President

Susanne Rawson

Email: president.nzccm@gmail.com

Tēnā koutou katoa! Nō Kōtirana a Itāria ōku tīpuna. Nō Southeastern USA a Florida au. Ko Taranaki te kāinga. I grew up in a historic house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, built in 1851 and listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Surrounded by nature and a deep sense of history, I developed an early love for the past. Later, living in the Southern USA, I gained a profound appreciation for how coastal environments shape our identity and heritage.

My journey in cultural heritage preservation, material culture, and archaeology has taken me through various roles in non-profits, education, and private practice. I earned a BA in anthropology from the University of West Florida, focusing on conservation and archaeology. During my studies, I completed a Nautical Archaeology Society certificate in Foreshore Archaeology at Flinders University. After my undergraduate degree, I interned with the HL Hunley project, honing my skills in organic materials and conservation science. I then pursued a master’s degree in conservation at University College London and worked as a Senior Conservator at The Mariners’ Museum in Virginia on the USS Monitor project.

My work has taken me to fascinating locations from the Arctic to the Antarctic, South America, the Near East, and Africa, working with a variety of materials. I am a fellow of the American Institute of Conservation and a member of the New Zealand Archaeological Association and International Council of Museums. I have conducted numerous workshops, courses, research projects, and published on various topics.

Before becoming president, I served as a Co-Convenor of the Special Interest Group for Conservators in Private Practice (NZCCM) and as Vice Chair for Heritage Taranaki Inc. Recently, I completed a doctorate at Victoria University Wellington Te Herenga Waka, exploring community relationships with underwater and near-water heritage. Currently, I am a Director for Heritage Preservation and Field Support Solutions (HPFS Solutions) based in New Plymouth, Taranaki, where I live with my partner from Hāwera and our son.

I believe that open, transparent communication, combined with realistic goals and resources, can lead to a better understanding of our past and help preserve significant heritage sites and objects for the future.

Vice President

Emily Fryer

Email: vicepresidentnzccm@gmail.com

Emily is an objects conservator currently working at Canterbury Museum in Christchurch. She has a Masters in the Conservation of Historic Objects from Durham University and a degree in Geology. Emily has worked in conservation for over 20 years both in institutions and privately through her own business on large conservation projects in Christchurch including many related to earthquake recovery. She has also worked as an objects conservator for the Tate Gallery in London and the Antarctic Heritage Trust in Antarctica. Her current research interests are canned food preservation and adhesive methods for temporary earthquake display restraint. 

Emily has been a member of the New Zealand Conservators of Cultural Materials for over 15  years and has served a number of years as Canterbury Rep and recently on Membership committee.  She is excited to take on this new role and looks forward to supporting NZCCM members.  

Catalina

Email: secretary.nzccm@gmail.com  

I am originally from Chile, where I studied Art History and Photography, and later earned a Master’s degree in Conservation and Restoration of Objects and Heritage. I have worked in museums, galleries, and archives for over 13 years. As a freelancer, I focus mostly on the conservation of paintings, photography, and paper, as well as preventive conservation, digitisation, training, mentoring, and advisory roles. My passion lies in photography and audiovisual materials, and I have also collaborated on cultural projects and training with native communities back in my homeland.

I am a member of R.E.A.L, the Latin American Archives Women Entrepreneurs Network and waiting to be member of SEAPAAVA, the Southeast Asia-Pacific Audiovisual Archive Association. Currently, I am a Senior Archivist Repository at Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision. My role includes logistics and transport of collections, care and handling of collection materials, training, inventory, preventive conservation, and creating best practices and procedures.

In my free time, I love going for walks with my partner and our beagle dog, and enjoying arts and crafts. You can also visit me on Instagram, where I share my personal photography and memorabilia archive: instagram.com/spectrum_photoarchive

Kate Blair

Email: nzccmpayments@gmail.com

Kate is Kaitiaki Taonga Conservator Textiles at the National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Kate has a BSc majoring in textile science from the University of Otago and an MPhil in textile conservation from the University of Glasgow.

She has been a full NZCCM member since graduating in 2013, and has been practicing conservation in New Zealand since 2016. Kate likes spreadsheets and gardening in her spare time.

photo currently unavailable

Prayash

Email: webofficer.nzccm@gmail.com

Nō Nepal tōku motu.Nō Tahoon tōku papatipu. I tipu ake ahau kei te Nepal me India. Ināianei, e noho ana ahau rāua ko tōku wahine kei te whenua o Taranaki Whānui rāua ko Te Ātiawa. Ko kaimahi ahau kei Te Kano Kohinga Kupu Pōneke.

Tahoon, Nepal is my ancestral land. I grew up in both Nepal and India. I am tangata tiriti and a graduate of Te Wānanga o Raukawa, Poutuarongo Puna Maumahara. I am an Archivist at Wellington City Archives Te Kano Kohinga Kupu o Pōneke.

I document the social movement from inside and I love to make photos and learn about the decolonisation of camera - what does it look like is what I am trying to figure it out at the moment?

Newsletter Editor

Lisa Imamura

Email: editor.nzccm@gmail.com

Lisa grew up in Southeast Alaska, studied geology in Upstate New York and Christchurch, and studied objects conservation in Canada. She holds a Master of Art Conservation degree from Queen's University. Lisa has enjoyed working in a variety of settings in the United States, Canada, and Aotearoa, including an academic archaeology department, a regional conservation centre, and museums small to very large. Lisa lives in Invercargill.

Auckland Reps

Angela Ruegger and Liz Yuda

Email: auckland.nzccm@gmail.com

Angela Ruegger grew up in the Swiss Alps and subsequently in NZ. In 2005 she graduated with a M.A. in Paintings Conservation from the University of Melbourne, followed by Post Graduation Internships in Europe and Auckland. She has been running her own conservation studio, The Conservation Workshop, since 2007. The early years were a combination of working in NZ and Europe, learning new skills and getting insights into conservation practices from professionals around the world.

Since 2012 she has been working from her studio in Auckland yet continuously being involved in projects around Aotearoa. There have been several enjoyable and successful instances of collaboration with conservation professionals of other specialisation as this often ensures the best course of treatment. She is a long-standing full member of the NZCCM.

Liz Yuda has been an objects conservator since 1997 and a full member of the NZCCM since 1998. She qualified as an objects conservator at the University of Canberra, Australia, and, after a short stint working in Sydney, relocated to New Zealand to work at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

She co-founded and has been a Director of Artefacts Conservation Ltd. (ACL) since 2000. ACL provides preventive and remedial conservation treatments and consultancy services, including collection condition surveys, conservation maintenance planning and treatments.

She specialises in the conservation of public artworks (traditional and modern media), metals, ceramics, and glass, and has extensive experience in conservation project management. In the course of her 27 year career, she has worked collaboratively and constructively with a diverse array of professionals including carvers, weavers, kaitiaki, architects, urban & landscape designers, engineers, tradespeople, artists and fellow conservators.

Wellington Reps

Julia Gresson

Email: wellington.nzccm@gmail.com

Julia trained in conservation at the University of Canberra before taking up a position at Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, where she worked for 20 years. She then travelled to London to work at the Horniman Museum & Gardens in Forest Hill for 12 years, conserving items as varied as a huge stuffed walrus to Papua New Guinea jewellery, African carvings and historic musical instruments.

Since returning to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2022, Julia has worked at Te Papa in the role of Kaitiaki Taonga Conservator Objects with shared responsibility for the care and treatment of history objects, natural history specimens and small sculpture.

Canterbury Rep 

Louise

Email: canterbury.nzccm@gmail.com

Louise is a Conservation Technician working with objects at Canterbury Museum in Ōtautahi Christchurch. She has a BA (Anthropology) from the University of Auckland and is currently working towards her MA (Museum Studies) at Massey University with a focus on the management of hazardous collections. In her spare time, she likes hiking and exploring the outdoors. 

Otago & Southland Rep 

The following position is appointed by the Executive Committee to help manage the various interests of the organisation.

Membership Committee 

Email: membership.nzccm@gmail.com

• Emily Fryer - Committee Chair and NZZCM Vice-President
• Bronwyn Officer
• David Ashman
• Andor Vince
  
• Luis Newdick
  
• Olivia Pitts - Membership Coordinator