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Kerry Prendergast

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Dame Kerry Prendergast
DNZM JP
33rd Mayor of Wellington
In office
27 October 2001 – 27 October 2010
DeputyAlick Shaw (2001-07)
Ian McKinnon (2007-10)
Preceded byMark Blumsky
Succeeded byCelia Wade-Brown
Personal details
Born
Kerry Leigh Ferrier

(1953-03-28) 28 March 1953 (age 71)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Political partyNational
Spouse1 – Paul Francis Prendegast· 2– Rex Nicholls
Children3

Dame Kerry Leigh Prendergast DNZM JP (née Ferrier, born 28 March 1953) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 33rd Mayor of Wellington between 2001 and 2010, succeeding Mark Blumsky. She was the second woman to hold the position, after Fran Wilde.

Early life

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Prendergast was born in Christchurch but grew up in Tawa, attending Tawa College (1966–69), where she was captain of the college netball team.[1] She qualified as a registered nurse and then trained as a midwife and was later awarded the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society Long Service Award in 1991.[2] She has also been a voluntary grief counsellor.[1] She holds a MBA degree from Victoria University of Wellington.

Local-body politics

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Prendergast started her political life as a Tawa Borough councillor in 1986. In 1989 she was elected to Wellington City Council and was re-elected every three years until 2010. In 1995 Prendergast became Deputy Mayor to Mark Blumsky.[3]

She was a speculated candidate for the National Party nomination at the 1992 Wellington Central by-election, but quickly ruled herself out as a candidate, but stated national politics were a "future possibility" for her.[4] In the 1999 general election Prendergast stood as a National list candidate, ranked 30th on the party's list. However, the National Party did not gain enough of the party vote for Prendergast to enter Parliament. She considered running again at the 2002 election, but in 2001 Mark Blumsky announced his intention not to run for the mayoralty again, and endorsed Prendergast's mayoralty candidacy.

Prendergast was elected mayor in 2001 and re-elected in 2004 and 2007. During her time as Mayor, Prendergast instigated the policy of making Wellington the "Creative Capital". She has endorsed changing the Flag of New Zealand.[5]

In the 2010 Wellington City mayoral election, Prendergast was challenged by Green Party city councillor Celia Wade-Brown for the Wellington mayoralty. After the counting of special votes, Wade-Brown was declared the winner by a 176-vote margin, ending nearly a decade of Prendergast's mayoralty.[6]

Other roles

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In 2011 she became chair of the Environmental Protection Authority and of the Tourism Board. She is on the board of Kirkaldie and Stains Ltd, WorkSafe NZ, Phoenix Football Club, and is on several advisory boards.[7][8][9]

Prendergast was Vice President of Local Government New Zealand and a trustee of the Joe Aspell Trust during her time as Mayor. She has been executive chair of the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts since 2011. She was a director of Wellington International Airport Limited and the Wellington Region Association of Midwives until 2010. She is an honorary life member of the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Society and of Plunket.

In 2015 Prendergast accepted the role of ambassador for Alzheimer's New Zealand, having had personal experience of the disease - both her late father Denis and her mother Beverley Ferrier suffered the disease.[10]

Honours and awards

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Prendergast (left) in 2019, after her investiture as a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit by the governor-general, Dame Patsy Reddy, at Government House, Wellington

In the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, Prendergast was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to local-body affairs,[11] and in the 2019 New Year Honours, she was promoted to Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to governance and the community.[12]

In 2014, Prendergast received the New Zealand Women of Influence Award in the local and regional category.[13]

Personal life

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Prendergast's father, Denis Ferrier, was also a local politician. In 1970 he was elected to the Tawa Borough Council and in 1986 he was elected to the Kapiti Borough Council.[14] She is married and has two daughters. Her son, Andrew, was killed on 31 March 2011 in a riding accident.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Wellingtonian Interview: Kerry Prendergast". Stuff.co.nz. 17 February 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  2. ^ Who's Who in New Zealand, 2001. 2001. p. 721.
  3. ^ Murphy, Lyn (28 October 1995). "Prendergast confirmed as deputy mayor". The Evening Post. p. 3.
  4. ^ "Welch sets sights on Wgtn seat". The Evening Post. 17 October 1992. p. 1.
  5. ^ NZ Flag.com – Kerry Prendergast Archived 17 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Watts, Jerram (13 October 2010). "Celia Wade Brown wins Wellington". 3 News. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  7. ^ "Kerry Prendergast named as EPA chair". Stuff/Fairfax. 2 June 2011.
  8. ^ Zealand, corporatename = Environment Risk Management Authority New. "EPA Board". epa.govt.nz. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  9. ^ "Kerry Prendergast to chair Tourism Board". Stuff/Fairfax. 11 August 2011.
  10. ^ "Ex-mayor talks parents' dementia". Stuff. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  11. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2011". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  12. ^ "New Year honours list 2019". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  13. ^ "'Don't take life for granted'". Stuff. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  14. ^ "Father and daughter on local body campaign trails". The Evening Post. 26 September 1989.
  15. ^ *"Former mayor ..." Stuff/Fairfax. 27 October 2012.
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Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Wellington
2001–2010 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
David Watt
 Deputy Mayor of Wellington
1995–2001 		Succeeded by
Alick Shaw
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