To: Member Clubs, Associate Members, Life Members and Board Members
Re: Athletics NZ 139th Annual General Meeting
When: 7pm, Monday 21 September 2026
Where: Online
We are delighted to provide official notice of the 2026 Athletics NZ AGM, along with details of appointments and nominations for various roles and awards that will be considered at that meeting.
AGM Information
This year, Athletics NZ will trial delivery of the AGM in an online format. The AGM will be held online to improve accessibility for all member clubs, increase participation and quorum reliability, and reduce cost and delivery burden. This approach will also support more consistent nationwide engagement in governance matters and reflects modern, flexible engagement practices in line with the Constitution.
All information and instructions regarding the Annual General Meeting will be available on the Athletics NZ AGM web page here
Board Vacancies
At the 2026 Annual General Meeting, there are two Board positions to be filled. Both positions are Appointed Board Member roles in accordance with the Athletics New Zealand Constitution.
Board Appointment Process
Under the Constitution, Appointed Board Members are selected through an independent, skills-based process led by the Board Appointments Panel.
The Panel consists of a Board nominee, an independent governance expert, and a club-elected representative.
Appointed Board Members are not elected at the AGM. Once the Board Appointments Panel has confirmed its decisions, appointments are made in accordance with the Constitution, with new Board Members taking office at the conclusion of the AGM.
2026 Board Appointments
Following an open recruitment process, including national advertising and a robust assessment process led by the Board Appointments Panel, the following individuals have been appointed for a three-year term:
Dr Megan Gibbons
Megan has an extensive history in athletics as an athlete, coach, administrator and parent. She is a Life Member of Athletics Taieri and Athletics Otago and has coached a number of athletes to national titles and into development teams. She has also represented New Zealand as a coach with development teams, including at the World Youth Championships, and has previously been part of Athletics NZ’s selector pool.
Professionally, Megan has significant experience leading large organisations, with particular strengths in strategic development, people leadership, and health and safety. Her work in the education sector has also provided strong capability in financial sustainability and organisational performance. She has served on a number of boards. Megan holds a Bachelor of Consumer and Applied Science (University of Otago), a Master of Science (Massey University), and a PhD (University of Auckland). She is currently Pro-Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences at the University of Otago.
Susan Sawbridge (Sooz)
Sooz brings nearly three decades of experience in the sport and events sector, primarily within the public sector. She held senior roles with Auckland Council before leading New Zealand Major Events at MBIE, where she was responsible for central government’s role in securing and leveraging major events, including the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Rugby World Cup, and ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. Through her consultancy, Daylight, Sooz has worked across a range of national sport and major event initiatives, including high performance funding with HPSNZ, the National Sport Facilities Strategy Advisory Group (Sport NZ), the NZOC/PNZ Synergy Review, and event strategy and feasibility work both in New Zealand and internationally.
She has governance experience across multiple boards, including current roles with Super Rugby Pacific and as Chair of Women in Sport Aotearoa.
Sooz remains actively involved in sport and recreation and enjoys running, swimming, multi-day biking, tramping, rowing, music, and travelling with family and friends.
Board Composition
The current Athletics NZ Board is comprised of the following appointed and elected members:
2027 (term expiring)
- Ian Olan (Elected)
- Chris Weaver (Elected)
- Toni Sythes (Elected)
2028 (term expiring)
- Courtney Ireland (Elected)
- Chris Tooley (Appointed)
2029 (term expiring)
- Susan Sawbridge (Appointed)
- Megan Gibbons (Appointed)
Nominations
Nomination forms for the following positions and awards can be found on the Athletics NZ AGM web page here
Nominations are to be received by Athletics NZ no later than Wednesday 12 August 2026:
- Club appointee to Board Appointments Panel
- Patron
- Long Service Award
- Merit Award
- Life Membership
Notices of Motion
Proposed motions (including proposed alterations to the Constitution and other items of business) are to be received by Athletics NZ no later than Wednesday 12 August 2026.
Representation
Each club which has completed the Club registration process and paid its Club Affiliation fee by Thursday 23 July 2026 will be eligible to vote at the 2026 AGM. Clubs may have more than one representative at the AGM, but each club will receive one vote.
Returning Officer
The appointed Returning Officer for the 2026 AGM is Sharee Jones.
Cam Mitchell
Chief Executive