Joe Hollander JP: Civic Award winner 2022
Published on 09 November 2022
With his professional life dedicated to the NZ Defence Force, to facilities management and to the engineering sector, Joe Hollander has still managed to fit in decades of broad-based service to his community.
Retiring after 22 years from the Corps of Royal NZ Engineers (RNZE) as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1991, Joe complemented his career in ‘Civvy Street’ with a sustained range of work for community-based, not-for-profit boards, trusts and service organisations.
An Elected Fellow of the RNZE Memorial Association, and Patron of the RNZE Reunion, he is a past president of the New Zealand Sappers Association and member of its national executive, since 1978.
His long-term involvement from 1980 as coordinator and fundraiser for the RNZE Corps History Project, culminated in Peter Cooke’s 2019 book Won By The Spade: How the RNZE Built a Nation.
Joe has been a leader in the development, management, curation and operation of the Engineer Corps Memorial Centre library, museum and chapel at Linton Military Camp and its director.
In 1992 an extension to the Centre was named the Hollander Wing.
He is founder, trustee and chair of the RNZE Charitable Trust established in 2011 to safeguard the heritage work of the Centre and support the welfare of current and former military engineering personnel.
As a member of the Returned & Services Association since 1975, Joe was instrumental in re-establishing the Palmerston North RSA in 2016, following its enforced closure in 2012.
Joe is the local RSA’s vice-president, and an organiser and MC for Palmerston North City Anzac and Armistice Day commemorations, and in September 2022 was made a Life Member.
He is also founder and chair of Palmerston North Defence Heritage Advisory Group with its signature Poppy Places Trust project, along with the discovery and promotion of Palmerston North’s military history and heritage sites.
This has included contributions to the WW100 commemorations, the Central Energy Trust Arena upgrade, Māori Battalion Hall, the development of a ‘Heroes Trail’ at Memorial Park, and helping arrange regular military history presentations to the general public.
As a Justice of the Peace for over 25 years, Joe has served as a past president, council member, professional development convenor, JP Issuing Officer and High Court Appointed Litigation Guardian for the Central Districts JP Association, among other roles.
Joe has made a mark in the construction sector as a member of several national not-for-profit organisations dedicated to providing leadership in quality management and best practice.
As a founding member of the NZ Organisation for Quality, founding chair of the Construction Clients Group, and a director of the NZ Green Building Council, Joe was on the Industry Advisory Committee of Constructing Excellence in NZ, and a committee chair for the Building Research Association of NZ.
He is a Life Fellow of the NZ Institute of Management and sits on the Foundation Trust Board.
His involvement with Scouting NZ since 1967, as Rangitāne Area Commissioner and National Executive Committee member, saw him become a Life Member of the organisation in 2016.