KURA TAU ELECTION
Candidate information
Public and Private Notice
Nominations for the 2025 election of Trustees for Te Nehenehenui closed at 11.59pm, Sunday 13 July 2025. The following valid nominations were received where only the required number of nominations were received for the available vacancies:
- Ngā Kura Tau – Te Whare ki Mōkau ki Runga (One vacancy)
HANCY Kim
As only one valid nomination was received for this position, Kim Alexandra HANCY will be declared elected unopposed as the Trustee for Te Whare ki Mōkau ki Runga. - Ngā Kura Tau – Te Whare ki Rereahu (One vacancy)
TAPU Mary
As only one valid nomination was received for this position, Mary TAPU will be declared elected unopposed as the Trustee for Te Whare ki Rereahu. - Ngā Kura Tau – Te Whare Hau-ā-uru ki Uta (One vacancy)
TAKEREI RonaldAs only one valid nomination was received for this position, Ronald TAKEREI will be declared elected unopposed as the Trustee for Te Whare Hau-ā-uru ki Uta.
The following valid nominations were received where more than the required number of nominations were received for the available vacancies.
Voting processes will therefore be required to determine the trustees for these elections and will be carried out by postal and online voting.
Voter packs, together with information about the candidates, will be sent to all registered and verified adult members of the Trust from Friday 25 July 2025 and voting will close at 12 noon,
Friday 5 September 2025.
Te Whare ki Ngā Tai o Kāwhia
(One vacancy)
FOSTER Foulis
Ko Tainui toku Waka
Ko Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kaahu me Hautapu nga Maunga
Ko Awaroa Toku Awa
Ko Kawhia toku Moana
Ko Ngati Maniapoto toku Iwi
Ko Ngati Kiriwai me Ngati Tamainu nga hapu
Ko Tokopiko toku Marae
Ko Foulis Te wai Lurline Foster taku ingoa
Occupation:
I am a Registered Social Worker
Current Qualifications:
Diploma in Social Work Auckland College of Education
Batchelor of Applied Social Work Manukau Institute Technology
Toi Paematua Dip in Maori and Indigenous Art L5 Te Wananga O Aoteroa
Certificate in Te Ara Reo ( He Pi Ka Pao, Te Kaupae 1 & 2) Te Wananga o Aotearoa
Personal Interests:
I am an avid gardener, walking, and my passion is Weaving Korowai.
I coach and mentor students in the art of contemporary and traditional weaving.
ORMSBY Dion
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatanga maha o te motu puta noa,
Kia ora katoa!
Ko Tainui te waka,
Ko Pirongia te maunga,
Ko Te Awaroa te awa,
Ko Kāwhia te moana.
Ko Te Maania Raakaunui te marae.
Ko Ngāti Te Waha, Ngāti Paretekawa, Ngāti Patupō, Ngāti Hikairo ngā hapū.
Ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi.
Ko Dion Ormsby tōku ingoa.
I serve as Pouārahi – Cultural Advisor at Te Puna Hauora Matua o Hauraki (Hauraki PHO), providing strategic cultural leadership to enhance Māori health and wellbeing. I also lead the Community Engagement team, ensuring whānau voices shape health service planning across the rohe.
Currently pursuing a Master’s in Māori and Indigenous Leadership at the University of Canterbury, I also serve as a trustee for Te Maania Raakaunui Marae and two other trust boards. I actively support my marae as kaikōrero and cultural advisor, and represent as a rōpu whakahaere member for Te Whare ki ngā tai o Kāwhia to advocate for whānau and Kāwhia Moana aspirations.
Mēna he painga mō te iwi, mahia.
Te Whare o Waiwaiā
(One vacancy)
GAGE Mellissa (Millie) Kuiahine
Pepeha
Ko Tainui te waka Ko Waikato Maniapoto te Iwi Ko Ngati Pourahui raua Ko Ngati Parewhata oku hapu. Ko Turitea toku marae.
Name Ko Mellissa Kuiahine Gage (nee Morgan) ahau.
I am the youngest child of Sonny and Mama Morgan of
Ōtorohanga.
Iwi/Hapu Affiliation
Maniapoto Ngati Pourahui/ Ngati Parewhata.
Occupation
Senior Investigator at Te Kāhui Tātari Ture | Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Personal interests
My whanau and mokpuna are what drives me to set things
up properly so they can thrive moving forward.
Community involvement
Present – Chair/trustee of Turitea Marae and have assisted with re-establishing our structure from the ground up with the goal of building our wharenui. I am humbled by the support of my whanau to be a marae rep and to stand as a Kura Tau on their behalf.
Facilitate mahi toi wananga within the marae and local
hapori.
April 2025-2026 – Intern Trustee for Te Nehenehenui.
Candidate statement
I am standing as a Kura tau Trustee for Te Whare o
Waiwaia. If I were the successful candidate, I would be privileged to serve as a representative to ensure the
whakaaro and aspirations of our whare are heard.
Mauri Ora!!
TĀNE Wikitōria
Ko Wikitōria Tāne taku ingoa. Ko Ngāti Urunumia, Ngāti Uekaha, Ngāti Apakura rātou ko Ngāti Unu hoki aku hapū matua. Ko aku marae matua ko Te Kotahitanga, ko Tokikapu, ko Hīona, ko Te Kōpua hoki, nō reira tēnā tātou katoa. I am standing for the position of Kuratau in Te Whare o Waiwaiā. My tenure in Te Whare o Waiwaiā began as a member of the Nehenehenui RMC in 2015. I am a former employee of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board in Whanake Taiao, the Taiao team. I am a former trustee of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board and Te Nehenehenui Trust. Others of my portfolio’s have been as an employee at Waikato Tainui in the Taiao Team, as a board member of the Waikato River Authority, and as the Chair of the former Maniapoto Co-Governance forum and the later Nehenehenui Co-Governance Forum, and I am an RMA Commissioner. I am self employed and my primary focus is restoration of the taiao which for me, includes restoration of kōrero tuku iho within the Maniapoto/Te Nehenehenui Rohe. I believe I have the required skills to fullfil the role of Kuratau. Nō reira, tēnā tātou katoa.
Te Whare ki Te Tokanganui a Noho
(One vacancy)
MANAWAITI Shannon Tariki Mangu
Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Hoturoa te tangata
Ko Te Nehenehenui te whenua
Ko Manga-o-Kewa te awa
Ko Rangitoto ki Tūhua ngā paemaunga
Ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi
Ko Ngāti Rora te hapū
Ko Te Kūiti te Pā
Ko Te Ranga-ā-haurua te Whare Ariki
Ko Te Tokanganui-a-noho te Whare Tūpuna
Ko NauMai Tuarua te Wharekai
Kia Ora Koutou
I am Te Kuiti born and raised.
I have actively been involved and served my marae Te Kuiti Pa most of my life.
I’m a current Trustee of Te Kuiti Pa and have been since 2015.
I have represented my hapu of Ngati Rora and recently became a trustee of Ngati
Rora hapu trust.
I’m a current trustee of Te Nehenehenui, the Kuratau representative for Te Whare ki Tokanganui a noho.
I have been a Kaitiaki of our Whenua and Wahi tapu.
I have wealth of Māori governance knowledge and experience, a passion for our people and always advocate for what they think is best for them.
Supporting Maniapoto Iwi to determine the best path forward by listening to people and empowering them to enact their future aspirations.
We can find the answers for our future in our past.
Mahia te mahi hei painga mo te iwi.
MULLIGAN-GREEN (Nee Wehi) Maardi
Ko Tainui te Waka Ko Ngāti Maniapoto rāua ko Ngāti Maru ōku iwi Ko Ngāti Rōra rātou ko Ngāti Waiora ko Ngāti Parekaitini ōku hapū Ko Mangapeehi Pā rātou ko Te
Kūiti Pā ko Tomotuki ōku marae Ko Putangi rāua ko Emily Wehi ōku mātua
Ko Maardi Mulligan-Green ahau
Candidate Statement: Tēnā tātou e te iwi. I’m standing as a Kura Tau representative because I believe in courageous, grounded, and future-focused leadership. My journey is guided by whakapapa, lived experience, and a commitment to the wellbeing of our iwi.
Governance shouldn’t be reserved for the privileged. I bring a youthful, energetic lens grounded in the aspirations of our mokopuna and whānau. As a young Māori wahine and māmā of two, I understand the intergenerational impact of decisions made today.
I’m not here for status I’m here to serve. I bring experience in kaupapa Māori leadership, community governance, and whānau development. I currently work as Kaiārahi Kaupapa – Delivery Lead at Te Nehenehenui and hold qualifications in
applied management, te reo Māori, kaupapa Māori, and primary industries.
I’m active in kura, marae, hākinakina, and taiao kaupapa. I bring integrity, accountability, and a mokopuna-centred approach.
ORAPŌTA – for progress, for people, for our iwi.
ANDERSON Te Awhina (Withdrawn)
BURGESS Megan (Withdrawn)
Te Whare ki Tuhua Hikurangi
(One vacancy)
TUWHANGAI Donna Hurapo
Candidate Profile:
He Kokopu o te awa o Taringamotu, he tuna o te awa o Waimiha, he Kūku o te ngahere o Pureora, he Pātiki o te Moana o Kawhia, Ko Donna Hurapo Tuwhangai
ahau.
I am currently employed as a Manager at TCKT, leading a kaupapa Māori initiative that centres whānau, hapū, iwi and community aspirations towards wellbeing. I hold a Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge and a Bachelor of Māori and Pacific Development. These qualifications have grounded my work in mātauranga Māori, allowing me to contribute meaningfully across community, educational and
governance spaces mainly on Incorporations, Ahuwhenua Trust and Advisory Boards.
My passions lie in Māori governance, sharing mātauranga Māori, indigenizing systems and spaces and expression through all forms of art. I am driven by the whakatauāki, mahia te mahi hei painga mo te Iwi.
I am actively involved in community development and advocacy, supporting grassroots initiatives, facilitating wānanga, and empowering whānau to lead in their own spaces.
I value solution focussed initiatives and the importance of collective uplift. I am committed to advancing Te Whare ki Tuhua Hikurangi aspirations, protecting our taonga tuku iho, and ensuring the voices of our rōhe, hāpu and whānau shape our future.
WINTER Georgina (Honey)
Ko Hikurangi te maunga
Ko Ongarue te awa
Ko Maniapoto te iwi
Ko Mana Ariki te marae
I humbly seek re-election as the Kura Tau representative for Te Whare o Tuhua Hikurangi on Te Nehenehenui Trust Board. I am a dedicated advocate for our people, bringing strong governance experience, strategic insight, and clear understanding of our collective responsibilities.
During my tenure, Te Nehenehenui has advanced key initiatives including the launch of the Te Kākaho Tribal Platform, the rebranding of Te Reo Irirangi o Maniapoto, and the introduction of quarterly whare pānui — enhancing communication, visibility, and transparency across the iwi.
We have progressed kaupapa in te reo revitalisation, taiao protection, kaumātua and marae insurance, affordable housing, rangatahi leadership, and business and employment opportunities — supporting long-term wellbeing and sustainable asset base growth.
My governance roles include Chair of the Te Nehenehenui People & Remuneration Sub-Committee, Co-Chair of the Te Matuku Iwi Māori Partnership Board, Director of Whanganui Regional Health Network PHO, Chair of Ruapehu Health Ltd, Chair of Waimarino Integrated Wellness Centre, and
retiring Chair of Taupō Tongariro Conservation Board.
I bring continuity, clarity of purpose, and a strong commitment to ensuring Te Whare o Tuhua
Hikurangi remains visible, influential, and future-focused.
