 "Mrs Jean Ford was employed at Orewa College for the period 1981 - 1992. At that time I was Principal of the College, and consequently this is written from a position of close acquaintance, albeit of some years ago.
Jean was employed as a typist and general office worker, but very quickly her ability and skill at her job meant that she was promoted to the position of Office Manager, and as the College roll increased, she took the position of Principal's Secretary.
The years Jean spent at Orewa College were ones of very fundamental and rapid change in the Education system, a situation felt at Orewa more than at many other places because of the rapid growth in the district, and consequent increase in the school roll.
In all this, Jean showed excellent qualities; she was unflappable, calm and efficient, able to put in place systems to cope with changing expectations and technology - her tenure lasted from the time of simple typewriter to complex word-processor and computer network.
There is a requirement for confidentiality in many of the dealings of a large College office, a fact often overlooked. Jean was completely trustworthy in this respect, in spite of the problems it could cause with some relationships.
Her dealings with the public were always amiable and courteous, as was invariably the case with students and other staff in the school. She was also able to act very wisely and sensibly at times when initiative was called for.
I can recommend Jean Ford very warmly as an intelligent, sensible and skilled person, with admirable qualities of loyalty and energy. I wish her very well."
K J Pascoe, MA, Dip Ed, Dip Tchg, Cert TESOL.
Former Principal
Orewa College
 
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"Forrest Estate has been associated with Wine Trade Online for the past 12 months. Throughout this time Colin has provided a very professional service, is always available to assist wherever he can in a very friendly and informative manner. The quality of our wine bottle images is superb and he has always been more than happy to go the extra mile for us not only in providing links to our many overseas agencies but assisting us in whatever we require.
"Colin Ford's extensive knowledge of wine, New Zealand wineries and the New Zealand wine trade have made significant and important contributions to the development of Via Pacifica Imports and provide key, ongoing support for all aspects of our business. He is thoroughly professional, blending integrity, reliability, honesty, wisdom and good humor into all he does. Via Pacifica is indeed fortunate to be working with him."
"I have known Colin Ford over a number of years, beginning with a stint he had as a sales representative for our New Zealand distributors, followed by my involvement with the Cuisine magazine wine tastings. Colin has a very sound knowledge of wine and the wine trade, and has a very good palate. He also has a great passion for the business, spurred by a great love of wine itself, and this has shown through in all my dealings with him. He was accepted into the education program of the Masters of Wine in 1997, and I was appointed as his mentor. I have confidence that his skill, enthusiasm and professionalism will see him join the ranks of the MWs."
"We met Colin Ford at the Auckland Wine Trade Show in September 2000. We were initially impressed by his interest in our wines as well as the range of expertise he had acquired or had access to. We have been working with Colin over the last few months and have always found him to be entirely professional. He not only has an extremely good and discerning palate but has an in depth knowledge of the wine industry as a whole. Colin has a great deal of integrity and we would not hesitate to recommend his services to others in the wine industry.
"I first made contact with Colin Ford of Winework Solutions Ltd through his professionally put together web site, and having left my contact details there for him to contact me, was impressed to have him call me within an hour. A no obligation meeting was set up for later that week, and his approach convinced me that his assistance would be invaluable. We contracted Colin to appraise our business and in his subsequent written analysis, his insights were clear and succinct and helped confirm the path that we had to take. We are still on this path, our plan is successfully unfolding, and Colin is always available to assist and offer direction when needed. We are extremely happy with the results we have achieved and are able to recommend Winework Solutions without hesitation."
"We thank Colin Ford and his team from Winework Solutions for the superb manner in which they organised and conducted the tasting..."
"Just a short note to say thanks very much for your presentation at the Duxton Hotel on Sunday.
"Jean was employed at Orewa College for over 10 years and during that time her duties changed considerably. At first, with a relatively small student roll, she worked on a broad front in the administration of the school assisting teaching and ancillary staff as well as students. Areas covered included reception and phones, accounts preparation, collection and handling of money, salary and wages liaison, support for building and grounds maintenance staff, security etc.
