E rere ana te manu ki te mata huihuinga o ngā rangatira o te Tai Tokerau, arā ko Puputahitanga maunga.
Ka titiro iho rā ki te pātaka kai o Te Tai Tokerau, hei whāngai ngā hapū o te takiwā, ko Omapere te roto rā.
Ko taku waka he waka tipua, he waka atua, ko Ngātokimatawhaorua.
Ko Rangiheketini rāua ko Tupuārangi ōku tūpuna, nā rāua te pūtake o te hapū arā ko Ngāti Rangi.
E tū tonu mai te whare hei āhuru mōwai mō te hapū, ko Ngāwha marae, tū tonu, tū tonu mai.
Kei reira ka puta te kōrero, ka kata ngā pūriri o Taiāmai.
He uri tēnei nō Ngāpuhi kōwhao rau, e mihi atu rā.
The majority of my professional career to date was spent in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), prior to that as a teenager I was in the Calla Lily fields, but I’ll leave that kōrero to the side for now. I joined the RNZN as an Electrical Technician working in Electrical Engineering. I spent a lot of time on the tools maintaining the Radar and related communication systems, with a good dose of weapon system coordination in the Action Information ecosystem. A career in the Navy built a strong foundation through the many opportunities afforded to me, allowing me to grow and develop into the person I am now. I have spent time in the RNZN as a student, teacher, mentor, facilitator, leader and comrade of the NZDF, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time serving our country. Towards the end of my 16-year career, I was commissioned from the ranks to become a Branch List Officer of the RNZN, and it was a great way to hit pause on that chapter of my professional career.
What attracted you to your current role in Ringa Hora? What are your responsibilities?
The people. The opportunity to work with Iwi, Hapū, and kaimahi Māori throughout the Service sector is what attracted me to the role. I am responsible for engaging closely with iwi and Māori organisations ensuring all industry voices (including industry bodies, employers, employees and unions) are heard and able to influence improved outcomes for learners/ākonga, industry and iwi Māori, while also advising the wider Ringa Hora engagement and partnerships team.
What role can Ringa Hora play in making the industry better? What achievements of Ringa Hora are you most proud of?
Brokerage is a big part of my role, connecting and opening the doors people may not have known how to open or that they even existed. Bringing people together to have a seat at the table to be able to share our experiences in the industry and leverage off the shared experiences, challenges, opportunities and mātauranga for the betterment of our Iwi, Hapū and ākonga. This leads into the thing I am most proud of, in terms of Ringa Hora, is just being able to work with Māori for Māori. There is so much aroha in the manaakitanga that is shared in the connection with our people.
