Our Trustees.
Suzanne Kayne
Suzanne Kayne is a dedicated philanthropist. As the president of the Ric & Suzanne Kayne Foundation, she oversees Kayne Scholars, a holistic program dedicated to advancing the potential of low-income, first-generation college students to graduate from either the California State University or University of California system and pivot into sustainable, meaningful careers in STEM or business related fields. Additionally, Suzanne has served on the Board of Directors for the Kayne Eras Center where she aided in arranging a merger with the Exceptional Children’s Foundation to provide significant support for children and adults with developmental challenges. She also supports arts organizations around the United States, including serving on the board of The Los Angeles County Museum of Arts (LACMA), The Garden Conservancy, and The Colleagues, which supports the Children’s Institute, Inc.
Originally from North Carolina, Suzanne moved to California after traveling as a flight attendant in the 1970’s. Suzanne has three daughters- a fashion designer, an art gallerist, and a cultural anthropologist, and five grandchildren. She has been married to her loving husband Ric for almost forty years. The couple fell in love with New Zealand, and moved to the country a few years ago.
Sandi Young
Sandi Young’s life has been driven by her desire to have an effect on the people around her. She wasn’t born a global humanitarian nor did she start her career as a powerful corporate executive. She was raised in a small Missouri town. With grit and determination, she forged a way for herself in corporate America and earned the position of Vice President of Marketing for Hostess. She soon realized her passion for philanthropy was pulling her in another direction. Sandi started funding local missions, then national causes, and international missions soon after. She discovered the Starkey Hearing Foundation and volunteered as a part of their team in over 20 countries. She currently supports multiple charities worldwide across education and health and wellness (clean water, medical assistance, nutrition, etc) Her involvement with employee scholarship programs, heading a foundation that manages funds for employee awards, and love for community serves her well to assist with the “family” fund at Tara Iti.
Liz Blackwell
Liz grew up in Matamata NZ, with a strong passion for children and helping them reach their potential she went onto study teaching at Waikato University before becoming a primary school teacher at Hinuera Primary. She has been the Chairperson of Takapuna kindergarten and held a strong connection with Heart Kids NZ for the past 16 years.
After teaching she moved to Auckland with her husband Paul to set up the Pak n Save supermarket in Albany. It was through this industry that led them to become the official sponsor and to take ownership of the NZ Breakers basketball team. Together they led the Breakers through a complete transformation, turning the team into one of the most successful sports teams here in NZ. They also founded the Champions Programme, which focuses on the four pillars of - Goal Setting, Nutrition, Active Lifestyles, and Values - as well as teaching the basic fundamentals of basketball to children aged 5-12 years. To date 30,000 New Zealand children have participated in this.
Her commitment to using sport as a vehicle for positive influence was infectious and the Breakers have given young Kiwi Basketballers always something to aspire to. Her love for the community extends far beyond the Breakers as she continues to contribute to many other worthy causes including the Well Foundation whose mission is to advance healthcare for people living in the North Auckland area and the newly established Tara Iti Whānau Charitable Trust.
Lisa Marquet
Lisa is a committed resident of Mangawhai Heads having owned a home here for over 20 years. A key driver to live here was the amazing community and unique environs.
Lisa grew up in Hawkes Bay, in a rural location, with parents who valued a strong work ethic. A talented athlete and competing equestrienne, Lisa volunteered from an early age to assist RDA (Riding for the Disabled).
Her career path led her into Marketing/Event and Brand management. Roles included Marketing Manager for government-supported Brand New Zealand, working alongside NZ’s leading export and tourism companies together with Sponsorship Manager for one of the major America’s Cup challenge sponsorships. Latterly, she has been in a team that creates an educational animated TV series, the “Takaro Tribe”, teaching pre-schoolers base words and phrases in Te Reo Māori.
Together with Ian, Lisa is a long-term supporter and contributor to numerous local charities and an active Mangawhai community member through various organisations including Mangawhai Matters.
More recently Lisa has found herself hands-on saving birds in the estuary and the odd boatie who comes to grief on the bar.
With empathy for our community needs and wider whānau, Lisa feels she is able to offer a deeper commitment to her beloved community through the Tara Iti Whānau Charitable Trust.
Matt Guzik
Matt joined the Tara Iti opening team in December 2013 from the United States of America. In it's second year, Tara Iti Golf Club debuted at 29th in Golf Magazine's top 100 courses in the world and currently ranks No.2 in Golf Digest top 100 courses in the world outside the US.
Matt is a Certified Club Manager and Certified Club Executive through the Club Managers Association of America. Matt came to Tara Iti Golf Club with a wealth of experience gained in 40 years of club management in the United States. He has been instrumental in opening and managing several prestigious clubs in the US, most notably The Stock Farm Club in Hamilton, Montana; the Golf Club at Newcastle in Bellevue, Washington and the Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona. Matt moved to New Zealand in 2013 to set up the currently ranked No.1 Golf Club in the country, Tara Iti.
Matt is the only club manager to have won CMAA's Idea Fair overall "Idea of the Year" three times at 3 different clubs on 2 different continents. He is a regular guest lecturer at BMI 1 & 2 and has spoken at CMAA's World Conference on "Everything I needed to know about Club Management…
I learned by running marathons and participating in triathlons"
Over the years Matt has been actively involved with many non-for-profit organisations. He has served on the Board of Directors for YMCA, Bitterroot Youth and Marcus Daly Preservation Trust. He has stood as the Executive Director and Board Member of the Greater Ravalli Foundation and more recently he initiated the annual Spirit of Mangawhai Charity Golf Tournament which has lead to the foundation of the Tara Iti Whānau Charitable Trust.