversight, and accountability. The board or committee focuses on the bigger picture – setting the organisation’s purpose and strategy, ensuring legal and financial responsibilities are met, managing risk, and supporting the organisation to be sustainable. Governance asks: Are we doing the right things, and are we doing them responsibly? What is happening? Where are we heading? Why are we doing this?. When you have a management team/person, boards should stay out of operations, but that doesn’t mean staying out of the loop. The board’s role is to trust and verify management with active and informed engagement. For example, you don’t fix the roof yourself, but you need to know its condition, risks, and costs and that the person you have doing the job is qualified to fix the roof.
Management is about delivery and day-to-day operations. This includes running programmes, coordinating volunteers, managing finances, communications, and carrying out the plans set by the board. Management asks: How do we get the work done?
In grassroots groups, the same people often sit on the board and help deliver the work, and that’s okay. What matters is being clear about which role you’re in at any given time. When you wear both hats, make sure you clearly carve out time in meetings for strategic and governance decisions. A good idea is to start the meeting with strategic discussions rather than operational details as once you go down that path it is hard to get out of the weeds and do the big picture stuff.
Source: www.huddl.nz
Background: Primary sector executive for 34 years – events, sales, marketing, leadership and strategy. Former farm owner.
Company director for 17 years.
Residence: Wanaka
Background: Grew up on a dairy farm, law and accounting, and 15 years owning four restaurants.
Current Roles: Chair Wanaka St John (12 years), Ambulance First Responder volunteer (11 years)
Residence: Wanaka
Background: 36 years in the wool industry, both in NZ and internationally, covering all aspects of wool growing, harvesting, processing, marketing and retail. Born and bred on a sheep and beef farm in Central Hawkes Bay.
Current Roles: GM & Director of Devold New Zealand Ltd, Trustee of the Campaign for Wool New Zealand.
Residence: Wanaka
Background: 40 years of farming in the Upper Clutha. Former committee member and president of the Upper Clutha Rugby Club. Previously involved with the junior Rugby Club and establishment of the Early Childhood Centre.
Residence: Wanaka
Background: Experience in not-for-profit, for-purpose organisations in New Zealand and Australia across the innovation and environmental sectors.
Current role: WAI Wanaka
Residence: Wanaka
Background: Grew up on a hill country sheep farm in Scotland. 50+ years of mixed farming in Scotland, Australia and NZ. Former Otago president of Federated Farmers.
Current role: Member of Wanaka Rotary and other local clubs.
Residence: Wanaka
2025/2026 – Keith Cooper (Chair), Mike Elliot (Show President), Dell Taylor, Prue Kane, Craig Smith, Mike Scurr
2024/2025 – Keith Cooper (Chair), Mike Elliot (Show President), Dell Taylor, Prue Kane, Craig Smith, Mike Scurr
2023/2024 – Keith Cooper (Chair), Martin Paterson (Show President), Dell Taylor, Prue Kane, Craig Smith, Mike Scurr
2022/2023 – Brenda King (Chairperson), Shane Gibson (Vice Chairperson), Mike Scurr, Tony Glynn, Dell Taylor
2020/2021 – Mike Scurr (Chairman), Chrissy Gibson (Vice Chairman), Brenda King, Shane Gibson, Tony Glynn
2019/2020 – Grant Ruddenklau (Chairman) Jan Allan (Vice Chairman), Doug Stalker, Mike Scurr, Chrissy Gibson
1934/35/36 J S Hunt, 1937 W A Scaife, 1938 S D Jenkins, 1939 J S Hunt, 1940/41 H S Stokes, 1942 T S Smith, 1943/45 Activities Suspended, 1946 E Stokes, 1947 C Gawn, 1948 H S Faulks, 1949 JS Hamilton, 1950 W H Jolly, 1951/52 A S Scaife, 1953/54 T J Allison, 1955/56 L R Morris, 1957/58 W H Gibson, 1959/60 W F Hunt, 1961/62 D J Kane, 1963/64 W N Studholme, 1965/66 C C Whittleston, 1967/88 L J Struthers, 1969/70 N W Pittaway, 1971/72 M Snow, 1973/74 S A Kane, 1975/76 G R Studholme, 1977/78 M J G Davis, 1979/80 N J McCarthy, 1981/82 P D Gordon, 1983/84 J C A Lucas, 1985/86 A Kane, 1987/88R McRae, 989/90 G R Goodger, 1991/92 T M Rowley, 1993/94 Mrs D Gordon, 1995/96 P Davis, 1997/98 J Burdon, 1999/00 A R Morris, 2001/02 G Brown, 2003/04 D Wilson, 2005/06 D W McRae, 2007/08 W P McCarthy, 2009/10 P W Hunt, 2011/12 Mrs F Howie, 2013/14 N G Trevathan, 2015/2016 R W Gibson, 2017/ 2018 D Stalker
Role changed to General Manager in 2023.
1934/35 J M MacKay, 1936-38 Miss K M Wilson, 1939-41 T A Bridgeman, 1942 Mr Applegarth, 1943-45 Activities Suspended, 1946-50 H A Halliday, 1951-55 W A Scaife, 1956-62 J K Campbell, 1963/64 T M A Stevenson, 1965 S J White, 1966-69 C E George, 1970 G E Ramage, 1971 C R K Webb, 1972 T C Miller, 1973-76 G Stewart, 1977/78 K A T Hall, 1979-89 Mrs K Curtis, 1990-96 Mrs M Urquhart, 1997 Mrs J M McCaughan, 1998-2005 Mrs J Stalker, 2005-2008 Mrs L Larsson, 2008-2022 Mrs J Stalker, 2023-Present General Manager Mrs J Stalker
