Trustees
Richard Benge MNZM (Chair)
Richard is a foundation member of the Trust.
He is the Executive Director of Arts Access Aotearoa – advocating for accessible arts in New Zealand.
Formerly the Cultural Affairs Specialist for the Embassy of the United States of America in Wellington, he also worked with others on the 2006 ‘A Friend in Need’ exhibition at Old St Paul’s where he had previously been the Manager.
Richard was initially a high school drama teacher before establishing artists in residence programmes for Arts Access Victoria (formerly Rusden) in Melbourne.
Anthony Dreaver MNZM (Deputy Chair / Historian)
A former high school teacher, Anthony is a local historian with a special interest in the Kāpiti/Horowhenua region. He has written three books about the area and is a former editor of the Otaki Historical Society’s annual Journal.
As a former Chair of the Paekākāriki Station Precinct Trust, Anthony curated - A friend in need: the Paekākāriki story - the first major project undertaken by the Trust. He has subsequently managed a number of other interpretation projects including the installation of the Sailor’s Memorial, the US Marines Hut Restoration Project, the Marines’ Signage Trail in Whareroa Farm, and the Camp Paekākāriki Interpretation Site.
Anthony has also been involved in the development of the Kāpiti Coast Heritage Trail and the Friends of Ōtaki Health Camp Rotunda restoration project.
Allison (Allie) Webber (Executive Secretary)
Allie is a foundation member of the Trust; she runs the group on a day-to-day basis, is responsible for strategic development, stakeholder communications, website development and fund-raising.
Allie has worked in the New Zealand media for the last 40+ years as a journalist, radio and television producer, public relations professional, teacher and trainer.
She was formerly Media Advisor to the Mayor of Kāpiti Jenny Rowan and now runs her own media and training consultancy.
She also established Paekākāriki Informed Community (PICI), publishers of Paekākāriki Xpressed Community Newspaper and wrote for the paper for ten years. She served on the Paekākāriki Community Board for two terms.
Major Larry Keim
Major Larry Keim, USMC (Ret) is a foundation member of the Trust and is President of the New Zealand American Association.
Larry enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1969 as an infantryman; his military career took him to many countries from Vietnam to Somalia, the Western Sahara and multiple deployments in the Western Pacific.
After gaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Sacramento in 1977, Larry became a Commissioned Officer in the Marine Corps where he served as an Infantry/Reconnaissance officer. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1996.
He then worked for the FBI as a contractor in the forensics field for five years, followed by defence jobs in South Korea and Japan, before moving to New Zealand in 2005. He worked for the Department of Labour/MBIE for ten years before retiring. He now lives with his family in Kāpiti New Zealand.
Sue Harris (Treasurer)
Sue Harris is a staunch community person with a strong background in business, tourism and community development. She joined the Trust in 2013 and has been our Treasurer for the last 10 years. Sue is also engaged in a range of other volunteer work in Kāpiti including: the Raumati South Repair Cafe and the Nest Collective Kāpiti.
Before moving to Kapiti, Sue ran her own business, Methven Motels and Holiday Homes, for 15 years, was on the Board of the Methven Alpine and Agricultural Centre, developed 21 Residential Sections and built an 11-unit motel in the town.
Sue also set up Methven Mall Craft Shop, held a number of positions on the Methven Mt Hutt District Promotions Association and served on the Methven Community Board for two terms.
Nick Miller
Nick has recently joined the trust with a particular focus on fund raising. He is a history graduate from Oxford University with a keen interest in modern military history.
Nick has spent most of his career with tax administrations, holding senior positions in the UK and New Zealand and moved here permanently in 2013.
More recently after stopping full time work, Nick has become involved in the volunteer sector, working for the Citizens Advice Bureau and also with Kapiti birthright. He is also on the roster of experts for the joint OECD/UN initiative “Tax Inspectors without Borders” .
Steve La Hood Miller
Recently appointed as a new Trustee, Steve La Hood has had a long association with KUSMT, having been the producer of A Friend in Need, the first exhibition the Trust developed.
He also curated the exhibition inside the Marines Hut in Queen Elizabeth Park and was responsible for organising the aquisition and digitisation of the Norm Hatch Collection of Films & photographs which the Trust recently brought back to New Zealand and gifted to Nga Taonga Sound & Film Archive. As part of this project he directed a film from the exhibition material call - Meet New Zealand.
Steve has a Master of Fine Arts from the UCLA in Berkley, California. He spent 10 years working as a television director and producer before starting his own film production company and subsequently created Story Inc a new company focused on producing exhibitions for Museums.
Story Inc worked all over the world and built the New Zealand Pavilions for the World Expo in Japan and China. It also toured the Lord of the Rings exhibition to seven science museums in London, Singapore and Boston.
Steve moved to Paekākāriki five years ago and has been active in the Kāpiti community ever since. He has been studying Te Reo Māori at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa ki Porirua for a number of years and hopes to be a fluent speaker by the time he is 80.