It is fitting that both Anita Varga and Priyani de Silva-Currie have been Winners of the NAWIC Helen Tippett Award. Anita won the Award in 2021 and Priyani is the current 2024 Winner. The Helen Tippett Award celebrates achievements in advancing and furthering the interests of women in the construction industry. Both of these astonishing women exemplify an extraordinary commitment to achieve this, for other women. They have each been awarded with the Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, MNZM.
Anita Varga, MNZM, has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to women and the construction industry.
Priyani de Silva-Currie, MNZM, has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to multicultural communities, netball, and civil engineering.
https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2025
NAWIC National Council Chairperson, 2021 Helen Tippett Award Winner, Regional Manager - Fulton Hogan
Anita is an inspirational Leader in the Infrastructure and Construction Industry. This is an acknowledgement of her many years of invaluable contribution to the construction industry through business and empowering women into the industry. Anita is a NAWIC National Councillor and has been the Chair since 2022. Over the years, she has encouraged multiple women to enter the NAWIC Awards and has seen many women become finalists and winners. She was the first female Regional Manager at Fulton Hogan and she is passionate about ensuring women and men are encouraged to reach their career aspirations. It helped that Anita has the knack to recognise leadership qualities in others and promoted them into positions they had not considered.
She believes it is important for women to be brave and speak up to create a more diverse working environment. Anita looks forward to the day that is normal to have more women in the workplace on site or the office. Thanks to Anita’s many years of encouragement and mentorship, it is no longer unusual that a woman operates that digger, leads the sealing crew, or runs the regional business. She supports women to upskill in studies and has implemented policy changes around returning to work from parental leave. Anita assisted in the development of in house leadership programmes and enjoys watching the participants become emerging leaders.
A work colleague shared “Although her strategic vision is fantastic, she has a way with the people on the ground, they gravitate to her. We are now seeing more women come through at all levels of the organisation. She is a beacon for us”.
NAWIC Member, 2024 Helen Tippett Award Winner, Executive Leader, Board Director, Technical Fellow at Beca
Mrs Priyani de Silva-Currie has contributed to Multicultural Councils at local and national levels, holding executive offices including President of the New Zealand Federation of Multicultural Councils and the respective Manawatu and Nelson branches between 2009 and 2017.
As National President, Mrs de Silva-Currie procured and implemented diverse multicultural programmes and supported programmes such as Engineering New Zealand’s Migrant Forum and the Professional Speaking for Migrants course. Priyani mentors rising talent and is involved in the Engineering New Zealand’s Thrive, Trailblazers and Mentors Programme. The combined roles have allowed Priyani to empower, support and encourage women and men at all levels in the industry.
Priyani sees a gap for women, whether that is in her work or in the community, and she takes action. A recent example of this is leading an initiative called Beca Wahine Toa, which aims to foster and develop Wahine leaders at mid to senior levels within the organisation.
She has coached school, club, regional and national talent identification netball teams over 20 years and received various coaching awards. Between 1998 and 2016, she was on the executive and chaired the Nelson Netball Association. She has delivered introductory coaching clinics for Netball New Zealand for many years. She was a founding committee member and fundraising manager of Saxton Field Sports Stadium Society from 2004 to 2014.
Now a past President and Life Member of Āpōpō Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals, she held several offices from 2015, leading a strategic transformation of the organisation and championing development of uniquely New Zealand indigenous based asset management guidance. She is patron of a scholarship for Emerging Asset Management Professionals. She is a Life Member and chaired Carbon and Energy Professionals from 2009 to 2015. Mrs de Silva-Currie has been New Zealand Representative and is currently Vice President of the International Federation of Municipal Engineers.
In winning the NAWIC Helen Tippett 2024 Award one of the judges noted “I think it’s fair to say we all felt in awe of this powerhouse of a woman”.
On behalf of the 1900 NAWIC members, congratulations Anita and Priyani.