President-Elect and Ordinary Council Profiles

Voting now open! Closes at AGM on 27 May 2025

We welcome voting for the following NZOHS Council Member positions: one position of President-Elect, and three positions of Ordinary Council Members.

As a Fellow, Full, or Technician member, we ask you to cast your vote for the following nominees (see their profiles below).

Voting is open now and closes at the AGM on 27 May 2025.

Click to Vote

President-Elect Nominees

The President–Elect is part of the Executive and has an important role in working closely with the President. They are to learn the various roles and activities of the Council and sub-committees and the external arena in which the NZOHS operates so that by the end of their term they are able to take over the roles and responsibilities required of the President. The President-Elect is required to report to the President in a manner similar to all members of the Council, and where appropriate report to Council. They also have numerous specific responsibilities found here.

Lucre Pfefferman

Hi NZOHS members. My name is Lucre and I’m standing for the President Elect role.

I’m originally from Argentina and moved to New Zealand more than 20 years ago. I joined NZOHS a few years later. I have been on and off Council as an Ordinary Member and also as the Treasurer for 2 terms. I thought it’s time for me to put my hand up for the President Elect role.

I’ve been involved through the years with different subcommittees: with Commit2Fit since the beginning, with the OHTA training courses, with the newly developed advance training courses that NZOHS has put together, with the HASANZ register and I have the privilege to represent NZOHS in the SF-010 Occupational Respiratory Protection joint AS/NZS standards committee as well as in the Asia Network of Occupational Hygiene. Through all this work, I have had and continue to have the opportunity to work with amazing people.

Back in 2018, I was part of the group that put together the trial run for a NZOHS conference. This was called: the ‘AGM Day’. NZOHS thought that a small step of having one day together with speakers and training could set the scene for future NZOHS Conferences. 7 years later, we are now having our 4th Conference (3 in person and 1 virtual) with more and more interest within New Zealand and abroad. What an achievement for all of us that is.

Before I end my brief message to you, I want to celebrate that this time, the first time ever; we have the option to do an election. That means that there are several members keen to be involved in Council. I personally think that this is a milestone for us all. So, CHEERS to that.

I’m a believer that NZOHS belongs to us, the members. We are the ones that must take responsibility for NZOHS direction and actions. There is so much to do, and no matter at what level we are at, there is always room for improvement.

I will bring to the President Elect role my background knowledge of NZOHS, the current understanding of where NZOHS is from the financial perspective, and the future desire to continue growing the Occupational Hygiene profession and NZOHS in New Zealand.

I appreciate your time reading this profile.

Bye for now.

Bridgette Jennings

Occupational hygiene has been my passion since 2003. I spent 20 years as a consultant and now work as the Occupational Hygiene Lead at Fletcher Building. I thrive on assessing exposure risks, demystifying exposure and health monitoring data, and guiding businesses toward effective control strategies that protect worker health. I enjoy thinking strategically, but I also love diving into the detail—especially when it comes to data.

Throughout my career, I’ve actively contributed to the profession through various leadership roles. I’ve previously served on the NZOHS council, was a founding Director of FAMANZ (Faculty of Asbestos Management Australia and New Zealand), and held the role of Chair. For nearly four years, I’ve also represented FAMANZ on the HASANZ Governance Group. As a former asbestos assessor, I found great satisfaction in helping establish FAMANZ to elevate the professionalism of the industry.

Outside of work, I’m a proud mum to two teenage girls and wife to a very supportive husband. I’m currently the President of the Selwyn Wahine Cricket Club and manage my youngest daughter’s team. I’m passionate about empowering girls to reach their full potential and ensuring they have access to the resources they need—especially in a sport that’s still male-dominated.

I am excited to put myself forward for the role of President-Elect and to once again contribute to the NZOHS. The upcoming health and safety reforms will bring new challenges and opportunities for occupational hygienists to have their voices heard. I am committed to strengthening our collaboration with sister organisations and industry bodies to ensure hygienists play an impactful role in advancing worker health.

I would be honoured to serve again on the NZOHS council and help lead our profession into its next chapter.

Nadine Barnard

Hello, Kia Ora, Goeiedag NZOHS members

I’m Nadine Barnard and I have accepted two nominations for NZOHS Council, Ordinary Council member and President Elect.

I’m a Certified Occupational Hygienist with AIOH and SAIOH and proud to be a full member of NZOHS since 2019. I served on NZOHS council as an Interim Ordinary Council member from December 2021 to May 2023, I was a member of the Professional Development Sub-Committee since 2021 and proud to have been the sub-committee lead from September 2021 to May 2023.

My Occupational Hygiene career kicked off in South Africa in 2011 after completing a BSc Honours degree in Physiology (Occupational Hygiene). I started off, fresh out of Uni, by being a runner on site for senior Occupational Hygienists, placing sampling pumps on workers early mornings and working night shifts or cleaning 3-tier sampling cassettes in the laboratory and re-loading and weighing gravimetric sample cassettes for the next batch of sampling. During my 13-year career, I have been extremely fortunate to have worked with, learned from and to have been mentored by some of the most highly respected and experienced Occupational Hygienists, in South Africa and New Zealand. They have shaped me into the Occupational Hygienist I am today and of course, as any Occupational Hygienist knows, the learning journey never ends.

Continual Improvement is what I’m passionate about, you will hardly find me settle for “this is just the way things are done”. My husband would say perfectionist (I’m sure he calls it by some other name under his breath). I’m very lucky that my husband is a fellow Certified Occupational Hygienist, so he gets to listen (again, he may say otherwise) and talk and brainstorm with me on all things OH.

Occupational Hygiene is my passion, but I have experienced that to break barriers and encourage genuine open dialogue, cooperation and connection between interrelated health sciences, such as OH and H&S, you must make an effort to understand fundamental differences and views. To do just that, I’ve expanded my knowledge in the field of H&S in the form of a NEBOSH International Diploma. Currently, I work as a Zero Harm Business Partner for Downer Group New Zealand, after working as an Occupational Hygiene consultant for majority of my career.

The growth that NZOHS has achieved through the efforts of the members and council is inspiring and I am happy to stand for election and for a chance to be supporting these efforts again.

If I am elected to serve NZOHS as a member of council, I bring with:

my knowledge and experience of Occupational Hygiene inspection bodies and consulting businesses and the challenges and opportunities they face that are also very much applicable to any OH business structure in the New Zealand industry
my knowledge of and ability to find common ground and cooperation between different but supporting professions
my principle of being of purpose, to serve in this profession of safeguarding and taking care of worker health and safety

Ordinary Council

The role of members of the NZOHS Council is to control and manage the business and affairs of the Institute on behalf of the membership. All members of NZOHS Council are Councillors, this includes Officers (or office bearers) who also have specific roles, functions and duties. Councillors report to the NZOHS Membership via the President and Officers.

William Porter

I’m the National Environmental and Occupational Hygiene Manager at Verum Group, where I lead teams delivering environmental monitoring and occupational hygiene services across New Zealand. With over nine years’ experience in the field, I’ve worked across a range of sectors including industrial manufacturing, waste, heavy processing, and primary industries. I hold the International Certificate in Occupational Hygiene (ICertOHTA), the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety along with completing multiple Governance courses.

My technical background includes exposure assessments for dust, noise, fumes, vibration, and thermal stress, along with contaminated land investigations and air quality monitoring.

I’m standing again for NZOHS Council because I strongly believe in the role our society plays in shaping the future of occupational hygiene. We’re at a point where our profession has an opportunity to become more visible, more supported, and better understood by both industry and regulators. I want to continue contributing to this momentum—supporting practical progress while ensuring we remain grounded in what matters: protecting worker health.

If elected, I hope to bring a mix of field knowledge, business insight, and energy to the role. I’m passionate about making occupational hygiene more accessible to the next generation, building stronger connections across the industry, and supporting initiatives that raise the profile of our work nationally. I want to ensure NZOHS remains a proactive, inclusive, and respected voice for our profession. I’m also always keen for a catch-up over a beer with fellow hygienists — building the social side of our society is just as important as the technical.

Outside of work, I enjoy fishing, free diving, golf, and spending time with my family and two dogs.

Sam McGee

I am passionate about advancing the Occupational Hygiene profession in New Zealand and supporting the ongoing work of NZOHS in protecting worker health across the country. Having previously served on the NZOHS Council, I am eager to return and continue contributing to the important initiatives I was involved in before stepping down in 2022.

For those who don’t know me, I am a Senior Occupational Hygiene Consultant at Chemsafety, where I’ve worked for the past 12 years. Like many in our field, I began my journey with little awareness of Occupational Hygiene, but with the support of NZOHS and HASANZ, I completed the ICertOH and have since become a full member of NZOHS, AIOH, and FAMANZ. I’ve experienced first-hand the value of NZOHS’s training offerings and now regularly assist in delivering these courses whenever I can.

If elected, I would focus on two key areas:

Professional Development: I believe there is an opportunity to expand support for those who have completed the OHTA modules by offering further advanced learning options for our members.

Growing the Profession: Increasing the visibility and capacity of Occupational Hygiene in Aotearoa is essential. I’m committed to helping attract new members, particularly early-career professionals and students, to ensure we cultivate the next generation of hygienists.

With experience on the inside and outside the NZOHS, I bring a collaborative mindset and a practical understanding of the challenges and opportunities in our field. I would be honoured to again serve on the Council and contribute to NZOHS’s goals.

Rebecca Shanks

I am an emerging occupational hygienist who has developed a deep passion for protecting worker health and making a meaningful impact in our industry. Over the years, I’ve been actively involved in various NZOHS subcommittees and working groups, contributing wherever I could behind the scenes. Now, I feel ready to take the next step and stand for a position on the General Council.

Putting myself forward has taken some courage, but I believe this is the right time professionally. I’ve grown through experience, built strong professional relationships, and developed the confidence to step into a more visible role. My journey so far has given me insight into the value of having diverse voices at the table, and I’m committed to ensuring fair and inclusive representation of the range of people and roles that make up New Zealand’s workforce.

What drives me is the potential to help shape a profession that’s forward-thinking, connected, and approachable to all—especially those starting out, like I once did. Less than 2 months into my career, I attended my first AGM and conference and had already felt so included and welcomed.

If elected, I hope to bring fresh perspectives, practical insight, and a strong sense of purpose to the Council. I want to continue the momentum of those who came before me, while contributing my own lived experiences and ideas to the Society’s future direction.

Leon Pretorius

I am a Husband and Dad of 2 beautiful kids. Our family relocated to New Zealand in 2024. I grew up in Durban, South Africa where I completed school and attended university. I obtained a BSocSc Honours degree in Environmental Management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2009 and started out in environment monitoring as part of my early career.

I transitioned into Occupational Hygiene in 2010, as a fitting and complimentary disciple of Exposure Science to protect both workers and the associated communities. As a Registered Occupational Hygienist (ROH) since 2016 with the Southern African Institute of Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH), I’ve gained significant industry experience across 15 countries over the past 15 years. I am passionate about reducing exposures in the workplace and beyond and gain tremendous satisfaction through improving and prolonging people’s quality of life.

I’d be honoured to be part of a growing OH society within New Zealand to further promote worker health and establish occupational hygiene as a critical field within the NZ industry. I am standing for council to be part of a larger vision for OH within NZ, to support and assist council in whichever way be fitting to the growth and advancement of the association as a globally recognised society within the greater international OH space.

I hope to bring fresh insights, perspectives and learnings from being involved at SAIOH and within the larger South African OH community. I hope to assist with establishing a pathway for Kiwis to achieve Hygienist certification locally, whilst equipping the next generation OH professionals in New Zealand in order to grow the industry and fast track the protection of worker health.

Nadine Barnard

Hello, Kia Ora, Goeiedag NZOHS members

I’m Nadine Barnard and I have accepted two nominations for NZOHS Council, Ordinary Council member and President Elect.

The growth that NZOHS has achieved through the efforts of the members and council is inspiring and I am happy to stand for election and for a chance to be supporting these efforts again.

If I am elected to serve NZOHS as a member of council, I bring with:

my knowledge and experience of Occupational Hygiene inspection bodies and consulting businesses and the challenges and opportunities they face that are also very much applicable to any OH business structure in the New Zealand industry
my knowledge of and ability to find common ground and cooperation between different but supporting professions
my principle of being of purpose, to serve in this profession of safeguarding and taking care of worker health and safety

Rick Lewer

My name is Ricky Lewer, and I am putting myself forward to serve a second term as an Ordinary Member of the New Zealand Occupational Hygiene Society (NZOHS).

I am a full member of NZOHS and a HASANZ-registered occupational hygienist with Direct Hazmat Consultants Limited. I have over 14 years of experience in the industry, and I am currently based in Palmerston North, where I work across a wide range of workplace exposure assessments.

Before entering the occupational hygiene field, I spent 25 years with the New Zealand Police, primarily serving as a Detective, Sergeant, and Police Prosecutor. I hold the international certificate in occupational hygiene (BOHS) and am a full member of both the New Zealand and Australian occupational hygiene societies, as well as an associate member of BOHS.

During my time with NZOHS, I have been actively involved in supporting the Society’s activities, including serving on conference sub-committees and contributing to the professional development of the 200 and 500 series training courses.

I am passionate about advancing occupational hygiene through evidence-based practice, continuous learning, and advocacy. My particular interests include asbestos, heat stress, local exhaust ventilation, and indoor air quality.

I believe I can continue to bring valuable experience and insight to the committee’s work, and I would welcome the opportunity to contribute further to improving worker health and promoting our profession.

Levi Mines

My name is Levi Mines. I moved to Aotearoa from the US over seven years ago. I’ve been practising industrial and occupational hygiene since 2013, when I started my master’s degree at the University of Iowa in the US.

Since moving here, I have worked in-house for the oil refinery (before it closed), WorkSafe NZ, and now as a consultant and head of hygiene for LM Safety. I’ve worked hard to become a full member and to become certified across the ditch with our sister association, AIOH.

I’ve made NZ my home, and as a profession, a society, and colleagues, you have welcomed me with open arms. I feel privileged to be a part of your group and have enjoyed giving back where and when I can with training and program building.

I was asked by a friend and mentor if I would consider being on the council, and while in the past I have said no, I now feel like I am in a place to give a little more.

I hope to bring my genuine self, a passion for protecting worker health, and a desire to see our profession grow and be recognised for what we do for the kaimahi we protect.

Thank you for your years of kindness and continued hospitality.