Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) Student Support Services Manager, Trish Lindsay was awarded the SIT fellowship last week in recognition of her decades-long commitment to tertiary education as well as her extensive community work
SIT Interim Chief Executive, Amanda Whitaker, said it was a profound honour to confer the title, Honorary Fellow of Southern Institute of Technology, to Mrs Lindsay, SIT’s first female recipient. Mrs Lindsay was presented her certificate and regalia at SIT’s 2025 graduation ceremony on Friday 12th December at the Civic Theatre, by her long-time friend and colleague, Minister for Vocational Education and Training, Hon Penny Simmonds.
“SIT honorary fellowships are reserved for those whose service has shaped the life and work of our institute and our region,” Ms Whitaker explained. To date, two fellowships have been conferred; Sir Tim Shadbolt, and Kaumātua Michael Skerrett. “Their contributions stand as enduring examples of civic leadership and manaakitanga for Southland.”
In a highly productive relationship of more than three decades at SIT, Mrs Lindsay has championed community engagement and opportunity, working alongside Māori and Pasifika, partnering with disability support trusts, helping establish the Murihiku Trades Academy, the Kia Tū programme in partnership with Murihiku Regeneration, and coordinating the development of industry‑focused vocational programmes that meet Southland’s needs, as well as developing tailored training packages for Southland businesses and industry. “Her leadership has consistently connected people, other polytechnics, and employers in ways that advance opportunity across our region,” Ms Whitaker said.
Mrs Lindsay has been a trusted senior contributor in the pursuit of academic excellence, supporting curriculum development and quality assurance, building strong relationships with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and advancing initiatives such as SIT’s Zero Fees Scheme to expand access for students.
“One of Trish’s most extraordinary achievements was successfully leading the development of nine bachelor’s degrees and SIT’s first postgraduate diploma, all within just eight years, a milestone that transformed SIT’s academic profile and opportunities for learners.” Ms Whitaker said.
Mrs Lindsay’s impact in sport has been equally outstanding. As a founding director of the Southern Sting netball franchise, she helped to set the strategic and financial foundations that delivered a golden era for Southland netball.
Bringing that same drive to major community infrastructure initiatives, Mrs Lindsay served as a founding member of the Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust, and then on the board of Stadium Southland, one of New Zealand’s largest indoor, multi‑purpose venues.
In the arts, Mrs Lindsay is a founding trustee of Shakespeare in the Park, providing more than two decades of creative direction, sponsorship, and event management. She has also served on the Southland Art Foundation, supporting exhibitions, residencies, and the region’s art collection.
Mrs Lindsay’s services to health and inclusion includes long‑standing trusteeship of the Southland Medical Foundation, supporting professional development and medical research, and board leadership with Southland Disability Enterprises/Recycle South, advocating tirelessly for meaningful employment for people with disabilities.
Mrs Lindsay served the wider community through her time as a trustee and Deputy Chair on Community Trust South for eight years, where her knowledge of the Arts, Sport and Education sectors was invaluable in the Trust’s philanthropic endeavours.
Also committed Rotarian since 1992, Mrs Lindsay exemplified “Service Above Self,” bringing integrity, calm professionalism, and good humour to every role with a hands‑on approach, rolling up her sleeves to get things done.
Fittingly, Mrs Lindsay was honoured as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2024.
Interim Chief Executive
Ms Whitaker noted Mrs Lindsay was not someone who sought the spotlight. “Trish would be the first person to tell you she doesn’t deserve this recognition,” however, it was “Trish’s extraordinary and sustained contributions, enhancing SIT’s reputation, strengthening our mission, and serving as a role model to our students and staff, that make this fellowship so deserved.”
Appropriately, the final words go to Mrs Lindsay, who was taken by a comment she heard in a Radio New Zealand interview last week, featuring Rhythm and Vines co-founder Hamish Pinkham. Explaining why he had stayed with the popular music festival, he said, “I stuck around because the product was good.” It was the ideal phrase to explain Mrs Lindsay’s lengthy connection to SIT.
“I stuck around because the product was good,” she reiterates of SIT, and felt honoured to be chosen as their first female fellow. “I think what’s been exceptional about SIT is we’re delivering excellence in our programmes, that the community and local industry and business want, and that students need for employment.” Mrs Lindsay added that SIT students enjoyed their programmes (there are consistently high satisfaction rates in the 90th percentile in graduate feedback surveys), and they gained a lot of value from completing them.
Graduation was her favourite time of year, where she witnessed the newly capped and awarded SIT graduates being acknowledged for their hard work and perseverance.
Mrs Lindsay acknowledged the staff, both allied and academic, who helped her to get the first degrees up and running. It was during the 1990s that the Government changed policy for polytechnics so they could then offer bachelor’s degrees. SIT’s first degree was the Bachelor of Nursing in 1995, then Penny Simmonds became SIT’s CEO in 1997. “Under Penny’s leadership, she saw the need for SIT to offer more degrees; Penny gave us the courage to innovate and think that anything was possible,” Mrs Lindsay said, adding “Academically speaking, the degrees we introduced, and Zero Fees were the game changers, as well as the staff who picked them up and ran with them and turned them into the high-quality product we have today.”