| | Kia ora Deaf community
We have some important news to share. Lachlan Keating, our Chief Executive, and a person many of you know well, has told our Boards that he will be stepping down from his role later this year.
He is leaving knowing that Deaf Aotearoa is strong, well-led, and ready for the future.
Lachlan has been part of Deaf Aotearoa for over 20 years. For 14 of those years, he has led this organisation as CEO. This is news that deserves to be shared with you directly, because you are who Deaf Aotearoa exists for.
Under Lachlan's leadership, Deaf Aotearoa has grown significantly. Our services have expanded, in particularly our world-leading First Signs service which has supported well over 1,300 families with Deaf children, iSign which growing every year, and our Adults and Seniors services which are evolving to meet the changing needs of our Deaf seniors.
The scrutiny and evaluation of our services has never been greater, due in large part to the policies and processes that are now been in place and sees our services audited every 18 months.
Our voice in government and policy has strengthened considerably. Lachlan has been relentless in advocating for the Deaf community at every level, from government officials to strong relationships with Ministers to international human rights forums including the United Nations in Geneva and several World Federation of the Deaf conferences. His mahi on NZSL advocacy has been tireless, and his legacy in this space will endure long after his departure.
Additionally, Lachlan has made the expansion of Deaf Aotearoa's support for Turi Māori a genuine organisational priority, establishing the Māori Deaf Development Officer role and then the Māori Cultural Lead role, on top of hosting two national hui for Turi Māori. This reflects our commitment to Turi Māori communities across Aotearoa. These are enduring parts of his legacy.
And critically, more Deaf people than ever before are leading this organisation, because Lachlan made the promotion of Deaf leaders a personal priority from day one. The result is more than a dozen Deaf people have been appointed to leadership roles during Lachlan’s tenure as CEO – while only around half a dozen Deaf people held leadership roles in the previous 35 years before Lachlan became CEO.
Lachlan isn't leaving immediately. There are projects he wants to complete and a transition to the next CEO that he is personally committed to getting right.
When the time comes, we will celebrate everything he has given to this community — properly and fully.
The search for Deaf Aotearoa's next Chief Executive will begin immediately, with the recruitment process opening tomorrow, led by SWR Group, and a recruitment panel established by the Executive Board.
We are committed to finding a new leader who will carry this organisation forward with the same dedication and success Lachlan has shown over the past 14 years, and we look forward to introducing our new CEO to you later this year.
Handwaves
Craigo | |
