Mary Bourke is a former long-term Mayor of the South Taranaki District and now resides in Stratford. She is actively involved in her local community, including governance roles with the Stratford Community House Trust and the Percy Thomson Trust.
Mary currently chairs the Bishop’s Action Foundation and the Bashford-Nicholls Trust. She has also held a range of national roles across local government and has contributed to the philanthropy, health, and education sectors throughout her career.
She now works as a self-employed facilitator, mediator, and coach, bringing extensive governance and leadership experience to her work. Mary is deeply committed to sustainable, practical initiatives that strengthen communities, with a particular focus on supporting the vitality of rural areas.
As a trustee of the Taranaki Foundation, Mary says:
“I hope to be able to bring my own brand of common sense to add value at a strategic level. I am looking forward to working with a great team of people at the Foundation and learning more about the amazing things that people do to make Taranaki a great place to live.”
