Trust finds magic Beans!
Whitestone Geopark Trustees have appointed Lisa Heinz, formerly Communications Administrator for the Waitaki District Council, where she is fondly known as ‘Beanz’, to the
role of Geopark Co-ordinator. Heinz’s background is in tourism, completing her Masters in
Tourism at the University of Otago last year and her Bachelor in Tourism Management in
Germany. She hails from Nierswalde in Germany (a tiny village of 900 people).
Arriving in Ōamaru at the beginning of 2019 to work at Tourism Waitaki as an intern, Heinz
initially specialised in translations of Waitaki marketing collateral before becoming involved
in the development of the Geopark app, designing tours: driving around the district, deciding
the stops and getting thoroughly versed in the geopark’s destination highlights.
The appointment has left the council’s communications team feeling happy/sad, Waitaki Communications Specialist Lisa Scott saying, “Beanz will be an absolute asset to the Geopark Trust, but we will miss her enthusiasm, creativity and boots-and-all attitude to public engagements.”
First on Lisa Heinz’s agenda is the launch of the Geopark’s pop up shop on the main street of Ōamaru, further development of the geogastronomy programme, Eat the Park, and planning community engagements in the run-up to the visit of UNESCO inspectors in May/June next year.
Heinz joins the park’s new geoeducator, Sasha Morriss and Geopark Manager, Gerard Quinn, who said, “We’re just so pleased to finally have the staff we need to drive engagement with the many Geopark stakeholders, involve all aspects of the community, show them what the Geopark will mean for the district, and do them proud.”