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Our Board
The kaitiaki of our Settlement journey and beyond
Leith Comer - Chairman
Iwi/hapū: Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Pahuwera, Te Arawa
Dr. Cathy Dewes - Deputy Chair
Iwi/hapū: Ngāti Rangitihi,Te Arawa, Ngāti Porou
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait
Iwi/hapū: Te Arawa
Leith has a comprehensive knowledge of the workings of Government as well as leadership experience in the military, private and community sectors. He led Te Puni Kōkiri from 2001 to 2012 and was previously the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development. Leith’s current responsibilities include being a member of the New Zealand Parole Board, Chairman of the Excel Rotorua Education Trust and Chairman of the Rotorua District Council Contracting Company.
Cathy has been actively involved in Māori language revitalisation initiatives for more than 35 years, and was instrumental in the establishment of kura kaupapa Māori schools throughout Aotearoa. Her awards and qualifications include a national award for Māori language leadership, the Officer of the Order for Services to Māori, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Waikato for her work on te reo Māori. She is currently the Principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ruamata in Rotorua.
Merepeka is a professional administrator with an interest in central and local government politics, environmental management, and Māori economic and social development. Merepeka is an elected member of the Lakes District Health Board, a member of the Executive of the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce, a Ministerial Appointee on the Te Arawa Whānau Ora Regional Leadership Group, and an executive member of the Rotorua Social Services Council. She also runs her own consultancy, specialising in organisational development and change management.
Tia Warbrick
Iwi/hapū: Ngāti Rangitihi, Tūhourangi
Tia co-leads a busy consulting company, providing management, policy, and project management services to a range of government and iwi-based organisations. With experience in a number of management roles within government, Tia has an extensive knowledge surrounding human rights, the workings of government and the settlement journey. As a current Trustee, she considers it vital that we strengthen our focus on developing economic, cultural, social and environmental capital. She believes that balancing the needs of today with the investments of the future has never been more important and that our combined knowledge and diversity is one of our greatest strengths to create our legacy for our whānau.
Toma Mason
Iwi/hapū: Ngāti Rangitihi
Toma is a public servant based in Wellington with experience in providing policy advice, project management, and Māori capability training to a range of government organisations. He has governance experience in the areas of iwi and sports. He places high priority on maintaining a close connection to the haukāinga and shares a deep commitment to supporting the future development aspirations of Ngāti Rangitihi whānau at home and abroad. Having been raised in Matatā alongside many of his cousins, Toma attributes his drive and passion for the Iwi to the many examples of leadership he became accustomed to growing up at the Pā and within many whānau of Matatā.
Tiipene Marr
Iwi/hapū: Ngāti Rangitihi, Te Atiawa
Ko Tiipene Marr tāku ingoa No Ngāti Rangitihi i Matatā rāua ko Te Atiawa i Waitara ōku Iwi. Ko Ruawahia rāua ko Taranaki ōku maunga. Ko Te Arawa rāua ko Aotea ōku waka. Tihei mauri ora. An environmentalist at heart, for Tiipene it’s all about protecting our taiao. Born and bred in Matatā, around our Marae, listening to stories of our Iwi and other iwi around us has been a life long journey for him which is now accumulating in experience that he says goes with old age. Tiipene’s hope is that we have started that new direction of change and sustainability for Papatūānuku and all our Atua, while thinking outside the square to achieve environmental sustainability for our current and future generations. He aha te mea nui i tenei ao Māku e kii atu He taiao, he taiao, he taiao.
