Cr Carmen Houlahan

Profile

Carmen Houlahan is a second term councillor. Last triennium she was the Deputy Chair of Community and Culture. She sat on the Dunedin Public Art Gallery (DPAG) Society, and the Acquisitions Committee, and Toitu Board. This term she will continue on the DPAG Council and Acquisitions Committee and will join the Otago Theatre Trust (Regent Theatre Board) and Chair of the Creative Dunedin Partnership Committee and Chair of Customer and Regulatory Services. She is excited about her new roles and looks forward to working with the Mayor and councillors this term.

Carmen’s professional career is varied. She has worked as a journalist writing for daily and weekly newspapers, newswire services, editing magazines and has been a columnist. More recently she has worked as a marketing and communications contractor and is a big supporter of the arts.
She has a BA in theatre, is a playwright and has worked as an arts publicist. In Wellington she ran the NZ Book Awards for both adults and children for Booksellers NZ.

Carmen has a Masters in entrepreneurial business and is particularly passionate about Dunedin’s start-up community. She is a member of the Institute of Directors, Dunedin Rotary Club and the Otago Property Investors Association. Carmen is married with two children.