New Manager for Puke Ariki Announced

Puke Ariki is soon to get a new manager.

Fiona Emberton will be taking on the role of Manager Puke Ariki in early September, bringing with her extensive experience in library and business management, and developing relationships with communities and sponsors.

Ms Emberton was born in England, raised in Scotland and has lived in Australia for the last 17 years. She says she is looking forward to managing an institution which she has promoted as ‘great practice’ among library professionals.

“We organised a trip to Puke Ariki about seven years ago for library professionals in New Zealand, Britain, the United States and Australia. It has such significance in terms of locality and its history, and that it’s not afraid of doing things well – Puke Ariki staff are always striving for excellence,” she says.

“I’m looking forward to taking it to the next level. I really enjoy getting value for money for the local community, and really stretching the possibilities for community facilities.”

Ms Emberton is a director and partner of Embervision, a business and management development company, and has extensive experience in local government in Australia. She has a Master of Arts Amplis Cum Meritus from the University of Edinburgh and a Dip Lib Info Science from the University of Strathclyde Business School; and is a member of CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library Information Professionals) and ALIA (Australia Library and Information Association).

General Manager Community Services Cathy Thurston says there was considerable interest from around the world in the Manager Puke Ariki position.

“Fiona has a great commitment to customer service, a lot of energy and motivation, and a high degree of professionalism,” says Ms Thurston.

“She comes with a wealth of experience in the retail, library and museum sectors, and her consultancy roles in the UK, Australia and New Zealand have exposed her to a wide range of services from which Puke Ariki can only benefit.”

Fiona says she’s looking forward to seeing Ireland play at Stadium Taranaki during Rugby World Cup 2011.

“I’m an absolute nature lover so I’m really looking forward to spending some time on the beaches and in the hills and on the mountain,” she says.

“I’m also an advocate of the Coastal Walkway because I’m a cyclist. I love that stretch of concrete!”