Coastguard Northern Region Appoints New President

Coastguard Northern Region is pleased to announce Whangaroa volunteer, Roly Linstrom as its new Board President.

Heavily involved with Coastguard Northern Region for seven years, Mr Linstrom has played an integral role within the organisation as President of Coastguard’s Whangaroa Unit for five years, followed by two years as the Vice President of the Region.

Immediate past president, Joe Davis, says that with plenty of experience under his belt, Mr Linstrom was a natural choice for the role.

“After providing us with invaluable support over the last two years as Vice President, I have complete confidence that Roly will continue to lead Coastguard Northern Region successfully and I look forward to seeing the organisation continue to move forward with his guidance.”

Mr Linstrom says he is honoured to be presented with an opportunity to become even more involved with the organisation.

“I’m really looking forward to continuing to give back to my community and helping to fulfil Coastguard’s mission of saving lives at sea.

“I feel very privileged to lead a team of inspiring and dedicated individuals. Having been involved with Coastguard for a number of years, I appreciate what lies ahead and I know our passionate team has what it takes to ensure the safety of New Zealanders enjoying the waterways around our coast.”

Mr Linstrom, who has taken over the role from Mr Davis, says that the next three years will be critical in determining the path forward for the Region.

“We are now two years into a five-year strategic plan and I’ll be making it my priority to ensure that we continue the strong progress we’ve made when it comes to achieving goals for the region and aligning us more closely with Coastguard New Zealand’s overarching direction.

“It’s an exciting time for Coastguard and I’m very much looking forward to helping lead the way to a successful future for the organisation,” says Mr Linstrom.

The Northern Region covers from Thames across to Kawhia and up both coasts to the Far North but Coastguard maintains an infrastructure right around the coast and major lakes of New Zealand to ensure they can help when New Zealanders need them.

The organisation has strategically located rescue vessels, comprehensive marine VHF coverage and units that all go into making up this infrastructure – they are all operated by volunteers. To find out more visit www.coastguard.org.nz.