Gillian Deane

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Gillian Deane was born in Gisborne, New Zealand, in 1943. She attended Gisborne Girls High School and Victoria University of Wellington, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She also holds a New Zealand Teacher's Certificate. She is Patron of IHC NZ, National Coordinator of Rett New Zealand, a Trustee of the NZ Organization for Rare Diseases, and Chair of the Deane Endowment Trust. She is a Director and a Trustee of a number of family companies and trusts. Previous positions included Trustee of the Arts Foundation of NZ, Patron of the Mary Potter Hospice, Patron of the Friends of Martinborough Wine Festival, a Trustee of the International Arts Festival, President of the Friends of the International Arts Festival in Wellington, a Trustee of the Diana Princess of Wales Trust, Ambassador for the International Year of the Family, and a Trustee of CCREP ( Centre for Clinical Research and Effective Practice ) at Middlemore Hospital. She was also on the International Committee for the Year of the Family for Inclusion International. She has a particular interest in the arts, music and opera, science, early New Zealand and Maori history, and is a devoted conservationist, having regenerated a large area of wetlands which has now been declared a New Zealand National Heritage site. Gillian Deane formed the New Zealand Retts Association, now known as Retts NZ, many years ago to assist girls with Retts Syndrome and their families. In her early career she was a teacher for some years. Since that time she has managed the family’s financial and business interests and trust affairs, including creating and overseeing the Deane Endowment Trust. This Trust assists a wide range of arts and cultural organizations; a significant number of young talented people in the arts, music, opera, and science; some scientific research projects; and people with disabilities including the organizations which support them.