Iwi from Te Tai Hauāuru welcomed Nancy Tuaine as the new Te Puni Kōkiri Regional Manager for Te Puni Kōkiri at Whangaehu Marae, near Whanganui today.

Ms Tuaine (Ngāti Rangi, Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārangi) brings a wealth of governance and management experience to the regional role.

Her most recent role was as Chief Advisor to the Toihautū (Chief Executive) at Te Puni Kōkiri, a position she held for nearly three years. During this time, she provided strategic advice and led engagement on the health and wellbeing of Māori including whānau ora.

“Nancy has played a vital role in increasing the understanding and adoption of a whānau ora approach across the public service. I am thrilled that she will be returning to her ūkaipō and will be once again working directly with whānau and communities that she knows so well,” says the Deputy Chief Executive of Regional Partnership, Di Grennell.

In the early 1990s Ms Tuaine started her career in Whanganui as a Māori and Pacific Island recruit in the Department of Māori Affairs (a predecessor of Te Puni Kōkiri). During these early years Nancy spent time travelling the length and breadth of Te Tai Hauāuru supporting Dame Tariana Turia and went on to help her set up the infrastructure of Te Oranganui Iwi Health Authority.

Her career at the Whanganui River Māori Trust Board saw her forming relationships with iwi across Te Tai Hauāuru in relation to freshwater and fisheries.

“Her lengthy experience working in Māori health, whānau ora, water and fisheries issues as well as her unwavering commitment to whānau in the regions will be invaluable,” says Ms Grennell.

Nancy is the sixth member of a strong, experienced and committed group of Te Puni Kōkiri Regional Managers that are whole-heartedly dedicated to the development of thriving whānau and communities in their respective regions and to Māori nationally.

“I’ve really valued my time working as a Chief Advisor in the National Office and want to take everything I’ve learned with me to the new regional manager role,” says Ms Tuaine.

“The ‘policy to pā, pā to policy’ concept opens up the opportunity for Māori to contribute to policy-making. Together we can create a better understanding of what whānau, hapū and iwi need, and design whānau-centred initiatives for the Te Tai Hauāuru region that build capability and develop Māori.”

Te Tai Hauāuru region has 24 staff located in five offices in Nelson, Porirua, Taranaki, Taumarunui and Whanganui. The region covers most of the western side of the Lower North Island as far north as Taumarunui, the top of the South Island and the Chatham Islands. There are 33 iwi and other tribal authorities represented in Te Tai Hauāuru region. For more information on the region go to: https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/whakapa-mai/te-tai-hauauru

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