We are pleased to advise that Liz Harburg is now on board as our new Community Engagement Advisor

Formerly part of the executive team of Diabetes Queensland, Mrs Harburg moved to Dunedin in April 2019 with her husband and two young children. Liz has more recently been the general manager of Alzheimer’s Otago. 

It is great to have Liz in the office and she has had a busy first couple of weeks getting to understand a little more about who we are and what we do. 

Tell is a little about yourself? 

Q. You are originally from Australia, tell us a little about your home town where you grew up?

A. I grew up in Brisbane and went to school and Uni there. After Uni, where I studied Nutrition and Dietetics, I left Brisbane and spent my early career in rural and remote Queensland and Western Australia. I have quite a large extended family and they are mostly all still in Brisbane.

Q. What do you miss most about Australia?

A. I miss my family and friends most of all, but I also miss going to the beach and actually being able to swim in the water (without a wetsuit!)

Q. Your family is now settled in Otago, tell us what you have enjoyed most since moving here?

A. You can’t beat the lifestyle here and all the great things that are on our doorstep. I love that in Dunedin itself, everything is so close and that almost everywhere we go my kids run into a friend from school, it creates such a sense of community and feeling of safety and security for them. 

Q. What was your first job after graduating from University?

A. My first job was as a Public Health Nutritionist in a small rural town called Charleville in western Queensland. I was responsible for a project working to improve the access and affordability of healthy food in rural and remote Queensland particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It was just a short part of my life, but it shaped my whole career as it gave me an excellent grounding in the social determinants of health and helped to broaden my perspectives. I also had a whole lot of fun out there and spent a lot of time at rodeos, B&S Balls and local rugby matches.   

Q. What attracted you to the Community Engagement Advisor role at Otago Community Trust and what are you looking forward to most in this new role?

A. I think this role is an incredible opportunity to make an impact in the Otago community and I feel privileged to be in the role. I am looking forward to learning about the agencies delivering services to children and young people and working alongside them to improve outcomes for our tamariki and rangatahi. 

Just for Fun

Q. Are you a dog person or a cat person (or neither)?

A. Definitely a dog person

Q. Which season of the year is your favourite?

A. Spring

Q. What’s your favourite sport to watch and when the All Blacks play the Wallabies who will you be cheering for?

A. I am a keen netballer so netball would be my favourite sport to watch and I think my allegiances will always lie with the Australian teams (although my answer might change when they aren’t doing well!)