New Year Honours for outstanding Bay citizens

by Hawke's Bay App
Tuesday, Dec 31, 2019 6:18 AM

Three Hawke’s Bay residents, and two former residents, have been recognised in this year’s New Year’s Honours list.

Dr Ted Ward, Napier

Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to intensive care practice.

Dr Ted Ward was a pioneer of intensive care practice in New Zealand hospitals and founded the Intensive Care Unit at Hawke’s Bay Hospital in 1974.

As Director of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care until 1997, Dr Ward pioneered the establishment and provision of intensive care services to the people of the Hawke’s Bay region. He was one of the first to take on the role of Intensive Care Specialist in regional New Zealand, and contributed to advancing adult, paediatric and neo-natal intensive care. He was involved in establishing a Newborn intensive Care Unit in Hawke’s Bay. He developed ongoing training for other staff and undertook design improvements to ICU equipment. He instigated patient-retrieval services by road and air from other regional hospitals, bringing patients to the Hastings ICU where he could directly assess and supervise their immediate and ongoing care. The result of these services was an ever-improving rate of ‘quality-life survival’ for both adults and children. He was a founder member of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS), and from 1978 to 1982 was Chair of the New Zealand Regional Committee. He was an examiner for the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. Dr Ward was Medical Director for the local St John Ambulance until 1995.

Senior Sergeant Bryan Smith, Hastings

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the New Zealand Police and the community.

Senior Sergeant Bryan Smith has served the New Zealand Police and the Hawke’s Bay community for 39 years.

Senior Sergeant Smith has held several positions within the New Zealand Police since starting as a front-line officer and is now the Hawke’s Bay Area Response Manager. He has headed the Youth Aid and Community Relations team in Hastings and was the officer responsible for the Flaxmere Community Policing Centre, a position that required him to foster links between at-risk youth and the community. He has served 33 years as member of the Hawke’s Bay Armed Offenders Squad and has contributed his tactical decision-making to the often dangerous and demanding environment. He has been involved in more than 800 operations throughout his time in the squad and has directly commanded and led more than 250. He is an active member of his local community and has been a member and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Hasting Boys High School. He has built strong connections with Te Aranga Marae and has run programmes on the marae aimed at reintegrating youth and their whanau back into school and the community. Senior Sergeant Smith coached the Havelock North Rugby Club Development team, resulting in two successful championships, and has represented the Police in numerous rugby sevens competitions.

Joe Hedley, Mahia Beach

The Queen's Service Medal, for services to the community.

Joe Hedley has given more than 35 years of service to his local community.

Mr Hedley was the President of the Mahia Boating and Fishing Club, an organisation that he has been involved with for 36 years. He was instrumental in having CCTV cameras installed in the Mahia area and was involved with the development of the Mahia Boating and Fishing Club headquarters in 2002. He has been a committee member of the Mokotahi Hall Committee for the past 16 years and played a key role in the upgrade and redevelopment of the hall. He has voluntarily contributed to the maintenance of the Mahia Golf Club greens. He was involved as a fundraiser and planter for Mokotahi Hill restoration planting. He volunteered for St John Ambulance service for 18 years and was a committee member of the Wairoa Lions Club for 20 years. Mr Hedley has also been a member of the Mahia Volunteer Fire Brigade for the past 19 years.

Amanda McIntosh, Auckland

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to early childhood education.

Mrs Amanda McIntosh has been involved in early childhood education and voluntary community services for 40 years.

Mrs McIntosh has been Centre President of Tamatea Playcentre, President of Hawke’s Bay Playcentre Association, and a member of the National Executive. She helped establish the New Zealand Family Day Care Association, was Ward Delegate and the National President of the Association, wrote its first constitution, and sat on its executive council for 20 years. She has been a founder member of the Napier Citizen’s Advice Bureau and a Marriage Guidance Tutor. In Hawke’s Bay, she worked with Birthright, Women’s Refuge, Parent Line, and the Pacific Island Council to form Family Care Hawke’s Bay to provide respite care. She worked for Barnardos, setting up several services and projects in Hawke’s Bay and the Bay of Plenty. In 1992 she was appointed to the Barnardos Society. In 1996, she was elected as the South Pacific Delegate to the International Family Day Care Organisation, attending five overseas conferences and organising the 2003 conference in Wellington. Since 1999 Mrs McIntosh has established and run her own home-based education service, as well as a home-based early childhood participation project in Auckland for refugees and migrants.

The Reverend Dr Helen Jacobi, Auckland

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the Anglican church and the community.

The Reverend Dr Helen Jacobi has served as the first female Vicar of Auckland’s St Matthew in the City since 2014.

Reverend Jacobi works with many marginalised and vulnerable communities, gaining national attention for her Church’s inclusivity of the LGBTQI+ community. She was the first female Dean of Waiapu Cathedral in Napier, where she served for nine years. During this time she managed the Cathedral’s assets and addressed the Church’s changing needs with the planning of new development, including a tourism strategy and historical exhibition. She widened sponsorship and support for the Cathedral through special events and helped establish the Choristers programme. She was a member from 2013 and Chair of the Touch Compass Dance Trust Board from 2015 to 2019, one of New Zealand’s leading inclusive arts organisations for performers with and without disabilities. She was a Trustee of Woodford School for Girls from 2005 to 2012. While Vicar of St Luke’s, Wadestown, she grew the parish significantly and established community outreach and youth programmes. In 1996 Reverend Jacobi directed the Women in Crisis Project shelters for the homeless with the Diocese of Ottawa, Canada.