Gillian Greer
{{Short description|New Zealand writer, literary scholar, health advocate and NGO administrator (born 1944)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox academic
| name = Gillian Greer
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|CBE|MNZM|size=100%}}
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| other_names = Gillian Boddy
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1944}}
| birth_place = New Zealand
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = {{hlist |Scholar|health advocate|administrator|chief executive officer of numerous organisations}}
| years_active =
| known_for = Chief executive of the National Council of Women of New Zealand
| notable_works =
| spouse =
| children =
| alma_mater = Victoria University of Wellington
| thesis_title = The annotated notebooks of Katherine Mansfield, 1895–July 1908, with commentary
| thesis_url = https://tewaharoa.victoria.ac.nz/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma993753064002386&context=L&vid=64VUW_INST:VUWNUI&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=all&lang=en
| thesis_year = 1996
| doctoral_advisor =
}}
Gillian Brooker Greer {{post-nominals|country=NZL|CBE|MNZM}} (born 1944), also known as Gillian Boddy, is a New Zealand teacher, a literary scholar specialising in the works of Katherine Mansfield, a heath advocate, an advisor to the New Zealand Government and has been an administrator of numerous non profit organisations. She was the chief executive of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) from 2017 to 2018 and an assistant vice-chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington.
Early life and education
Greer was born in New Zealand but spent the early years of her childhood in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. When she was eight years old, she was sent to New Zealand to attend school. She graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Arts, and went on to earn a PhD in New Zealand literature from Victoria University of Wellington.{{Cite web|date=2020|title=Gillian Greer, CBE, Ph.D.|url=https://evofem.investorroom.com/board-of-directors?item=8|access-date=2021-04-30|website=evofem.investorroom.com|language=en-US|archive-date=30 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430231354/https://evofem.investorroom.com/board-of-directors?item=8|url-status=dead}} The title of her 1996 doctoral thesis was The annotated notebooks of Katherine Mansfield, 1895–July 1908, with commentary.{{cite web |url=https://tewaharoa.victoria.ac.nz/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma993753064002386&context=L&vid=64VUW_INST:VUWNUI&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=all&lang=en |title=The annotated notebooks of Katherine Mansfield, 1895-July 1908, with commentary |publisher=Victoria University of Wellington |access-date=11 May 2021}}
Career
Greer began her professional career by teaching at secondary schools including at Wellington Girls' College. She went on to become a respected literary scholar specialising in the work of Katherine Mansfield and about whom she has written two books.{{Cite web|last=Rodriguez Salas|first=Gerardo|date=January 2007|title='The Margin in Katherine Mansfield: An Interview with Gillian Boddy-Greer'|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305679663|access-date=30 April 2021|website=Rearchgate}}{{Cite web|date=2021|title=Dr. Gill Greer – New Zealand Sustainable Development Goals|url=https://www.sdg.org.nz/contributors/dr-gill-greer/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430232920/https://www.sdg.org.nz/contributors/dr-gill-greer/|archive-date=30 April 2021|access-date=2021-04-30|website=www.sdg.org.nz|language=en-NZ}} She was the researcher for the New Zealand television documentary A Portrait of Katherine Mansfield.{{Cite web|last=Screen|first=NZ On|title=A Portrait of Katherine Mansfield {{!}} Television {{!}} NZ On Screen|url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/a-portrait-of-katherine-mansfield-1986|access-date=2021-04-30|website=www.nzonscreen.com|language=en}} Greer has also co-wrote a book on Robin Hyde.
From 1989 until 1998, Greer worked for Victoria University of Wellington, becoming the assistant vice-chancellor (equity and human resources). In 1998, she was appointed the chief executive officer of Family Planning New Zealand.{{Cite web|date=November 15, 2007|title=New Chief Executive - Family Planning|url=https://www.familyplanning.org.nz/news/2007/new-chief-executive|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501000653/https://www.familyplanning.org.nz/news/2007/new-chief-executive|archive-date=1 May 2021|access-date=2021-05-01|website=www.familyplanning.org.nz}} In 2006, Greer was appointed the director-general of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). Greer was subsequently appointed the chief executive office of Volunteer Service Abroad. After serving in this position until 2017, Greer then took up the position of chief executive of the National Council for Women in New Zealand.{{Cite news|date=25 March 2014|title=Twelve Questions: Dr Gillian Greer|work=New Zealand Herald|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/twelve-questions-dr-gillian-greer/NDXL3PDZ2BU5ESEI74QUWQJDQY/|access-date=30 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430222034/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/twelve-questions-dr-gillian-greer/NDXL3PDZ2BU5ESEI74QUWQJDQY/|archive-date=30 April 2021}}{{Cite web|date=2020|title=GILLIAN GREER CBE, MNZM, PHD|url=https://www.transparency.org.nz/blog/tinz-elects-three-new-directors|access-date=30 April 2021|website=www.transparency.org.nz}}{{Cite web|date=Feb 18, 2019|title=Introducing our new Chief Executive: Gill Greer|url=https://raredisorders.org.nz/about-us/news/introducing-our-new-chief-executive-gill-greer/|access-date=30 April 2021|website=raredisorders.org.nz}} After a year in that position, in 2018, Greer was appointed director of Evofem Biosciences. In 2019, Greer was appointed the chief executive of Rare Disorders New Zealand. In 2019, she also co-edited The People’s Report on the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals – 2019, on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Honours and awards
In the 2005 New Year Honours, Greer was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to family planning and literature.{{cite web |url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2005 |title=New Year honours list 2005 |date=31 December 2004 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |access-date=11 May 2021}} In the British 2012 New Year Honours, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to international health and women’s rights.{{London Gazette |issue=60009 |date=31 December 2011 |page=7 |supp=1}} In 2019, Greer was conferred with an honorary doctorate by Victoria University of Wellington.{{Cite web|date=2021|title=Board of Trustees|url=https://raredisorders.org.nz/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207152710/https://raredisorders.org.nz/about-us/our-people/|archive-date=7 February 2021|access-date=2021-05-01|website=raredisorders.org.nz|language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greer, Gillian}}
Category:New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:University of Auckland alumni
Category:University of Victoria alumni
Category:Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit