Celia Wade-Brown
Encyclopedia
Celia Wade-Brown is the 34th and current Mayor of Wellington
, the capital city of New Zealand. She is the third woman to fill that role, replacing centre-right Kerry Prendergast
. She is the second Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
mayor of a major New Zealand city, after Dunedin
's Sukhi Turner
. She defeated Prendergast by a 176 vote margin in the final round of the instant runoff voting election.
, West London, Wade-Brown grew up in a council flat. She attended The Holt School
in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. After school, she took a gap year in Cape Coast
, Ghana, then earned an honours degree in philosophy from the University of Nottingham
. She started her professional life with IBM
in the United Kingdom, but came to Wellington in 1983.
In 2010, she contested the mayoralty only and did not stand again for council being replaced as a councillor by Paul Eagle. Six contenders were in the competition for the 2010 mayoralty
. Wade-Brown won the election in the final round of the instant runoff count by 24,881 to 24,705. She was ranked ahead of Kerry Prendergast on a significant number of ballots from the four trailing candidates after they were eliminated, which allowed her to overcome Prendergast's lead after the first round of counting (21,809 to 18,560).
in 2002, a walking advocacy organisation with fifteen branches in New Zealand. It is part of the International Federation of Pedestrians of which she is a Board member.
Wade-Brown is a trustee of the Wellington Zoo
and a Friend of Taputeranga Marine Reserve
.
Mayor of Wellington
The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of Wellington, New Zealand, and presides over the Wellington City Council. The Mayor of Wellington administers only Wellington City itself — other municipalities in adjacent areas of the Wellington Region such as Lower Hutt, Upper...
, the capital city of New Zealand. She is the third woman to fill that role, replacing centre-right Kerry Prendergast
Kerry Prendergast
Kerry Leigh Prendergast, CNZM was the 33rd Mayor of Wellington . She was the second woman to serve as Mayor of Wellington, succeeding Mark Blumsky.-Before politics:...
. She is the second Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party that has seats in the New Zealand parliament. It focuses firstly on environmentalism, arguing that all other aspects of humanity will cease to be of concern if there is no environment to sustain it...
mayor of a major New Zealand city, after Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
's Sukhi Turner
Sukhi Turner
Dame Sukhinder "Sukhi" Kaur Gill Turner, DNZM was the Mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand, from 1995 until her retirement from the position in 2004. She was notable as the first Green Party mayor in New Zealand...
. She defeated Prendergast by a 176 vote margin in the final round of the instant runoff voting election.
Early life
Born in PaddingtonPaddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
, West London, Wade-Brown grew up in a council flat. She attended The Holt School
The Holt School
He runs a 2:30 mile. The Holt School is a secondary school located in Wokingham, on Holt Lane. It is a girls' school and currently holds over 1200 girls ranging from 11-18....
in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. After school, she took a gap year in Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Cape Coast, or Cabo Corso, is the capital of the Central Region of Ghana and is also the capital city of the Fante people, or Mfantsefo. It is situated 165 km west of Accra on the Gulf of Guinea. It has a population of 82,291 . From the 16th century the city has changed hands between the...
, Ghana, then earned an honours degree in philosophy from the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
. She started her professional life with IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
in the United Kingdom, but came to Wellington in 1983.
Political career
Wade-Brown was elected a councillor for Wellington City Council 1994–1998, and then 2001–2010 for the Southern Ward.In 2010, she contested the mayoralty only and did not stand again for council being replaced as a councillor by Paul Eagle. Six contenders were in the competition for the 2010 mayoralty
Wellington City mayoral election, 2010
The Wellington City mayoral election, 2010 is part of the New Zealand local elections, 2010. On 9 October 2010, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government roles...
. Wade-Brown won the election in the final round of the instant runoff count by 24,881 to 24,705. She was ranked ahead of Kerry Prendergast on a significant number of ballots from the four trailing candidates after they were eliminated, which allowed her to overcome Prendergast's lead after the first round of counting (21,809 to 18,560).
Community involvement
She was a founding member of the New Zealand Internet Society, a non-profit organisation founded in 1995 dedicated to protecting and promoting the Internet in New Zealand. Wade-Brown also founded Living Streets AotearoaLiving Streets Aotearoa
Living Streets Aotearoa Inc. is an organisation in New Zealand that promotes the concept of living streets, the use of roads for functions other than vehicle access. It is the national walking advocacy group with a vision to have "more people choosing to walk more often."The organisation was...
in 2002, a walking advocacy organisation with fifteen branches in New Zealand. It is part of the International Federation of Pedestrians of which she is a Board member.
Wade-Brown is a trustee of the Wellington Zoo
Wellington Zoo
Wellington Zoo is nestled in the green belt of Wellington, New Zealand. Now over 100 years old, it was the country’s first Zoo and has dedicated to over 100 different species of fauna from across the globe...
and a Friend of Taputeranga Marine Reserve
Taputeranga Marine Reserve
Taputeranga Marine Reserve is a legally protected area of sea and coast along the southern edge of Wellington City, in New Zealand. It was officially opened in September 2008.-Location and area:...
.