SIT appoints Māori Development General Manager

Southern Institute of Technology would like to announce the appointment of Dr Keri Milne-Ihimaera to the position of General Manager – Māori Development.

The newly created role reflects SIT’s commitment to Te Tiriti O Waitangi | the Treaty of Waitangi, and also the institute’s ongoing commitment to raising achievement outcomes for Māori students.

The role will focus on building closer relationships with Iwi in the region and foster Māori development across the organisation, to ensure positive outcomes for students.

Dr Milne-Ihimaera is Ngāi Tahu and comes to the position with over 16 years experience in roles as a school Principal, General Manager, and an Executive Director, where she provided a Māori woman's perspective – as a mother, wife, and grandmother - in the areas of education, leadership, people and strategy.

She completed a Doctorate of Māori Development and Advancement (DMDA) in 2018 and since then has enjoyed working in consulting roles. She says she likes to push the boundaries and encourage people to think about what else is possible: “I lead by example and love to see others develop and flourish in a supportive team environment.”

SIT will benefit from Dr Milne-Ihimaera’s ability to navigate, understand and implement Mātauranga Māori |Māori knowledge, including Tikanga Māori | cultural authenticity, and Manaakitanga | the care of others - doing the right thing by them, with a focus on ensuring positive outcomes.

“Teaching and education is in my blood and is my passion and purpose. This has enabled me to take my skills and knowledge into other industries to develop programmes and educate and mentor others in a supportive and safe way”, she said.

SIT’s Chief Executive, Onno Mulder is thrilled with the appointment. “By bringing a highly accomplished Māori Leader on board as GM – Māori Development, we intend to lift the support services available to our Māori ākonga | students, empowering them to reach their full potential.”

Dr Milne-Ihimaera recently relocated from Auckland to Southland, and lives in Bluff. She started her role in August and is based at SIT’s Invercargill campus.

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