We sat down with the Chamber's new Marketing, Events and Membership Coordinator, Devon Parker - Auld, to get to know more about her.
I was born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, I left to complete a Bachelor of Arts, in Pōneke, Wellington. Since my degree, I moved down to Te Waipounamu and began my career journey there. After a wonderful 2 years down in Ōtautahi, Christchurch my partner and I packed our bags and went overseas for a few months around Sri Lanka, Australia and the Pacific Islands. We found ourselves drawn to Raglan and made the move over the new year entering 2025.
Besides my whereabouts, I love being hands-on in creative hobbies including crocheting, jewellery making and sketching as well as going for a fish or surf here and there back in Raglan.
Tell us about your work history.
I’ve had the pleasure to work for both Lincoln University and University of Canterbury Student’s Association, curating and delivering a range of events and activations including 1000pax gigs featuring artists such as Savage and Torren Foot, large-scale family friendly events such as Carnival and Community Day and small-scale successes such as jewellery making workshops and local lunches. Working at these universities gave me great insight into the world of events and marketing and how effective and beneficial those opportunities are for communities.
What does your role at the Chamber entail?
As the Marketing, Events and Membership Coordinator, I will help to enhance membership experience through relationship building and support for members. I will also be assisting with regular events and supporting larger scale events that the Chamber offers and will continue to develop the Chamber’s presence, both online and in person.
What are your strengths and skills?
Creativity through an organised process is how I work. I love to be artistic in any work I do, whilst also honing in on my organisational skills to refine my approach and ensure that every project I work on is both innovative and efficiently executed. I am also a big people person and love to meet new people, build relationships, and connect with others to create a strong, supportive network.
What are you looking forward to bringing to the Chamber?
I’m excited to build the presence of the Chamber through in-person and online initiatives whilst bringing in a new perspective that enables further collaboration and growth for both our team members and our chamber members.
Where is your favourite place in the Waikato?
My favourite place would be around Whangamata. Spent plenty of Summers growing up heading to the family bach and have so many special memories tied to this part of Waikato, especially Wentworth falls and Opoutere Forest!
