Tony Kokshoorn

Anthony Francis Kokshoorn ONZM (born 13 February 1955) is a New Zealand politician, publisher, and activist. He served as Grey District Mayor from 2004 to 2019 when he stepped aside.[1]

Kokshoorn in 2020

He is a co-owner of the Greymouth Evening Star and Hokitika Guardian newspapers and a partner in the Greymouth Car Centre.[2] His charitable work supports rural New Zealand in addition to his involvement throughout the Pike River Mine disaster.

As of August 2016, Kokshoorn's mayoral candidacy has been unopposed for five straight terms.[3] The set of three-year terms, collectively span from 2004 to 2019, will make Kokshoorn the longest-serving mayor in the history of the region.

On 24 April 2018, Kokshoorn announced he would be retiring at the next election.[4]

Early life

Kokshoorn was born at Ruru near Lake Brunner, inland from Greymouth on the West Coast. His father was Dutch. He came to New Zealand in 1952 and worked in a sawmill. The family moved to Greymouth where Kokshoorn's father was employed in coal mines. Kokshoorn was educated at St Patrick’s Primary school and at Marist Brothers High School, Greymouth.[5]

Charitable work

Kokshoorn is a founding trustee of the Grey District Young Persons Development Trust, Toki Pounamu Education Trust, and Life Education on the Coast, and is trustee of Dixon House for the elderly.[6] He has raised more than $30 million for charities.[7]

Kokshoorn is the chair and fundraiser of the Lake Brunner Health Clinic rebuild.[8]

Awards and recognition

Kokshoorn was a finalist in the 2010 The New Zealand Herald "New Zealander of the Year" awards. He and the winner were chosen as the Readers' Choice for New Zealander of the Year.[9] He was voted the 10th most trusted person in New Zealand in 2011 by a Reader's Digest nationwide poll, as well as most trusted politician in New Zealand in 2011 and 2014.[10][11]

He was awarded the 2012 New Zealand Toastmasters Communication and Leadership award for outstanding contribution to New Zealand.[12] In 2013 Kokshoorn was awarded the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow.[13] Also in 2013, he was named New Zealand Communicator of the Year by the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand.[14]

Kokshoorn was a winner in the Local Heroes category in the 2020 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards. He was nominated by Graeme Axford.[15] In the 2020 New Year Honours, Kokshoorn was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to local government and the community.[16]

Publications

Kokshoorn is the author of "The Golden Grey West Coasters 1860–2010".[17] Profits from sale of the book are donated to the Greymouth Heritage Trust.[18]

References
  1. "Tony Kokshoorn: 20 years in local government". RNZ. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  2. "About Us: Greymouth Car Centre". greymouthcars.co.nz. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  3. Stylianou, Georgina; Truebridge, Nick (12 August 2016). "Our mayoral and council hopefuls". The Press. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  4. "Long-serving Tony Kokshoorn to 'pass the mayoral chains' on next year". Stuff.co.nz. 24 April 2018.
  5. Rowena Orejana, "Mayor Tony Kokshoorn talks about his faith", NZ Catholic, 17 February 2017 (Retrieved 12 July 2022)
  6. "Tony Kokshoorn, Mayor of Grey District Council named PRINZ Communicator of the Year for 2013 – Public Relations Institute of New Zealand". prinz.org.nz. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  7. "PRINZ – Tony Kokshoorn, Mayor of Grey District Council named PRINZ Communicator of the Year for 2013 – Public Relations Institute of New Zealand". prinz.org.nz. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  8. "Tony Kokshoorn, Mayor of Grey District Council named PRINZ Communicator of the Year for 2013 – Public Relations Institute of New Zealand". prinz.org.nz. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  9. Falconer, Phoebe (11 December 2010). "New Zealander of the Year 2010: Readers' choice". New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  10. "Tony Kokshoorn: 10th most trusted". Stuff.co.nz. 20 June 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  11. "2014 Most Trusted Politician in NEW ZEALAND". 15 December 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  12. "Toastmasters New Zealand, C&L Award". toastmasters.org.nz. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  13. "Tony Kokshoorn, Mayor of Grey District Council named PRINZ Communicator of the Year for 2013". newsboost.com. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  14. "PRINZ – Tony Kokshoorn, Mayor of Grey District Council named PRINZ Communicator of the Year for 2013 – Public Relations Institute of New Zealand". www.prinz.org.nz. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  15. "WEST COAST KIWIBANK LOCAL HERO MEDALLISTS". nzawards.org.nz. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  16. "New Year honours list 2020". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  17. Kokshoorn, Tony (1 January 2011). The Golden Grey: West Coasters 1860–2010. Tony Kokshoorn. ISBN 9780473198428.
  18. "Tony Kokshoorn, Mayor of Grey District Council named PRINZ Communicator of the Year for 2013 – Public Relations Institute of New Zealand". prinz.org.nz. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
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