Born in Southland of Māori (Ngati Porou) and European whakapapa, raised in the far north before settling in Ōtautahi, I have spent most of my life living and working in urban Māori communities. My immediate and wider whānau are a mixture of Māori, European and Pasifika. On numerous occasions, I have tried and failed to escape the world of education but keep getting drawn back in. Varied experiences gained in Aotearoa and overseas have given me a passion for young people and glimpses into how the modern education system can be both a boost and a barrier to long-term learning.

Over the last 2 decades much of my learning has come from leading a kaupapa Māori Youth, Whānau and Community development NGO, Te Ora Hou Ōtautahi, this opportunity has given valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t across a broad range of areas including:

• Leading and growing people and teams, change management and project management across diverse areas such as social enterprise, research, and building development),
• Youth, whanau and community development,
• Managing change and crisis,
• Working across government, business, iwi, and the NGO sector,
• Engaging with rangatahi, whānau and community,
• Developing strategies, resources, training, and indigenous practice,
• Funding, governance, management, and compliance.

The NGO sector is always changing, dynamic, usually under-resourced which is challenging and requires the ability to adapt and find opportunities without burning out in the process

I am passionate about the development of urban Māori and Pasifika rangatahi, especially the disconnected, hoha ratbags that push buttons. I am not a big fan of complicating things, my strengths are in seeing and enabling the big picture, working through complex issues to find strategies and solutions. I am a firm believer in “deferring the gifted” or working to strengths. My approach is inclusive and pragmatic. While I highly value the need for relationship, I also prefer to cut past the waffle and identify ways to accomplish the task while enjoying the process. My teaching and youth work experience ensures that I value and understand teams, group culture and I am a strong believer in shared ownership, responsibility, and creating space for innovative thinking and reflection.