Written for stuff.co.nz

Bowls Canterbury have appointed Mel Mather as their new chief executive when Adrian Robins steps down next month.

Robins, the 2015 Sport Canterbury administrator of the year, is retiring from the top job on April 30, but will take up a two-year contract with Bowls Canterbury as a part-time sales and finance manager.

Mather, who has worked at Bowls Canterbury since 2014, will be promoted from her current role as events and development manager.

Bowls Canterbury chairman Brian Barker announced the change on Wednesday.

Robins, an accountant, became CEO in 2013 after serving as a Bowls Canterbury board member.

“Adrian took over the reins when the regional body was in financial hardship, however within 12 months, Adrian turned that hardship around,” Barker said.

“Four years later, the organisation is now a thriving business.”

Barker said Robins’ Sport Canterbury award showed “bowls in Canterbury was in good hands, yet again”.

Robins and his wife Julie are retiring to their new home in Waimate where they have already joined the Waimate Bowling Club.

Mather has a long history in the sport and recreation industry.

She began her career at Sport Canterbury in an administration and events role and later joined the Christchurch City Council’s sports services team.

After the 2011 earthquakes, she returned to Sport Canterbury in a sport recovery contract role and then worked in marketing for the New Zealand Institute of Sport.

“Mel has always been involved in a variety of sports, as a club volunteer, administrator and high performance manager,” Barker said.

She is the current manager of the New Zealand 16s rugby league team.

Mather said she looked forward to “continuing working with clubs in the Canterbury centre” when she becomes CEO on May 1.