KnowYourStuffNZ Charitable Trust (KYSNZ) is delighted to welcome Angela Howell to its Board of Trustees.
Angela, based in Ōtepoti Dunedin, brings extensive experience in entrepreneurship, scaling start-ups, and governance. She has also served as a KnowYourStuffNZ volunteer for two years.
“I’m thrilled to join the talented team at KYSNZ as we step into an exciting new chapter—diversifying and strengthening our revenue streams to support long-term impact,” she says.
“With Aotearoa New Zealand leading the world as the first country to fully legalise drug checking, we have a unique opportunity to blaze a trail in harm reduction and public health.”
Chairperson Finn Boyle welcomed Angela to the team.
“Angela brings an exciting mix of business acumen and a fierce belief in the kaupapa of KYSNZ. We now have a full board with a great balance of skills and a huge range of professional experience. With such a capable team, we can lead with the strength of that experience while nurturing the fresh energy and grassroots spirit that have always defined us.”
Recent years have seen further changes to the board, with Associate Professor Fiona Hutton (Victoria University of Wellington) and Nándor Tánczos (social ecologist, researcher, and Whākatane District Councillor) joining in late 2023, and KYSNZ founder Wendy Allison stepped down in 2024. Long-standing trustees Finn Boyle and Jez Weston have diverse professional backgrounds and deep expertise in drug checking, having helped to establish the service in Aotearoa.
“I’m delighted to be on the board of KnowYourStuffNZ,” Fiona said, “A highly respected organisation both in Aotearoa and beyond – to support their excellent advocacy around harm reduction and evidence-based drug law reform.”
General Manager Casey Spearin says this diversity of expertise is invaluable as the organisation faces the future.
“We anticipate that 2026 will throw a few new challenges our way, and there’s still important work to be done on the drug checking programme as a whole. Angela brings her skills in business, entrepreneurship, and governance. Fiona and Nándor have both been fearless advocates for evidence-based policy and the rights of people who use drugs in Aotearoa.”
“We couldn’t ask for a better Board of Trustees to guide us in the years to come.”
Further Information
Fiona Hutton is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Criminology, Victoria University of Wellington, and researches issues related to alcohol and other drugs, gender, harm reduction, and drug policy. Her research on drug checking at New Zealand festivals has supported and confirmed the work that KnowYourStuffNZ does. She also has a background in activism and advocacy related to social policies concerning drug use.
Nándor Tánczos is a social ecologist, researcher, and current councillor and mayoral candidate for the Whakatane District Council. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1999 to 2008.