Our Board

Kō Kaipara te Mōana,
Kō Hōteo te Awa
Kō Atuanui te Maunga
Kō Ngati Te Rino, Te Uri o Hau, Ngāti Hine ngā hapū,
Kō Puatahi te Marae
Kō Ngāti Whātua te iwi.

Dame Rangimarie Naida Glavish DNZM JP, a proponent of Māori health, was one of four new Dame recipients in 2017’s New Year Honors.

Dame Naida Glavish is well recognised for advocating for proper cultural support and was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to Māori.

She received the ONZM in 2011 for her contributions to the community and Māori.

As a Bicultural Manager, she began working for the Auckland Area Health Board in 1990. Then, from 2011 onward, she performed a dual roles as the Chief Advisor-Tikanga, General Manager, Māori Health, Auckland DHB.

Her position was modified in November 2016 to Chief Advisor-Tikanga for the Waitematā, and  Auckland Districts, Health Boards.

As the Chief Advisor Tikanga (CAT) leads the organisation in managing relationships with Mana Whenua, and Mātā Waka.

The CAT role supports the management of the DHB’s obligation to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and provides cultural support to all staff which is available to patients and their whānau.

Dame Naida is the author of the Tikanga Best Practice Policy which is used nationally across many of the DHBs and some organisations in the private sector.

George Nathan-Patuawa is from Taita Marae, was born on 15 September 1939 in Dargaville, and attended Dargaville High School and St John’s College. He was married to Veronica and had four children before being widowed in 2017.

George joined the New Zealand Cadets in 1957, graduated the following year, and served in the New Zealand Army for another five years. As a Chaplain of the New Zealand Army, he was stationed overseas in Singapore and the Waiouru, Papakura and Burnham military camps.

George was curated in 1971, became a priest in 1972 and retired as a New Zealand Anglican Clergyman.

Maunganui ki Tūtamoe,
Ngā Maunga Ripiro te Moana nui,
Kaihu te Awa,
Maitahi te Urupā,
Taita (Kia Mahara Koutou) te Whare Tupuna.

Lillian and her husband Danny have lived in Ahikiwi (Kaihu) for the past 44 years. They have three adult sons with families of their own. Lillian has resided in the Northern Wairoa Takiwa for 65 years.

Lillian is a retired Principal – Teacher. She is still actively involved on Ahuwhenua Trusts, Health Committees and administrative roles, on various community Trust Boards. Lillian has been a Rūnanga Trustee for 17 consecutive years and has seen many changes within the Runanga through different leadership regimes and the many challenges that has been presented over time.

Rev John Marsden was awarded a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) at the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2019 awards. He already holds a Queen’s Service Order (QSO) and is a Justice of the Peace (JP).

John was raised in Kaiwaka and has been part of Te Uri O Hau/Ngāti Whātua life for his entire existence. Ōtamatea Marae has been his place of growing up. He attended boarding school in Auckland for his educational pursuits followed by further tertiary study at Auckland University.

John has worked in various areas of employment which has taken him all over Aotearoa in the field of banking, education, tertiary level of health and primary health. John has two daughters although lost one to cancer over the past two years. He is passionate about providing support, and advisory/leadership to whānau of all ages. John’s aim is to particularly ensure our iwi, hapū, and whānau are given the best opportunities in this present environment to improve life experiences for all our tamariki and mokopuna.

John is now semi-retired, but still heavily involved in the church and its related ministry work.

John was born in Te Kopuru, Dargaville and attended Kaipara College then joined the Police in 1977. He was the first Māori to be promoted to Senior Sergeant in Northland. He enjoys fishing and loves spending time with his seven mokopuna and one great grandchild. John has been on the Board of Trustees for Taita Marae since 1999.

Pat’s main marae are Korokota, Tangiteroria and Taitā. Besides being Ngāti Whātua, he also has whakapapa to other iwi including Te Rarawa and Ngāpuhi. He had a strong career background in logistics and then moved into the vocational field, helping place many people into sustainable employment.

Pat continues to utilise the knowledge and skills gained in his career and life’s journey for the benefit of his whānau nui, marae and community. Recently widowed, he now balances caring for a high needs’ whānau member with his commitment to the Rūnanga Board. He also enjoys spending any free time with his mokopuna and trying to gain some fluency in te reo Māori.

One of his personal goals is to visit all the marae of Ngāti Whātua.

Virginia Warriner (Dr) is a Professor of Business at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, based in Whakatāne. She supervises many Doctoral and Master’s thesis students and teaches Master’s papers such as Mana Wāhine Leadership, Advanced Māori/Indigenous Management Practices and Post Treaty of Waitangi Settlement Futures.

Virginia is also a Trustee on Ngā Uri o Kamupene ‘A’ o Rua Tekau Mā Waru – the Descendants of ‘A’ Company 28 Māori Battalion Trust who have been tasked with writing the book on ‘A’ Company.

Married to Rob of 41 years (CEO-Walsh Trust), they have a daughter Sian (Dietician for Counties Manukau DHB), son Wiremu (Assistant School Principal – Massey High School) and three beautiful mokopuna Isabelle, Kaylee and Meisha.

Richard Nahi has lived on the Eastern Shores of the Kaipara harbour situated on the Southern Shores of the Hōteo River with our pou maunga Atuanui overlooking the whenua and Kaipara Moana.

He has been employed over the last nine years with the local government, Auckland City Council as a senior cultural advisor, previously with Waitematā District Health and with Te Hā Oranga o Ngāti Whātua. Both positions for these organisations involved working closely with youth, events, community, sport, recreation, marae, kaumatua, and kuia.

Serving his second year on the tribal trust board engaging to establish meaningful relationships to grow and strengthen our tribal position community and national networks for our people. This focus and direction are to also work with the utmost priority of acknowledging the importance to support our tribal past, our present and future generations of Ngāti Whātua.

Born and raised on the Pouto Peninsula. She attended Queen Victoria School for Girls in the 80s, where she was Head girl. She trained as a Primary Teacher and graduated with a Teaching Diploma. She currently holds a Postgrad in Education. She is currently a marae trustee and chair to Waikaretu marae.

Employed by He Manga Tauhokohoko, Waipapa Taumata Rau, Anahera is a descendant of the Poata-Uruamo and Paora whānau connecting to Ōrākei, Haranui, and Ongarahu marae. She enjoys spending time with whānau and especially her mokopuna, hoping to provide a strong foundation for future generations in being themselves whilst paving a career pathway that grows the future needs of whānau, hapu and iwi.

Whanau thank you for this opportunity to represent you. I am very proud to be your voice and support person for our people. I bring more than 25 years governance experience with a wealth of knowledge and expertise at Board level. My presence and leadership on several community boards is reputable and my commitment impeccable, therefore I hope these attributes will be recognised and welcomed by our Runanga. I hold two chairperson roles on community boards, and the Presidents role within the Māori Women’s Welfare League Tainui. I am also a Justice of the Peace.

We as Māori actively celebrate our opportunities, our whenua and our whanaungatanga this is what connects us in the presence of our Tupuna. I am a proud mokopuna of Hariata Mackie no Takahiwai and Pirihi Parore no Dargaville, and Ruka Toko-Mikahere no Mitimiti. I sit as a Trustee for Te Houhanga Marae and Trustee for the Hariata Parore Estate. I am also the interim Chairperson for Tama Te Uaua Trust no Kaihu. Employment Consultancy and Employment Relations are my forte and I am currently seconded to Te Aka Whai Ora (Maori Health Authority) Whanau Voice Team. I am reliable, committed, punctual and transparent. Our Tikanga, our Reo, Whanau/Mokopuna wellness is my passion. With all this going on in my life will I find time to be your representative? I absolutely will because I thrive to be the best that I can be and I ask you to join me on this hikoi.

No reira, tēnā kōutou, tēnā kōutou, tēnā tātōu katoa