New members appointed to Families Commission Whānau Reference Group

Te Kōmihana ā Whānau, the Families Commission, recently appointed new members to its Whānau Reference Group.

Barbara Greer MNZOM

Ngati Mamoe, Ngai Tahu, and Ngati Porou

Barbara is Tumuaki (Chief Executive Officer) of Rata Te Awhina Trust, a Kaupapa Māori Health and Social Service. She has also served two terms on the Community and Public Health Advisory Committee and a term each on the Epiqual, Quality Improvement and NHI Consumer Advisory committees. She is currently a member of the Māori Advisory, National Screening, Consumer Advisory, Te Rito Leadership and Strengthening Families Management groups as well as serving on the Children and Care Protection Panel at Child, Youth and Family (CYFs). She is a Life Member of the Māori Women’s Welfare League (MWWL), a past Area Representative for Te Waipounamu, and was also a member of the Health Advisory Group at national level for the MWWL. She has more than forty years as a registered psychiatric nurse, clinical supervisor and a lead Auditor under the IRCA Certification Scheme.

Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi

Ngati Porou, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngapuhi, Canadian, and English

Dame Iritana was one of the cornerstones of the Kōhanga Reo movement. Picking up on the playcentre philosophy of community ownership and management, she helped create a whānau development model that is not only underpinned by cultural and administrative sovereignty, but has also created new opportunities in education and employment for Māori women, and whānau involvement. Currently a member of Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust (Trustee), Māori Education Trust (Deputy Chair), Te Taura Whiri (Commissioner), Te Pataka Ohanga Company (Chairperson), Te Whare Tapere Performing Arts Board, Māori TV Electoral College, Māori Spectrum Trust Electoral College, NZCER Electoral College, Life member of Māori Women’s Welfare League, and Lady President of NZ Māori Golf Association. Honours include 1990 Commemoration Medal, 1992 Member British Empire (MBE), 1993 Women’s Suffrage Medal, 2001Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit, 2003 Adjunct Professor, Aotearoa Wananga, 2006 Hon. Doctorate of Literature at Victoria University and in 2007 and was made a Dame in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to Māori education.

Dr Catherine Love

Te Atiawa, Taranaki, Ngati Ruanui and Nga Ruahinerangi

Catherine was Director of Indigenous Research and Development at Victoria University of Wellington, before taking up the position of National Manager for Entrepreneurship New Zealand in October 2008. She has taught at Massey University, the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand and Victoria University for more than fifteen years. Dr Love is a Director of Metlife Care, Trustee of Palmerston North Māori Reserve Lands Trust, multi-iwi negotiator for the Port Nicholson Block Treaty of Waitangi claims settlement, member of the New Zealand Psychologists Board and Hutt Valley District Health Board.

Maxine Waiti Rennie QSM

Ngati Te Roro o Te Rangi/Ngati Whakaue Hapu of Te Arawa

Maxine has more than 30 years’ experience in social services at a local and national level. She is a strong advocate of restorative justice and actively involved in governance roles, mentoring Māori social work managers, supervision of Māori social work staff, community and iwi development to reduce whānau violence.

Moe Milne

Ngati Hine, Ngapuhi

Moe is the chair of the Bicultural Therapy Model (BTM) committee for the Northland Corrections Facility and a member of the Mental Health Advocacy coalition. She works primarily in mental health and addictions and provides training for Māori and non-Māori health services. She is also involved in training the workforce in Māori practitioner competency. She has been on many committees, including the Health Research Council and chaired the Māori Health research committee. She has previously been with the Health and Disability Commissioner as Kaiwhakahaere (Māori Manager) and also has her own business, Te Moemoea.

Tim Rochford

Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe and Waitaha

Tim is a lecturer in Māori Health at the Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington. He currently teaches medical students and a postgraduate paper on Māori health for the Diploma of Public Health. Previously, Tim was employed in Māori health policy for various government departments including Te Puni Kōkiri, Ministry of Health and the Health Funding Authority. Tim is also Tiamana of Poutama Ora O Tai Poutini, the Māori Health consultative body for the Health Funding Authority and Coast Health Care. He also represents his Rūnaka (Te Rūnaka O Makaawhio) on Te Rūnanga O Ngai Tāhu (tribal council).

Wharehoka Wano

Taranaki, Te Atiawa and Ngati Awa

Wharehoka is the founder of Tihi Ltd, which provides management support to kura kaupapa teachers throughout Waikato, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay and Manawatu, and is also an award-winning event management organisation, involved in some of New Zealand’s premier festivals and events. Previously he was a teacher of English at Whakatane High School, and was a Māori Language teacher at primary, secondary and tertiary levels before moving to the Massey University College of Education as an advisor to Māori teachers working in kura kaupapa.