Tēnā koe,
I am a mokopuna, daughter, māmā, and nan from Tauranga Moana, where my tūpuna arrived on both the Mataatua and Takitimu waka. I whakapapa to Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Pūkenga, and Ngāti Ranginui, and also to Ngāi Tahu (Kai Tahu).
I am unapologetically Māori, guided by my whakapapa, grounded in my values, and committed to uplifting the wellbeing and wairua of our people. As Senior Manager for LifeKeepers, Aotearoa New Zealand’s national suicide prevention programme, I am honoured to lead kaupapa that centre whānau, connection, and collective strength across the motu.
My journey began in Public Health, where I spent 14 years in the Bay of Plenty before moving to Australia. There, I worked across systems including Victoria Police, Department of Corrections, Child Protection Services, and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Services, helping to establish the first of 18 Family Violence Risk Assessment and Management Panels (RAMP) for the Victorian State Government.
When I returned home, I joined Housing First Auckland in the homelessness sector before stepping into the mahi that truly holds my heart, suicide prevention through LifeKeepers with Le Va.
My studies are at postgraduate level in Public Health, Social Policy, and Psychology. This mahi is not just my career, it’s my calling, my responsibility, and my way of honouring those who came before me while protecting those yet to come.
