Margaret Kouvelis

Margaret Joy Kouvelis (born 1949) is a New Zealand local-body politician. She was the 5th Mayor of Manawatu, holding the position from 2012 to 2016.

Early life and family Kouvelis was born in Nelson. She studied at the University of Auckland, and subsequently became a teacher in Queen's High School in Dunedin. In 2002 she was appointed director of the New Zealand Teachers' Council, but resigned a year later. She subsequently became a consultant, edited a Presbyterian magazine, farmed olives, and ran a bookshop. In 2012 she won a by-election for Mayor following the resignation of Ian McKelvie, and was re-elected unopposed in 2013, but lost the mayoralty to Helen Worboys in 2016.