JOHN COLLYNS
Executive Director
Retirement Villages Association
AuSAE Member: A long time!
What We Do
We represent the interests of the owners, developers and managers of retirement villages across NZ.
Number of Members
Around 350 member villages plus 150 associate members (supplier to the sector).
Staff Size
Four.
Years in Association Management
23 years.
How I Got Into Association Management
I’ve always had a strong interest in politics so moving into lobbying was a natural step! But I just answered the newspaper advert, as we did back then.
What I Like About My Job
Effecting changes to improve the lives of our 39,000 residents. But in reality it’s the vast diversity of activities, challenges, and opportunities the retirement villages sector offers. Every day is different!
My Biggest Challenge
Making sure the Association remains relevant for our members though creating value-add products and services, and creating new revenue streams for our long-term survival.
What I am most proud of at our Association
We have a fantastic team who go the extra mile to ensure what we do is successful.
Favourite AuSAE Event
I enjoy the quarterly lunches as a great way to network and collect new ideas. ACE this year was damn good too.
What I Want to Learn from other AuSAE Members
No one has a monopoly on wisdom around running associations so I’m always open to new ideas, especially on ways to improve what we already do.
How AuSAE Has Helped Me
I enjoy testing new ideas with other members in a similar situation; whether it’s exploring ways to lobby effectively, deal with a specific policy problem, get information about new suppliers or share war stories in a friendly environment.
John can be reached at john@retirementvillages.org.nz.
For more information about Retirement Villages Association visit www.retirementvillages.org.nz.
