Paora has had a long career in different secondary school education institutions and was a lecturer at the University of Waikato. He was National Operations Manager for the Ministry of Education’s leadership development programmes He Kākano and Kia Eke Panuku and recently an advisor/analyst for the BoP Regional Council.
He has extensive experience in governance and policy and was a Senior Manager for Te Puni Kōkiri. Paora has also been a successful businessman, operating his own company in strategic leadership and management development, and Treaty of Waitangi relationships. He is currently a cultural advisor for the Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust, for whom he also manages the Tauranga Boxing Academy.
Paora recently completed a 10-year tenure with the Waka Ama NZ board, bringing strong NSO and community relationships to Tātai Ora. Paora has a BA in English, French and History, and a Diploma in Cultural Education (University of Waikato). He has an MA (Hons) (Auckland University).
Pip is a change agent with a passion for social justice. A product of rumaki reo environments, Pip started her career in the media industry as a television director/producer of Maori children and youth programming.
A former elite athlete in Basketball, Netball and Touch Rugby, in 2016, Pip co-founded the Samoa Institute of Sport. SIS is a social justice organisation using sports to address gender equality and educational equity. Pip was the Head of Marketing and Communications for the XVI Pacific Games and is an Alumni of the ESPNw Global Sports Mentoring Programme.
Tim has undertaken work with men for over 20 years in both paid and voluntary capacities and is currently Pouwhakataki in Te Tairawhiti for the Whanau Resilience project.
Tim continues to support co-ordination of the Tauawhi Mens Centre, a unique and locally generated community response to addressing a gap in service for men in Tairawhiti/Gisborne.
He is a past chairperson of the Family Violence Network and played a leading part in the design and implementation of a specific Intervention approach for Family Violence cases in the Gisborne Criminal Court which has been running since July 2018.
On the national scene, Tim is a current White Ribbon Ambassador, It’s Not OK Campaign champion, board member of Safe Man Safe Family and a member of the NZ Family Violence Clearing House Sector Advisory Group.
Outside of his work role he sits as a trustee for Matapuna Training Centre and recently finished an 8-year tenure as deputy chair of Waka Ama NZ.
Tim is lives in Gisborne with his partner Whetumarama and together they have one son and two daughters, George, Amiria and Ngahuia and two grandsons Whetū and Tiaki.
Georgia is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in History and a Bachelor of Science majoring in Food with a minor in Consumer Food Science at the University of Otago.
Georgia is a strong advocate for young people, encouraging them to have a voice; to be a part of decision making for their own future and our communities. She has a passion for the development of health, wellbeing and better education opportunities within whānau and for individuals.
While studying, Georgia has done extensive work for students as the Vice-President for Otago University Students’ Association. She has had a key focus on advocating student safety within their communities and for sustainability to be part of all discussions within both the University and society.
Riann is a Director of Chartered Accountancy practice Convex Accounting Ltd based in Tauranga. One of seven siblings, born and raised in Porirua however, having recently returned to her tūrangawaewae – Rangiwaea Island with her four children and husband to be raised on their whenua.
Day to day her focus is on working alongside businesses in a consultative capacity to help grow and develop to be stronger financially, systematically and culturally. Her main focus now is to work within the Māori business ecosystem as this is where there is so much potential for our people.
Riann has experience with an array of different governance boards including Partners Porirua Charitable Trust who do important work with youth in Porirua, Te Huarahi Tika Trust in the Māori spectrum and technology space and recently with New Zealand Football ex-co board. Bringing a wahine Māori perspective to the table at all levels is a major driver for her governance work.
Matiu is the Kaumātua and Cultural Advisor for Tātai Ora Charitable Trust. Starting from a young age, Matiu learned the value of ‘mahi tahi’ by getting his hands ‘dirty’ in maintaining the marae and mahi kai for whānau.
Matiu graduated from St Peter’s College in 1969 and went on to enrol in the New Zealand Army, serving 20 years and reaching rank of warrant officer class 1 (WO1). On returning from the Army, he managed his own businesses in the hospitality, tourism and courier and delivery industries.
Matiu played a key role in the Ngāti Rongomai movement to attain iwi status with Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa, the collective body for the administration of iwi Crown claims in the 1990s.
Matiu has always been drawn to all things te ao Māori and has spent his lifetime filling his kete with the whakapapa, tikanga and mātauranga handed down from his tūpuna.
Being an Ariki Tutohu [elect] of the Taia whānau, Matiu is a pivotal leader for his whānau and iwi.
We are privileged to have such a humble and knowledgeable elder supporting the Tātai Ora kaupapa.
Sash’s passion for people is deeply rooted in his Māori and Macedonian heritage; both having remarkably similar values of manaaki and whānau.
Having fifteen years’ experience in key leadership roles within the non-profit and sports sectors, Sash brings a wealth of knowledge in governance, management, funding, community development and operations.
Sash is a firm believer in “not leaving things to chance” and, is dedicated to creating opportunities that contribute to a better quality of life for whānau and communities.
Carrie is passionate about empowering whānau to achieve their mana motuhake and heal whakapapa patterns. Her career over the past 20 years has been based in the Housing, Social, Health & Education sectors. This has provided her with the opportunity to develop her skill base, her practice, and her pathway to leadership.
As a leader, Carrie’s priority is to ensure kaimahi feel valued and supported to achieve their full potential. She leads by example demonstrating courage, resilience and a growth mindset. Carrie encourages self-awareness and reflective practice. This allows the team to be flexible and adaptable to change and embrace challenges.
Maggie has 20+ years of voluntary experience in the sports sector, where she spent many years caring for under-privileged tamariki and whānau. Maggie has always advocated that sports is a great platform for building trust, respect, confidence, and aroha within whānau and the community.
Maggie’s favourite saying is “sharing is caring” and this is evident in the untold hours that she tirelessly works behind the scenes for her beloved Whalers Sports Club where she has held many various positions, including roles in team management, grant funding, fundraising, event coordination and committee positions as treasurer and secretary.
In her professional life, Maggie has substantial experience in banking and finance as well as business and administrative roles over the past 30 years.
Ko Matawhāura te Maunga
Ko Rotoīti i kite ai Ihenga te Roto
Ko Kaituna te Awa
Ko Tapuaekura te Marae
Ko Ngāti Rongomai te Hapū
Ko Ngāti Pikiāo te Iwi
Ko Te Arawa te Waka
Verbena has extensive experience in teaching and actively engaging with whānau, stakeholders and wider communities, and has a passion for te reo Māori and te ao Māori. Her administrational skills allow for her to contribute to her community in ways of serving on marae trusts, funding boards, charitable trust governance roles as well as working “on the ground” with those in need of support. Verbena’s role looks after the logistical and health and safety requirements of our wānanga and community kaupapa, providing much needed and valued back-end support to our team.
Ko Matawhāura te Maunga
Ko te Rotoiti i kite ai e Ihenga i ariki ai a Kahumatamomoe te Moana
Ko te Korokoro o Ngaki te Awa
Ko Te Hiukura te Marae
Ko Ngapumanawa e waru o Te Arawa te Whare Wānanga
Ko Ngāti Rongomai te Iwi
Ko Ngāti Te Pikikotuku te Hapū
Ko Matehaere Te Rangi tēnei, e mihi nei, e karanga nei!!
Matehaere is a kaitiaki within the iwi of Ngāti Rongomai and Ngāti Pikiao who serves as an ambassador for his whānau and marae paepae of Ngapumanawa e waru o Te Arawa.
A representative of our Iwi Rangai, a tohunga for karakia of Te Tokotoru a Manawakotokoto ki Te Arawa.
He is passionate about te ao Māori and our culture, with leadership roles within the Te Pikikotuku o Ngāti Rongomai and Ngā Uri o Rongomai kapa haka rōpu. Matehaere also has a strong background in rugby league and union, playing locally and in Australia in his younger years.
Matehaere is trained in mental health and addictions and has been supporting those who are most vulnerable for the past five years in both a residential and housing environment. Manaakitanga comes naturally to Matehaere having grown up on the marae, and he is excited to continue supporting whānau further within the sports, cultural and recreational spaces of our community.
Jesse comes from a background in mental health and addictions. Jesse was drawn to this line of work by a passion for serving the people and a firm philosophy that all facets of hauora must be nurtured.
Being of Te Arawa descent, Jesse is connected deeply to te ao Māori and sees his sense of cultural identity as being of the utmost importance. In his spare time, you will likely see him at the gym, hiking or engaging in any other types of physical activity.
Jesse holds fast to the belief that “nothing changes, if nothing changes” in that one should be deliberate with change and the aspirations they may strive for.
