Our People

Professional Profile:

With a background in business, office and administration systems, Tineka brings a sound ability to lead and navigate through workstreams and projects with great attention to detail. She openly pursues a life-work balance to support and nurture her children, where a committed link to whānau and te ao Māori is maintained. Over the past 25 years Tineka has gained experience in operations, finance, resource and event production, strategy and line management within Māori education focussed environments.

Experience:

• Pou Hāpai — Business Functions Manager, Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa
• Manager, Finance and Resources — Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori Office, University of Waikato
• Office Manager — Takatū Trust
• Creative, Performer, Treasurer — Te Iti Kahurangi Incorporated
• Co-Director — Tawhana Limited
• Co-Director — Mōwai Mārire Creatives Limited

Professional Profile:

Jarred is a senior lecturer and advisor of te reo and tikanga Māori. With over 20 years experience, he has been part of a number of initiatives to help develop iwi and community language revitalisation strategies.

Jarred is recognised for his skills in programme design and development, moderation, editing and translation. He has an interest in Pasifika languages and has strong whānau and community values.

Experience:

• Senior Lecturer — Toi-Ohomai Institute of Technology
• Co-editor — He Puna Kupu He Manawa aa-Whenua
• Former Chair — S.W.C.F.C Inc
• Co-director for Pūkauri Limited

Professional Profile:

Tiare is a renowned advocate of te reo Māori revitalisation, spearheading the delivery of Hauā Reo, Hauā Tangata, the language revival strategy for her iwi of Ngāti  Hauā. A former teacher and educator with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Tiare delivered the Bachelor of Teaching programme. She is one of the few women to be awarded the Manukura Wahine prize for female leadership at the National Te Matatini Kapahaka Competition

Experience:

• Tutor, Leader — Te Iti Kahurangi Kapahaka
• Kaiwhakahaere Reo — Ngāti Hauā Iwi Trust

Specialisations:

• Ākonga Māori, Māori Success, Māori Communities
• The Arts (Māori performing  arts)
• Te Reo Māori
• Parents, Whānau, Communities, Iwi
• Tikanga Māori
• Te Marautanga o Aotearoa

Professional Profile:

Lisa is a senior executive who has a solid foundation of skills gained through a range of management roles, primarily within and related to the treaty settlement process and environment. Lisa has excellent communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills with the ability to develop and maintain strong relationships and influence. Lisa has a real passion for Māori growth and development and comes from a strong business and administration background with proven experience in managing complex projects where she has a proven track record of delivering project outcomes on time and within budget with significant experience in contract management.

Experience:

• General Manager — Ngāti Hauā Iwi Trust
• Contracts Manager — Ngāti Hauā Trust Board
• Manager — Tauranga Moana Iwi Collective Leasing Company
• Project Manager — Te Roopu Whakamana o Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Ranginui
• Project Manager — Te Runanga o Ngāi Te Rangi Iwi Trust
• Manager — Hinehou Kōhanga Reo
• Trustee — Ngāti He Hapu Trust, Kaitimako J2 Trust

Professional Profile:

A teaching leader of Tikanga and reo Māori, Elizabeth brings a depth of experience in supporting the diverse cultural needs of kaiako and support staff in dual-medium settings. She brings her creativity and attention to detail to support the learning success of those she works alongside. With a background in teaching and education Elizabeth builds a positive rapport with anyone she engages with. She possesses exceptional leadership qualities with a commitment to clear communication and organisational skills tailored to context.

Experience:

• Primary School Teacher & Syndicate Lead – (Rūmaki, Reorua)
• Kapahaka Tutor – Nawton School
• Apple Certified Teacher (Apple Schools Native Applications)

Specialisations:

• Ākonga Māori, Māori Success, Māori Communities
• Collaboration, Relationships, Networking, Communication
• Bilingualism, Dual Medium Contexts, Second Languages, ESOL
• Student Efficacy, Engagement, Agency, Success
• Tikanga Māori

Professional Profile:

Jamie is a graduate of the Māori schooling system of Aotearoa New Zealand starting with Te Kōhanga Reo o Tokoroa and is now heavily engaged in Māori education across the sector. She has extensive experience in the education system, including teaching, curriculum design, qualification development, resource design, development, and evaluation. She is an advocate for Māori aspirations, narratives, and worldviews throughout educational settings. Jamie is a māmā to a daughter and two sons and Grandma to three mokopuna; all of whom motivate her passion to do better and be better for Māori through education.

Ngā Tohu:

• MPhil (First Class Honours, First Division)
• BA (Education & Māori)
• BMPA
• PGDipArts
• DipTeach (Tertiary)
• Dip Māori

Experience:

• Project Lead – TupuOra PTE establishment
• Project Manager – Mana ōrite NCEA change programme
• Lead Programme Designer, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
• Māori Research and Capability Coordinator, Wintec
• Former Chairperson, Te Iti Kahurangi Inc.
• Lead Developer Te Kawa Matakura, Ministry of Education

Professional Profile:

Te Moananui-ā-Kiwa has served the NZ Teaching profession for a number of years, after graduating with his teachers degree at Massey University, Te Aho Tatairangi. He is also a graduate of Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo who has used this experience to champion multiple initiatives within his community. Kiwa joined Te Wānanga o Raukawa in 2016 as a Pukenga Reo for the Heke Potūārongo Reo program advancing his skill and knowledge teaching Te Reo Māori to a vast range of learners from beginners to proficient speakers of Te Reo Māori. Kiwa has recently taken on the role of Senior Teacher and Site manager at Te Kura-ā-Iwi o Ngāti Kauwhata and has now been appointed Lead Facilitator and Co-Ordinator for TupuOra within Manawatū, Whanganui and Taranaki.

Experience:

• Teacher, TKKM o Manawatū, TKKM o Tamakinui-ā-Rua, Te Wharekura o Te Rau Aroha
• Lead Teacher and Site Manager, Te Kura ā Iwi o Ngāti Kauwhata
• Pūkenga Reo – Te Wānanga o Raukawa
• Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo Māori

Professional Profile:

Matawai was raised in a whānau dedicated to the revitalisation of te reo Māori, the retention of mātauranga Māori and to the Māori nation.

Kōhanga, Kura Kaupapa Māori, Wharekura, Wānanga have all been natural environments for Matawai to grow and understand her roles and responsibilities to her whānau, hapū and iwi. Her choices and decisions in life have always reflected maximising her contribution to the survival and prosperity of Māori as a people.

Matawai brings a depth of experience which include secondary and primary school teaching, administration support, and project management for multiple kura, iwi and pakihi Māori.

Matawai looks forward to the opportunity of being a Pou Ruruku for TupuOra to enhance and extend her skills in the domains in which she has thrived since birth, and to share these experiences with the Nation.

Experience:

• Project Lead, Digital assistant – Creative Natives
• Teacher – Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito
• Teacher Aide – Te Kura Reo Rua o Waikirikiri
• Te Ao Māori Specialist, Digital Assistant – The Sisters Consultancy
• Administration Support
• Resource Development

Professional Profile:

Te Wairua brings a weath of knowledge to her role, as an experienced educator of childcare and Te Ao Māori, a director of Te Mete Limited a kaupapa company that specialises in Te Reo Māori and Te Tiriti education, and a māmā of five fully immersed Te Reo Māori speaking tamariki.

Te Wairua and her whānau are leaders of Te Reo Māori within Te Tai Tokerau and have assisted in the development and delivery of many well-known Te Reo Māori initiatives in the region such as, Te Reo i Kupe,  Po Wero Hinengaro, Te Tūāpapa o te Reo. In addition, Te Wairua and her whānau are excellent examples of their commitment to Te Reo Māori and their accolades include winning the Whānau award in 2019 for Te Taura Whiri o Te Reo – Ngā Tohu Reo Māori.

Furthermore, Te Wairua combines mātauranga Māori, tikanga Māori and Te Reo Māori in her daily practice. Te Wairua has many skills which include time management, growth mindset, conflict resolution, creative thinking and team work to ensure successful outcomes.  She uses her effective communication skills, attention to detail and organisational skills to complete tasks with quality in a timely manner.

Experience:

• Director of Te Mete Limited
• Hoia Reo Māori Te Tai Tokerau events coordinator
• PAFT (Parents as First Teachers) Educator
• Waitangi National Trust Tour Guide/Performer
• Kaiwhakarite
• New Zealand Fire Brigade Volunteer – QF
• Tukau Legacy Community Fund
• Northland District Health Board Maternity Clinical Governance Group – Board Member
• Motatau Kōhanga Reo – Board Member

Professional Profile:

Chelei worked at Te Kōhanga Reo o Waikato Tairāwhiti and attended Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato to complete the total immersion language programme, Te Tohu Paetahi, before learning Makeup Artistry.

She has worked in roles within Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities as a Project Coordinator and a Maintenance Supervisor.

Chelei is excited to revive her own reo and contribute to the revitalisation of Te Reo Māori internal and external to her role as Pou Ruruku for Tainui.

Professional Profile:

Norbryn is a familiar face to many of the whānau in TupuOra, having spent many years as a dedicated and model kaihaka of Te Iti Kahurangi.  In her role, Norbryn will be responsible for supporting the Pou Whakarauora with the delivery of key resource review and development projects.

Norbryn will also provide administration support for other areas of the resource development work programme, having worked extensively as an administrator and teacher aid for both Ngā Puna o Waiōrea and Te Kura Whakapūmau i te Reo Tūturu ki Waitaha.

Experience:

• Administration Support in English and Māori Education Mediums
• Teacher Aide / Student Support Services
• Operations and Logistics Support ASB Polyfest Events, Ngā Manu Kōrero Regional Events

Ngā Tohu: 

• MBA Masters in Business Administration
  The University of Waikato
• BCGD Bachelors of Computer Graphic Design
  The University of Waikato
• Dip.TTP Te Tohu Paetahi – Diploma in Te Reo Māori
  The University of Waikato
• Dip.FD Diploma of Fashion Design
  Wintec
• National Cert. Sport & Fitness
  Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
• Cert. Applied Sport
  Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
• Cert. Computing & Business Communication
  Wintec

Experience:

• Management
• Creative Design
• Business
• Leadership
• Media
• Information Technology
• Technology
• Arts
• Sport and Fitness

Professional Profile:

Hekewaru has a passion for kapa haka and has an eye for photography and videography. Hekewaru is a Manu Taiko of Ngā Taiatea Wharekura and is a proud performer of Te Iti Kahurangi.

He captures and creates images, reels and videos from a rangatahi Māori perspective that engages people.

Experience:

• Te Anga Media Content Creator

Professional Profile:

Nichole has worked in a range of initiatives to revitalise te reo Māori spanning over 25 years. Her experience includes teaching, leading, advising, content development, translation services and research.

She has lead learning as a secondary kaiako, a university lecturer and a facilitator of adult learning in the public and private sectors, as well as alongside community and iwi groups.

Nichole has also held senior leadership, management and executive roles and has worked as an advisor to the Ministry of Education on Māori education initiatives.

Experience:

• Lecturer – University of Canterbury
• Tumu Te Aho Māori – CORE Education (Senior Leader Māori)
• Māori Co-Chair – Professional Learning Association of New Zealand
• National PLD Lead and Advisor, Māori Education – Ministry of Education