Our Team - CBEC Business

Meet Our Team

Cliff Colqhoun

CEO

Cliff is of Scottish and Maori descent. He grew up in Auckland but has lived most of his adult life in the Kaitaia/Ahipara area with wife Kathy since the early 1980’s. Initially establishing a commercial organic producing fruit some for export. Cliff has been motivated to improve the local economy, provide opportunities in the forum of real jobs for the more marginalised society and enhance the environment. So along with Warren Snow CBEC was established over 35 years ago and continues to operate an extensive range of Social Enterprises throughout Northland today.

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Carolyn Barnes

Operations Manager

Carolyn joined CBEC in 2019 as Operations Manager. Her background consists of banking, computing, market gardening, renovating
houses, and managing rental homes.
Outside of work hours Carolyn enjoys gardening, sailing, swimming, camping,
walking, music and reading.
Since joining CBEC Carolyn has enjoyed the diversity of working within such a broad
range of enterprises, and of course the ethos of looking after the people and the
environment. Practising waste minimisation by recycling, reusing and recreating.

Joanne Shanks

Manager, Ecosolutions

Jo joined CBEC in 2014 as an Environmental Educator with EcoSolutions, providing assistance to community and kura to reduce waste and increase Kaitikitanga. Her environmental mahi has been more of a passion than a profession. Since becoming EcoSolutions Manager in 2019 Jo has expanded their services to include the EcoStar program, delivering waste reduction advice to businesses, Community Compost Connection, installing compost solutions in 1400 households, Wash Not Waste reducing waste at events, and the newest project, the Textile Recycling Network, the first circular economy solution of its kind in NZ. She can be found at events reducing waste community gardens composting, or anywhere waste can be reduced. Her hobbies are reading and relaxing, which never seems to happen often enough!

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RJ

Manager, Garden Centre

RJ’s journey to becoming the CBEC Garden Centre Manager has been both rewarding and unexpected. She first came to CBEC as a student, where her passion for the environment was sparked and led her into a role with the Department of Conservation. From there, she pursued studies in environmental management and discovered a love for horticulture. Each step along the way has deepened her knowledge and appreciation for plants, sustainability, and helping others grow. Today, as Garden Centre Manager, RJ brings all of those experiences together in her role every day.

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Gary

Manager, Property Services

If you’ve booked a tidy-up, mowing job, or section rescue lately — there’s a good chance Gary’s been behind it. With years of hands-on experience and a solid reputation across the Far North, Gary leads the CBEC Property Services crew with a no-nonsense approach, a big heart for local whānau, and a get-it-done attitude.
He’s not just the one organising jobs — you’ll often see him on-site, boots on, trailer loaded, and making sure every job’s done right. He’s police-vetted, professional, and trusted with keys by homeowners, landlords, and agencies across the rohe. Whether it’s a last-minute inspection tidy, a storm clean-up, or an ongoing maintenance plan — Gary’s your guy.