To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
AUE, Ms Mary Puatuki
For services to education, technology and Pacific and Māori communities
Ms Mary Aue has been active in Pacific and Māori leadership and volunteered in her South Auckland community since the early 2000s.
Ms Aue has been a key advocate for getting Māori and Pacific learners into science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM) and community development. She has volunteered as lead for Accelerating Auckland Youth and Community Engagement Programme since 2005. She led a group of women to establish South Auckland STEM (SAS) in 2019, to encourage Māori and Pacific children into technology. She obtained support to establish a South Auckland STEM Holiday Programme and staged the inaugural SAS expo that same year. The holiday programme is a mixed-age student group and encourages creation and problem solving with technology. Outside of this, she runs a mentorship programme during school terms and organises internship programmes in the industry. She has built corporate partnerships with tech companies and the programme now has more than 200 students registered. She launched Coconut Wireless as a community e-newsletter in 1999, reaching 10,000 subscribers, relaunching in 2014 as a social media platform which now has 900,000 followers and builds global citizens and teaches people to use social media. In 2022 Ms Aue volunteered to train more than 200 volunteers to use social media to keep the community connected following a devastating tsunami in Tonga.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BAKER, Mr Ronald Tuakana (Ron)
For services to Māori mental health
Mr Ron Baker (Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Whānau o Rongomaiwahine) has contributed to better mental health care for Māori for more than 60 years.
Mr Baker was a Charge Nurse at Whaiora, the first Māori Mental Health Unit, established at Tokanui Hospital in the 1980s. He was part of a collective who were determined to establish further Kaupapa Māori Mental Health Units throughout New Zealand. Manawanui was founded, a purpose-built Marae for Māori who experience mental illness and addiction in Auckland. He has travelled with his wife to deliver Te Ihi Ora, a programme aimed to educate around suicide prevention, steeped in Matauranga Māori. He has helped guide and train others in the field to address the impacts of suicide on Māori, particularly in the East Coast where Māori suicide rates are extremely high. He has provided support and mentorship for a mental health programme which will address healing in a cultural way. This has sparked further community groups being formed to address the impacts of suicide and mental health on Māori. He has been Kaumatua of several organisations including of Manwanui since 2010 and of the College of Mental Health Nurses since 2005. Mr Baker was made a Life Member of the College of Mental Health Nurses.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BARRETT, Ms Shanelle Kay
For services to triathlon
Ms Shanelle Barrett has contributed to triathlon for more than 30 years.
Ms Barrett won her first national triathlon title aged 14 and competed on the world triathlon circuit with Olympic Games aspirations, until an illness caused her to retire as an elite athlete. She then trained as an international triathlon technical official. She was selected to officiate at the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2016 Paralympic Games. She was Head Technical Official at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and invited to be member of the Tokyo Olympic Games competition jury in 2021. She was selected to participate in the US State Department Global Sports Mentoring Program in 2015, a global initiative designed to empower women and girls and those with disabilities to take part in sport. From 2002 to 2005 she was the New Zealand Head Mentor and spokesperson for the Weet-bix Kiwi Kids Mentoring programme and managed the Weet-bix Kids Tryathlon in Taupō, increasing participation in the event from 1,400 to 2,000 children. She was Technical manager of Triathlon New Zealand for ten years and has supported triathlon events including Masters Games, Youth Olympics and the New Plymouth Triathlon World Cups. Ms Barrett served on the International Triathlon Union Technical Committee and is currently Deputy Chair of Oceania Triathlon Union and an Elite selector for Triathlon New Zealand.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BLOOD, Ms Victoria Jane
For services to the entertainment industry
Ms Victoria Blood has worked in music and the wider creative sector in New Zealand and internationally for 45 years.
Ms Blood has been the Chair of the New Zealand Music Commission since 2013, has led the New Zealand Creative industries alliance WeCreate since 2015, and is a member of the Advisory Board of New Zealand Story. She was Head of Creative Development for RCA Records and founded BMG Video in the United Kingdom from 1989 to 1997. She was co-founder and Managing Director of Byrne Blood Group in London from 1997 to 2003, providing management and production services to music artists, notably including Steps and A1, and has co-produced television programmes with the BBC and ITV. Since returning to New Zealand in 2004, she developed and managed Gin Wigmore between 2006 and 2010, helped Annah Mac achieve a number 1 single, and assisted Universal Music with the early development of Lorde. She has voluntarily mentored several young Kiwi artists towards forging careers in the music industry. Through her recent leadership roles with the New Zealand Music Commission and WeCreate, and New Zealand Story from 2022, Ms Blood has advocated to enhance the global potential of New Zealand’s creative sector and to utilise creativity to improve the lives of New Zealanders.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BROWNING, Mrs Yvonne Annette
For services to education and youth
Mrs Yvonne Browning has been Principal of Southland Girls High School for 20 years.
Mrs Browning has been identified by the Ministry of Education for her innovative curriculums, which serve as a model for the implementation of the national curriculum in New Zealand. She has taken the initiative to foster relationships between the school and the local iwi to incorporate Māori and Pacific peoples’ feedback in shaping the learning outcomes. In 2008, she established an education partnership between Southland Girls’ High School and Tiwai Aluminium Smelter to encourage female students to consider engineering careers, resulting in more girls studying physics at the school and choosing to pursue engineering at university. The partnership won the Community Initiative of the Year award at the 2018 Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards. She has been a founding member of the Invercargill Student Support Network since 2006, which aims to support vulnerable youth in the region by collaborating with all Invercargill secondary schools. She was a Trustee of the Poppycock Trust from 2014 to 2019, a parent-focused initiative that raises awareness of issues affecting schoolchildren, such as cybersecurity. Mrs Browning is a founding member of the Education Southland International Student Coalition, which was established in 2005.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CHALLIES, Mr Simon Alexander
For services to people with neurological conditions
Mr Simon Challies is the Executive Director of the Canterbury Brain Collective Ltd (BrainTree), a charity supporting people living with neurological conditions.
Mr Challies was Chief Executive of Ryman Healthcare for nine years before retiring following his diagnosis with Parkinson’s Disease aged 41. He helped establish BrainTree in 2017, a joint venture between two charities, Multiple Sclerosis/Parkinson’s Canterbury and Dementia Canterbury. He led a campaign to open the BrainTree Wellness Centre in Christchurch, the first wellness centre of its kind in New Zealand offering innovative therapy and support for those living with brain conditions and their whānau. He was instrumental in fundraising $8 million for the centre which opened in 2022, leading the land purchase, building design and construction. He co-founded Braveheart Christchurch in 2017, an enterprise which created three-minute videos sharing good news stories about Cantabrians to an audience of 3,000 viewers weekly. He was Director and Deputy Chair of Kilmarnock Enterprises Limited from 2018 to 2020, a community initiative providing employment opportunities and support for those living with intellectual disabilities. He was instrumental in securing additional funding and provided leadership support to ensure the enterprise could continue to operate. Mr Challies has been the Director of Airborne Honey Limited since 2020 and a director of Nutrient Rescue New Zealand Ltd since 2017.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
COLLINS, Ms Kendal Judee
For services to youth
Ms Kendal Collins is a social worker who has worked within Auckland schools and communities for 17 years, running wellbeing and creative programmes for Māori and Pacific young women, to develop resilience, self-esteem and body positivity.
Ms Collins is the CEO of Sisters United New Zealand, which was co-founded in 2016 with her sisters and their collective experience in social work, creative arts and design. The family-based youth organisation is committed to developing young women leaders, enabling them to have the right skills to be achieve their goals through innovative, educational and creative tools such as dance, music, spoken word and art. The mentoring programme ‘Young Queens and Crown Yourself’ was launched in schools for young women, as well as ‘Brothers United’ for young men in 2021, with 700 young people graduating the programme each year, within 27 schools in Auckland. These programmes equip young people to build resilience and combat issues such as bullying, negative body image, low self-esteem, mental wellbeing, social media, and relationships. The schools-based programmes have developed into a youth employment programme ‘Connect’, which works with 200 disengaged young people each year to place into employment and other educational pathways. Ms Collins was awarded Vodafone’s World of Difference Award for her work with Sisters United and Brothers United.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DE BERNARDO, Mr John Ido
Deceased. His Majesty’s approval of this award took effect on 17 April 2023, prior to the date of death.
For services to the plumbing and gas industries
Mr John De Bernardo is one of New Zealand’s foremost authorities on gas industry regulation, gas usage, distribution and combustion and has been dedicated to raising standards of safety and compliance within the plumbing and gasfitting industry.
Mr De Bernardo has been Managing Director of engineering consultancy service Gas Safety Ltd since 2008, previously working 33 years with his family’s business Aquaheat Industries. He joined the New Zealand Plumbers Merchants (NZPM) Board in 2011 and became Chair in 2014. He has led NZPM’s social responsibility initiatives, including supporting various charities and environmental and sustainability responsibilities. Under his leadership, NZPM has expanded to 60 sites across New Zealand, acquired a one-third shareholding in Hong Kong-based company Aquasource securing a long-term supply channel for imported products, and was named Co-operative Business of the Year in 2021. Since 2011 he has been a Director on the National Board of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers New Zealand and chairs the Board’s Audit and Compliance and Remuneration committees. He is an Executive Member of the Wellington Master Plumbers Branch. Mr De Bernardo has made significant contributions to gas standards development in New Zealand and Australia on a voluntary basis, serving on the Gas Sector Board to set the annual programme of standardisation work and with the Gas Community Group.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DEMANT, Miss Devon Ruahei (Ruahei)
For services to rugby
Miss Ruahei Demant (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Awa) has been involved in women’s rugby in New Zealand since debuting in 2013 with the Auckland Storm.
Miss Demant has represented Auckland Storm 53 times since her debut and has scored 236 points during this time. She was a member of the Women’s Blues team who played the first ever women’s Super-Rugby match in 2021, in New Zealand. She debuted for the Black Ferns 15s team in 2018, and has since played 26 test matches, 11 as Captain. She was named in the Barbarians International team to play Wales in 2019. She Co-Captained the Black Ferns to winning the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2022 and she was also awarded with Player of the Match awards twice. Miss Demant was named by World Rugby as the Women’s 15s Player of the Year and as a member of the 2022 Dream Team at the 2022 World Rugby Awards.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DEWES, Dr Ofanaite Ana (Ofa)
For services to health and the Pacific community
Dr Ofa Dewes has contributed significantly to research and studies on Pacific health in New Zealand.
Dr Dewes was an associate investigator with the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery at the University of Auckland, and Research Fellow at the School of Population Health, School of Nursing, Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, and Centre of Methods and Policy Application in the Social Sciences between 2005 and 2022. Her work has involved leading consultations with Pacific communities on creating clinical guidelines for weight management in New Zealand. She has led several studies on weight management for Pacific children and adults, including a study into the implementation of weight management guidelines in Pacific church communities funded by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Research Council. From 2006 to 2007 she was manager of the MOH-sponsored Pacific Research Leadership Development Programme. She was a member of the Health Research Council’s Pacific Health Committee from 2016 and Chair from 2018 to 2021. Since 2014 she has been a member of the Edgar Centre for Diabetes and Obesity Research advisory board. Dr Dewes has been active with the Pacific Medical Association, the Whānau Ora Regional Leadership Group since 2012, and as a Board member of a Women’s Refuge in South Auckland since 2009.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DINNEEN, Mr Bryce Robert
For services to disabled people
Mr Bryce Dinneen established the Wish 4 Fish charitable trust in 2011, which provides fishing trips for those with physical and mental disabilities and impairments.
Mr Dinneen, a C4 tetraplegic, founded the trust to create opportunities for people with disabilities. The charity provides wheelchair-accessible charter boats in Tauranga, Coromandel and Auckland catering for up to six people at a time, once a month. To date, the trust has raised more than $140,000 and taken more than 350 people on the water. After seven years of fundraising, in 2021, he launched a $2.4 million 18 metre custom-made boat, capable of taking 45 people out including those with disabilities and their carers on the water. The boat has a wide variety of loading systems to allow for wheelchair access, a wheelchair access lift, a full-loop gantry crane to allow toilet access to all, beds, and fishing gear catered to those with limited mobility. Mr Dinneen received the Volunteer of the Year award from TECT Community Awards for his work with the Wish 4 Fish Trust.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DUNPHY, Ms Ann Violet
For services to youth and education
Ms Ann Dunphy has been a pioneer of mentoring and guidance services in schools, having trialled schemes at Tangaroa College and Penrose High School before helping to establish the Auckland Youth Mentoring Association in 2000, which would become the Youth Mentoring Network.
Ms Dunphy now chairs the Youth Mentoring Network charitable trust, which delivers advice and services to a diverse group of providers running mentoring programmes, in order to provide young New Zealanders opportunities through positive formal and informal mentoring relationships. She was pivotal in the development and publication of the ‘Guide to Effective and Safe Practice in Youth Mentoring’ (first edition 2008, second edition 2016) and gained funding to run workshops in 18 regional centres in 2018 to introduce the guide to mentors, with digital workshops to go live in 2023. She was a Trustee of the Great Potentials Foundation from 2008 to 2013, where she was project leader of the MATES Junior Mentoring and Tutoring Education Scheme, which addresses underachievement in education of a large minority of disadvantaged youth in New Zealand. From 1999 Ms Dunphy has been a lecturer for the University of Auckland’s School of Teaching, Learning and Development, where she has helped build teacher capability in effective practices for low socio economic communities.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DUNSHEATH, Ms Joy, JP
For services to human rights, women and education
Ms Joy Dunsheath has contributed to human rights, gender equality and sustainable development in New Zealand and overseas for more than 40 years.
Ms Dunsheath has held various positions at the United Nations Association New Zealand (UNA NZ) including Vice-President, National President and Conference Chair. She was a Board member of the United Nations Women Aotearoa New Zealand from 2007 to 2014. Through her advocacy, she has promoted Agenda 2030 in New Zealand and increased public awareness of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. She has been a member of Graduate Women International New Zealand since 1986, serving on the National Executive, and as Wellington branch President from 2012 to 2014. She was elected as a committee member to the Graduate Women International Hegg Hoffet Fund (Geneva) in 2010 to assist refugee and displaced women to study towards academic qualifications. She has represented New Zealand at the World Federation of United Nations Associations International Plenary Assemblies and was elected to its Executive Committee in 2018. She has been an active member of the Ministry for Women’s International Caucus for more than ten years. She has promoted public speaking in secondary schools including the national UNA NZ Speech Award. Ms Dunsheath was President of the Friends of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Committee for three years.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DWYER, Mr Gerald Peter
For services to rowing
Mr Gerald Dwyer has dedicated 50 years of leadership and service to rowing.
Mr Dwyer was appointed to the Board of Rowing New Zealand in 2000, serving as Chairman from 2013 to 2022, during which New Zealand won 18 Olympic Rowing medals. He has been a member of Sport Canterbury Board for 12 years and served as President of the Avon Rowing Club. He has held various roles within Rowing New Zealand including as Manager of the Under 19 and Under 23 teams from 1992 to 2003, Selection Ombudsman between 2003 and 2012, and Race Official at New Zealand Championships and Maadi Cups since 1994. He has been a member of the Rowing New Zealand High Performance Committee between 2000 and 2012 and as Director of Rowing New Zealand for 21 years. He was Director from 2006 of the lead up to the World Rowing Championships held at Lake Karapiro in 2010. He has received Life Membership with Avon Rowing Club, Canterbury Rowing Association, Rowing New Zealand and Canterbury Sports Foundation. Since retirement in 2022, Mr Dwyer has continued to serve as a race official.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ESERA, Mr Fa'atili Iosua
For services to Pacific education
Fa’atili Iosua Esera has been an advocate for Pacific languages and equitable outcomes for Pacific learners throughout New Zealand.
Mr Esera was Principal of Mangaweka School from 1986 to 1990, Strathmore Park from 1991 to 1998, Raetihi School from 1998 to 2005, Petone Central from 2005 to 2014 and Sutton Park from 2014 to 2023. He established a Samoan bilingual class at Strathmore Park School. He is a founding member of the FAGASA Incorporated, a national organisation of teachers of Samoan. He was the National President of the organisation from 2005 to 2008, and from 2016 to 2023. He initiated Samoan Language Week in 2006 and established the annual Samoan language speech contest for primary and secondary students in 2007. He received an award for services to Samoan language by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples in 2021. Mr Esera was a founding member of the New Zealand Pasifika Principals Association and has been a cultural advisor for Tautau o le Moana, an education programme to improve learning outcomes for Pacific students through strengthening school leadership.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
EYRE, Ms Margaret Mary (Maggie)
For services to business and the community
Ms Maggie Eyre is a recognised expert in personal presentation skills and leadership motivation and has been guiding the not-for profit and business sectors through her company Fresh Eyre since 2006.
Through her company, Ms Eyre has provided training and individual coaching sessions to senior executives and officials at KPMG, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Fletcher Building, ANZ, Vodafone, Westpac, Air New Zealand, Deloitte and others. She has worked as a performance coach, trainer and business development advisor with Auckland University of Technology. She served as the presentation skills trainer and media advisor to former Prime Minister The Right Honourable Helen Clark between 1992 and 1999. She has written three books on public speaking, with her most recent publication ‘Being You’ launched in 2019. She has been a Board member of several charitable organisations including Cure Kids, Star Jam, What’s Up Kids and the TYLA Youth Development Team. She helped grow the Auckland-based Theatre Corporate resource centre in 1982 and the School of Performing Arts centre in 1987, serving as a director of the latter from 1989 to 1993. Ms Eyre was a member of Women in Film and Television between 1995 and 1999.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FANEVA, Mr Toalele Len (Toa)
For services to Māori
Mr Toa Faneva (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa, Ngāpuhi) was CEO of Te Rūnanga o Whaingaroa from 2015 to 2021, providing a range of services to the community including the provision of health, education, emergency housing, financial capability and social services.
Under Mr Faneva’s leadership, Te Rūnanga developed an innovative emergency and transitional housing complex on Whangaroa Harbour and a violence-free Whangaroa Kaupapa. He holds leadership roles within Te Kahu O Taonui, the Thirteen Iwi Chair collective for Te Tai Tokerau and with several Māori providers from Tai Tokerau, the Northern place-based initiative and is involved in a range of Iwi initiatives providing advice to the government. He has been the Chair of the Ministry of Social Development’s Māori Reference Group since 2021, having been a member since 2017. He is currently Co-Chair of the Regional Skills Leadership Group for Te Tai Tokerau, Te Purunga ki te Raki and Chair of Te Kainga Atawhai, a subsidiary company of Te Mātauranga Māori Centre for learning and navigation excellence, and a 14-unit public housing build also based at Te Māhurehure Marae in Point Chevalier. Mr Faneva is currently Te Tumu Whenua-a-Rohe/Executive Director for Te Pūkenga for Te Tai Tokerau.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FOLIAKI, Dr Siale Alokihakau
For services to mental health and the Pacific community
Dr Siale Foliaki is a psychiatrist who has made significant contributions to mental health, particularly in the Pacific community.
Dr Foliaki is currently a consultant psychiatrist at Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau and Clinical Lead Psychiatrist, Pasifika Health for Whakarongorau Aotearoa, New Zealand Telehealth Services, having held other Clinical Lead roles there since 2016. He has helped establish several Pacific health organisations, including the Tongan Health Society, Faleola Mental Health Services for Pacific adults, and Vaka Toa for Pacific children and adolescents for Counties Manukau DHB. He is on the Board of Vaka Tuatua and Chair of the Pacific Information Advocacy Support Services (PIASS) Trust. He was lead Pacific researcher in Te Rau Hinengaro, the New Zealand Mental Health Survey. He has held policy roles with the Ministry of Health and the Mental Health Commission, developing mental health policies and guidelines addressing the needs of Pacific peoples in New Zealand. He contributed to the development of the Pacific Mental Health Services and Workforce Papers that established the blueprint for the Mental Health Commission in the early 2000s. He helped write the Cultural Competency Guidelines for Pacific People for the New Zealand Medical Council. Dr Foliaki is a dual fellow in adult and child and adolescent psychiatry with the Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FOSTER, Mrs Loloma
For services to race walking
Mrs Loloma Foster has contributed to Race Walking and Badminton for 49 years, as a competitor and an administrator at national and international levels.
Mrs Foster joined the New Zealand Racewalkers Association, becoming a member of the committee and undertaking duties as the Waikato liaison. She became chair of the Athletics Waikato Management committee, responsible for the arranging of all non-stadia events during winter seasons. She began competing at international level at the age of 50, being selected for the Commonwealth Games in 1990, and then selected for the New Zealand Training Squad for the World Race Walking Cup in Italy a year later. She has represented New Zealand at the World Masters Championships in Japan and Finland, and the Oceania Championships in Rarotonga, Perth, Brisbane, Fiji and Tahiti. She was the winner of the 10 kilometre walk for ten years from 1989, through the various age groups. She became involved with Waikato Badminton Association in 1998 as the Office Manager then Financial Controller, responsible for the funds of the association, and helping conduct local and international tournaments. Mrs Foster was awarded the Waikato Sport and Active Recreation Award for services to badminton in 2020.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HAIG, Mr David Alexander
For services to woodworking
Mr David Haig has been contributing to woodworking in New Zealand for more than 30 years.
Mr Haig has been designing and making furniture in his workshop on his property in Cable Bay since 1987. He designed his signature Monogram rocking chair in 1990 and has now built several hundred in various different woods. These have been purchased across 15 countries and one is held in the collection at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand. He has been a foundation member of the Nelson Guild of Woodworkers since its inception in 1983 and has been instrumental in its growth and development. In 2006 he assisted in setting up the Centre for Fine Woodworking, Nelson, a woodworking school registered as a Charitable Trust, which has developed an international reputation attracting students and tutors from around the globe. He has enhanced the profile of the Centre by teaching master classes at similar woodworking schools in Perth, Sydney and in Rockport, Maine in the United States. Mr Haig’s work has won numerous awards and competitions and has featured worldwide in specialist woodworking journals, including in ‘Architectural Digest’, ‘The Australian Wood Review’ and ‘Fine Woodworking’ in the United States of America.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HALL, Mrs Jeanette Sherilyn (Sherilyn)
For services to highland dancing
Mrs Sherilyn Hall has been involved with Highland and National Dancing for more than 50 years.
Mrs Hall has helped research and develop Highland Dancing through the New Zealand Academy of Highland and National Dancing, to continue for future generations. As a dance demonstrator in 1973, she spent time perfecting highland dancing movements and demonstrating these at conferences. She was appointed as Trainee Director at the Academy in 1990 before becoming the Technical Director in 1992 and has led a team of nine technical dance masters, overseeing the dance technique, management and development of examinations. She leads training courses and workshops throughout the year at various levels, and annually at a national Dance Development Course. She tutors dancers of all ages at the annual Summer Dance Camp schools throughout New Zealand and has taken dance teams overseas to perform on three occasions, at the International Military Tattoos in Norfolk, Virginia and at international conferences in Las Vegas. She was awarded life membership to the New Zealand Academy of Highland and National Dancing in 2011. Mrs Hall served as Dance Director of the Piping and Dancing Association of New Zealand and was awarded life membership in 2015.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HANNING, Mr Gerard Anthony (Tony)
For services to education and the community
Mr Tony Hanning has contributed to Catholic education and community organisations in Otago and Southland for more than 45 years.
Mr Hanning is a past Chairman of the Dunedin Diocese Catholic Education Council. In 1981, he was appointed as Director of Catholic Education of the Dunedin Diocese, a position he held until 2019. He played a key role in the rationalisation and integration of Otago/Southland schools into the state school system. He has been a member of Lions Club International for more than 45 years, serving in many club, district and national positions. He served as International Director from 1998 to 2000, representing New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands on the International Board. For more than 25 years he was involved with Camp Quality New Zealand, providing camps for children living with cancer. He was Camp Quality South Secretary in the 1990s and in 2009 , after helping rebuild the Committee, served as Camp Manager then Regional Manager. He helped organise the annual Summer Camps in Queenstown, involving fundraising and sponsorship for accommodation, meals and entertainment to provide this event free to children and companions. Mr Hanning was made a Life Member of Camp Quality New Zealand in 2018.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HOOPER, Mrs Michelle Louise
For services to sports
Mrs Michelle Hooper has had a career spanning 25 years in the major international sporting events industry.
Mrs Hooper has delivered events for World Rugby, FIFA, the International Triathlon Union (ITU), the America’s Cup and leading Olympic Games teams. She led the implementation of the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup occurring in 2022, as Tournament Director. This tournament has been regarded as one of the most successful women’s sporting events in history, setting precedent for future women’s tournaments. She served as the Team Services Lead during the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan and RWC 2011 in New Zealand and as the Competition Director of both the 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup and the ITU Triathlon World Series in 2013. She started her career in professional sport as a member of Team New Zealand at the age of 19. Mrs Hooper chairs the Waiheke Primary School Board in Waiheke Island.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
JACK, Mr Warren Graham
For services to the community
Mr Warren Jack has been contributing to his community in various ways for more than 40 years, including providing housing programmes, education and support for those experiencing mental health challenges.
Mr Jack was involved with the South Auckland establishment of Habitat for Humanity since 1994, becoming its first employee and serving as Director between 2000 and 2015. He has been the Manager of Strategic Programmes for Habitat for Humanity New Zealand, and has led groups of volunteers to build homes in Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mongolia, Thailand and Fiji. He led an event involving more than 200 volunteers who built a four-bedroom house in under four hours. He has been the Leader of Global Village Teams for Habitat for Humanity since 2000. He helped establish an Early Childhood Centre and has been supporting the restoration and development of the national heritage reserve in Howick. He was a Council Member for six years, four of which as Co-Chair, of Community Housing New Zealand, representing more than 100 community housing organisations in New Zealand. Mr Jack has been involved with the Life Growth Community Trust since 2008 and is the Health and Safety Leader for the Wesleyan and Methodist Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
JAMES, Mr Ian Leslie
For services to the community
Mr Ian James was the Chairman of Citizens Advice Bureau in Upper Hutt between 2009 and 2019.
Mr James has helped prisoners at Rimutaka Prison’s Dependency Treatment and Reintegration Units with information and advice on services through Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). He is an interviewer providing advice and meeting with prisoners one on one to discuss issues such as drivers license applications, debt management, parenting by separation, and purchasing items. He has compiled resources to be used by all CAB throughout New Zealand to assist with calls and interactions with those in prison. He is regarded as a role model interviewee and was granted life membership of CAB in 2020. He was awarded the Civic Award by Mayor of Upper Hutt in 2014, in recognition of his Citizens Advice Outreach programme work. He has been the President of the Citizens Advice Bureaux National Body since 2018, where he has driven the development and roll out of the Code of Conduct for board members. Mr James boards guide dogs for low vision and blind people for when they need a break or are in hospital care.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KAISER, Mr Peter John
For services to education
Mr Peter Kaiser has contributed to education for more than 30 years as a Principal in West Auckland.
Mr Kaiser has been the Principal of Tirimoana Primary School since 1992, which has sustained a long period of excellence by offering a wider range of opportunities to children including Kapa Haka, Pacific, environment, Te Reo Māori immersion classes and Reading Recovery. He initiated the establishment of Kahui Ako in New Zealand, a group of education and training providers that form around children and young people’s learning pathways, working together to achieve their full potential. He was the first Lead Prinicpal of the Te Atatū Kahui Ako of nine schools in 2016 for two years, providing guidance to the Ministry of Education to develop and grow the Kahui Ako model. He became the Lead Teacher of Expertise for the Kahui in 2018 and was appointed to the Teaching Council of New Zealand in 2019 to appraise Initial Teacher Education and as a member of the Complaints Assessment Committee. He served on the West Auckland Principals Association and the Improving School Attendance Programme since 2012, advocating for improvement in student attendance and engagement and Teacher Aide training programme for solo parents. Mr Kaiser has been a member of the National Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support Sector Advisory Group since 2021.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KOPAE, Sergeant Walter Wallace (Wally)
For services to the New Zealand Police and the community
Sergeant Wally Kopae (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pūkeko, Ngāi Te Rangi, Te Whānau Ā Apanui) joined the New Zealand Police in 1987 and from 1989 served with the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) for more than 30 years, based in Southland.
Sergeant Kopae has been a council for AOS leaders as well as Police canine training and development nationally. He is Supervisor of the Invercargill/Southland Police Dog Section. He is one of six certifiers who evaluate dogs and handlers for deployment around the country and is on the National Working Group for the New Zealand Police Dog Section, setting policy and training initiatives. Beyond Police, he has trained dogs and handlers in specialist areas such as Search and Rescue and noxious weed detection. He has been deployed for international operations, including assisting the Solomon Islands Police Service from 2002 to 2003 and mentoring Afghan police trainers in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan in 2005. He is currently developing Police Patrol Dog capability while deployed in Fiji. He is well regarded for implementing a Te Ao Māori view within his policing, building relationships and connecting with whanaungatanga and use of Te Reo Māori to deescalate situations. Sergeant Kopae has been involved with cycling in Southland for 15 years as a competitor, managing Southland Road races, coaching the Police corporate pursuit team, and providing road safety support for the Westpac Chopper Appeal ride from Queenstown to Invercargill.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LEWGOR, Ms Gwendolyn Audrey Alexis (Alexis)
For services to ethnic communities
Ms Alexis LewGor has made a significant contribution to multiculturalism in Rotorua, the Bay of Plenty District and nationally for more than 20 years.
In 1998, Ms LewGor was a founding member and Board Secretary of the Rotorua Pacific Islands Development Trust, the first Pacific Island social and health services provider in the Bay of Plenty District. In 1997, she was one of the founding members of the Rotorua Ethnic Council now Rotorua Multicultural Council and was President from 2007 to 2018. She has held several roles on the New Zealand Federation of Multicultural Councils (NZFMC), including National President from 2014 to 2017. She was National President and Chair of NZFMC’s Ethnic Women’s Council for three years and played a key role in assisting migrant women recently resettled in New Zealand. For four years she was an event manager for GLOBALfest, a large-scale festival celebrating Rotorua’s cultural diversity through dance, music and performance and attracting 10,000 attendees annually. She was Chair of the Rotorua Community Organisation Grants Scheme for two years and Trustee of the Rotorua Christmas Parade Charitable Trust for several years. Ms LewGor is currently a Trustee of the Rotorua Civic Arts Trust, Chairperson of the Rotorua Pacific Islands Development Charitable Trust and a past President and member of the Rotorua Fijian Association.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LOCKHART, Mrs Charlotte Anne
For services to business and philanthropy
Mrs Charlotte Lockhart has been contributing to business and advocating for health outcomes for several years.
Mrs Lockhart has been the Managing Director of 4 Day Week Global which she co-established in 2018, a not-for-profit organisation providing a platform in support of the four-day work week. Through the organisation she has run pilot programmes for businesses, influenced policy change in Japan, India, Russia, and several countries in Europe, as well as legislative changes in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Australia. She has advocated for businesses to address issues of mental health, gender pay equity and low pay, climate change, worker wellbeing and business productivity. She has made philanthropic contributions to Te Papa Foundation for the first refurbishment in 20 years of Te Papa’s Art Space, to Sweet Louise, who provide support to women living with incurable breast cancer, and The Medicine Gap, advocating for an expansion in state-driven funding of medicines in New Zealand. She has contributed philanthropically towards several national initiatives including The Graeme Dingle Foundation, the Perpetual Guardian Sculpture on the Gulf events and the New Zealand Sculpture on Shore event in Auckland. Mrs Lockhart was named as part of the “Forbes’ inaugural list of 50 leaders, executives, thinkers and teams who are shaping the office of tomorrow, today”, in 2022.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MATATA-SIPU, Ms Qiane May
For services to the arts
Ms Qiane Matata-Sipu (Te Waiohua, Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pikiao, Rarotonga, Mangaia) is an artist, journalist, photographer and social activist who has contributed significantly to Māori and Pasifika self-determination for 20 years.
Ms Mata-Sipu’s practice focuses on culture and land, principally reclaiming Māori and Indigenous women’s knowledge and identity in the wake of colonisation. She founded Qiane+co in 2007, working with media and diverse organisations across industries as a writer, editor, advocate, curator and mixed media producer. She is the founder of NUKU, established 2018, a social impact enterprise using multimedia to celebrate the sovereignty of Indigenous women and reduce impacts of racial discrimination and social exclusion. She is author and publisher of ‘NUKU: Stories of 100 Indigenous Women’. She is co-founder and communications and political strategist for the SOUL Protect Ihumātao campaign. Ms Matata-Sipu is a trustee of Makaurau Marae and supports Te Ahiwaru hapū in delivering outcomes for social and environmental change.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MENDONCA, Mrs Stacey Victoria
For services to women
Mrs Stacey Mendonca established the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) in 1996 along with two others.
Mrs Mendonca has been involved with NAWIC for 26 years, holding several roles including as the inaugural President, Secretary of the Wellington branch and as Chair. The organisation has grown from one branch in Wellington to branches in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Queenstown, Wairarapa and Otago, with more than 1,500 members. She has organised regular events focused on technical and professional development, to inform and upskill women in construction, whilst promoting networking and information sharing. She organised webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic and created Connecting in Construction, a group mentoring programme for the organisation. She contributed to the NAWIC Annual Excellence Awards, preparing citations, securing sponsorship, managing budget, coordinating judges and planning and execution of the awards ceremony. Mrs Mendonca was recipient of the 2001 NAWIC Lifetime Award.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MILNE, Mrs Lynette Evelyn (Lyn)
For services to the arts
Mrs Lyn Milne has spent more than 20 years supporting young musicians and contributing to the arts in New Zealand.
Mrs Milne organised concerts during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Auckland in 1995, bringing together young New Zealand students to perform. She was the New Zealand Director of the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) for 23 years, managing all the local ROSL branches around New Zealand. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Pettman National Junior Academy of Music as well as the ROSL-Pettman Chamber Music Scholarship in 2005, both providing opportunities for many young musicians nationally, with the Junior Academy providing 45 scholarships valued at $4,000 each. In 2021, she established the Artist in Residence programme at the Aspiring Lifestyle Village, providing youth to present a series of concerts, masterclasses and workshops for the community in Wanaka. She organised national concert tours for young musicians between 2006 and 2017. She co-founded and is Chair of the Magic Carpet Music Trust in 2022, a charitable trust which has provided 23 concerts all around New Zealand since launch. Mrs Milne is a Committee Member of the Wanaka Concert Society.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MOALA, Ms Tara Lai-Ianne
For services to the community and environment
Ms Tara Moala (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Māhanga Hourua, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Paoa, Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru) has been working to build community capability and capacity within her community for more than 20 years.
Ms Moala began as a Youth and Social Worker and founded Rākau Tautoko in 2016, which has supported 20 Community Development Practitioners over the years to engage and empower communities. These practitioners build community capability and capacity in environmental and social projects. She takes on the role as tuakana and ensures all community projects are for the community and remain within the community. She has worked on creating many environmental projects including Hub Zero, supporting waste-based social enterprises and Tāmaki WRAP, now an independent trust that educates communities on ways to reduce waste. As the Outcomes Manager with Tāmaki Regeneration Company, she designed a system for repurposing old housing stock destined for landfill and worked on building up local Māori and Pacific entities to create sustainable projects, products and services. With funding from the Ministry of Social Development, Foundation North and the Department of Internal Affairs, she set up a food access programme during the COVID-19 pandemic for her community. Ms Moala was awarded an Atlantic Fellowship for Social Equity in 2022 and the 2018 Lifekeepers Award in 2018.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MOEROA, Mrs Keni Upokotea (Mama Keni), JP
For services to the Cook Islands community
Mama Keni Moeroa has been contributing to the Cook Islands community in Dunedin for more than 30 years.
Mrs Keni has been the Treasurer of Te Vaka Cook Islands of Dunedin, ensuring funding support is provided for community members and helps organise social and cultural events. She organised a series of workshops which explored the Cook Island way of understanding wellbeing, resulting in new sense of interest by youth in the language and culture. She founded Tahuna Pasifiki in 1995 and has taught several children Cook Islands dance form and has contributed to the Kia Orana Performing Arts group. She helped establish the Pacific Trust Otago (formerly the Otago Pacific Peoples Health Trust) which offers a variety of services including education, health and wellbeing, and has been a member of the board for several years. She was the Chair of the Pacific Advisory Group at University of Otago, supporting the Division of Health Sciences and the University’s work with Pacific communities. She facilitates the Pacific Immersion Programme for medical students within the Cook Islands community and has been a Senior Research Fellow at Te Va’a o Tautai-Centre for Pacific Health. Mrs Keni has been a member of the Mangaian Va’ine Tini creating Cook Islands quilts and have donated these art pieces to Otago Museum.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NAIDOO, Superintendent Rakesh Sharanund
For services to the New Zealand Police and ethnic communities
Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo has been employed with the New Zealand Police for 21 years and has enhanced relationships between the Police and diverse communities.
In 2014, Superintendent Naidoo presented data on family harm highlighting the state of abuse in New Zealand; one in three women are abused, one in six boys are abused and in 2013 four out of fourteen women killed were of Indian descent. He collaborated and supported the establishment of the organisation Gandhi Nivas to support clients in early intervention programmes to seek help. He co-established an Advisory Board in collaboration with Massey University, which informed the need for holistic facilities for clients. There are currently three homes that provide holistic support to clients within the Tamaki Makaurau region, who have been served with a Police Safety Order. He has supported the establishment of further services within other regions to help with family harm. Within the Police, he helped establish the organisation’s first five-year Ethnic Strategy and sits on several advisory panels and boards to support diverse communities. Superintendent Naidoo has been the National Partnerships Manager – Ethnic within New Zealand Police since 2021, leading initiatives including involvement with the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch Terrorist Attack.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NELSON, Ms Andrea Kate
For services to sport
Ms Andrea Nelson has contributed to several significant sporting events in New Zealand for 20 years.
Ms Nelson was the Head of Editorial Services and Chief Editor at the 2012 London Olympic Games and served as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup hosted by New Zealand in 2015. She was the General Manager, New Zealand of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, which ran across New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea. She was the Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, leading the execution of the event in New Zealand during COVID-19 pandemic disruptions. She led the upgrade of facilities to host the event, including implementing gender neutral facilities, high performance cricketing facilities and the replacement of the lights at Hagley Oval. The event was a success, which saw a record-breaking sold out final at the Hagley Oval, and 1.64 billion video views, the third most watched ICC event of all time. She has been the Chair of Northern Regional Football since 2016. Ms Nelson has been CEO of Gymnastics New Zealand since January 2023.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NICOLSON, Mr Malcolm Charles
For services to local government and the community
Mr Malcolm Nicolson has contributed to the Northland region’s social cohesion, economic development and environmental protection throughout 25 years of public service.
Mr Nicolson moved to Northland in 1996, and joined the Kawakawa Business Association to help develop the Revitalisation Village Plan for Kawakawa, which included the construction of the Hundertwasser Toilets. He volunteered his time on several community trusts, including the Far North Development Trust and Venture Northland Charitable Trust, and project managed the establishment of social housing for the Bay of Islands Cooperating Parish in Paihia. During his tenure as Chief Executive of the Northland Regional Council between 2012 and 2022, he was a driving force behind significant projects in Te Tai Tokerau. He played a key role in the creation of Northland Inc., Northland’s economic development and regional tourism organisation, as well as flood control schemes in Kāeo, Kaitāia, Panguru and Whangārei, a Water Resilience Fund to improve drinking water supplies to communities not on public supplies, a kingfish farm and regional biosecurity plans. Mr Nicolson strove to bring unity to the region’s governance system, and advanced joint decision making through initiatives such as the Iwi and Local Government Chief Executives Forum and the establishment of two Māori seats on the Northland Regional Council.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PICKERING, Mr Barry Thomas
For services to football
Mr Barry Pickering has had a life-long involvement with football, beginning as a player and later becoming a coach, mentor and administrator over several decades.
As a player Mr Pickering made 20 appearances for New Zealand, including being selected for the 1982 New Zealand World Cup squad in Spain. He played more than 200 National League games in New Zealand, winning Player of the Year awards on seven occasions. He has coached at both senior and junior level. This has included being a junior representative coach and a coach at Hutt Valley High School for some years. He has coached goalkeepers at various levels over many years. He has been an administrator at Petone Football Club since 1994, which has included time as a committee member, Chairperson from 1999 to 2003, Club Secretary since 2004, Gear Officer for more than 20 years, and organising the Hilton-Petone Tournament for 25 years. He has been involved in the inauguration of Team Wellington, development of artificial turf at Memorial Park, club funding applications, and maintaining club rooms and statistics. Mr Pickering was inducted into the Hutt City Sports Legends in 2014 and Wellington Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PIRIHI, Mr Victor Lewys (Vic)
For services to golf and Māori
Mr Vic Pirihi (Ngāpuhi-Ngātiwai, Patuharakeke) co-launched the Māori Junior Golf Development Programme in 1986 to grow the game at grassroots level and was Executive Director until 1996.
Mr Pirihi took players to tournaments to introduce them to the game, many of whom did not have the means to get there themselves and provided clubs and equipment to get them playing the sport. The programme established coaches across the country and through sponsorships led talented emerging golfers to international events in Australia, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Many of his players are now coaching and working within the game. His early squads notably include Phil Tataurangi and Michael Campbell, while Kylie Wilson obtained a golf scholarship through the programme and remains a prominent figure in Northland and New Zealand women’s golf. He was a co-founder of the Ngaki Tamariki Trust in 1994, which broadened the introduction of golf to young people and established sport and exercise programmes, beginning with 12 schools in South Auckland and expanding across Auckland with a focus on lower decile schools. He is a Life Member of New Zealand Māori Golf and was 1992 Sports Administrator of the Year. Mr Pirihi played with the New Zealand Senior Team for five years and was New Zealand Senior Champion in 1988 and 1994.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
POATA, Reverend Thomas Tamati Hemi (Tom)
For services to Māori and the community
Reverend Tom Poata (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Kahu) has been the Vicar of St Faith’s Anglican Church in Rotorua since 2006 and has provided chaplaincy services locally to a number of iwi, state and religious organisations, including Chaplain to St Johns Ambulance and Rotorua Area Police.
Reverend Poata is an accomplished orator in Te Reo Māori and has an excellent understanding of tikanga and Māori protocols. In this capacity he is often called upon by Police and others during formal and informal interactions with iwi, especially hui that have been called to discuss difficult issues within the community. He served as Māori Chaplain at Waikato Hospital for two years and was earlier an informal associate Chaplain at Rotorua Hospital. He has encouraged positive ecumenical relations between the churches of Rotorua. He has served as Padre for the Rotorua Returned and Services Association and the Te Arawa Māori Returned and Services League for almost 20 years. He has officiated at ANZAC memorial services, Māori Battalion gatherings, and other occasions including reunions, Armistice Day and unit veteran’s gatherings of Korea, Vietnam and Borneo. Reverend Poata is the current guardian of the Altar Frontal gifted by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of Haane Manaahi’s World War Two service and serves as a member of various lwi/Whānau-based trusts and organisations in Rotorua.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
RAWIRI, Mrs Helen Teiarere
For services to Māori language education
Mrs Helen Rawiri (Waikato Tainui) has led the revitalisation of te reo Māori in South Auckland and Waikato regions for more than 40 years.
Mrs Rawiri trained as a primary school teacher in the 1980s as a bilingual teacher. She was instrumental in the establishment of Te Maunga Kura, the first bilingual/total immersion language learning school in Papakura. She was Kuia at Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) from 2005 to 2020, providing guidance and teaching in te reo Māori, tikanga and the practice of karanga, karakia, waiata and tawhito (traditional Māori songs). She was Kaikaranga at several events hosted at the marae and offered guidance to students on marae conduct and etiquette. She established a teaching and learning curriculum at the Ngāti Tamaoho Trust, including waiata classes held at the Trust’s Head Office in South Island. She has supported the Kīngitanga at national, regional and local events. She is the official kuia for Māori Television in Auckland and supports all official events. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she played a key role in providing guidance and support to New Zealand Police during the implementation of border controls. Mrs Rawiri has been Kuia for the Ngāti Tamaoho Settlement Trust since 2020.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
RICHARDSON, Ms Christine Margaret
For services to Special Olympics and the community
Ms Christine Richardson has volunteered with Special Olympics Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington for 14 years, currently holding roles as fundraiser, Treasurer and Tenpin Bowling Coordinator and previously as Chairperson from 2012 to 2020.
During the period 2014 to 2019, Ms Richardson was Chairperson of the Special Olympics Lower North Island Regional Council and a member of the Special Olympics New Zealand Board. She scouts out and recruits new coaches, manages the Club’s fundraising and communications and provides support for numerous tournaments. She was Special Olympics Wellington’s Team Manager for two Special Olympics National Summer Games. She recently coordinated fundraising and logistics for the Wellington team’s attendance at the 2022 Special Olympics National Summer Games in Hamilton. She led the work for Special Olympics Wellington in establishing the club as a Charitable Trust, as required by the national body following a constitutional change. She contributed to community activities in the 1980s and 1990s in areas including post-natal support, children’s safety and Amnesty International, and was a member of Wellington City Council’s Accessibility Advisory Committee for three years. Ms Richardson was a founding member, Treasurer and archivist of EPOCH (End Physical Punishment of Children) New Zealand from 1998 to 2015.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ROGERS, Ms Anna Victoria
For services to literature
Ms Anna Rogers has been a book editor in New Zealand for 45 years.
Ms Rogers has edited books by many renowned New Zealand fiction and non-fiction authors, including Owen Marshall and Dame Fiona Kidman. She has been a sub-editor for the New Zealand Listener and edited the book trade magazine Booksellers News for nine years. She is the author of a number of non-fiction books, including the First World War centenary history, ‘With Them Through Hell’, which was shortlisted for the Ockham Book Awards in 2019. She has adapted several books for reading on Radio New Zealand and has written book reviews for the Press and the Listener. She helped to establish the New Zealand Association of Manuscript Assessors and was involved in the Listener Women’s Book Festival and served on the New Zealand Book Council. She was on the committee organising the Christchurch writers’ festivals, serving as Chair and Deputy Chair. She wrote and edited the programme and ran workshops. She was involved with the Hagley Writers’ Institute for several years, assessing end-of-year portfolios and giving talks and workshops for students on editing. Ms Rogers has been a mentor for many writers and editors.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SAKER, Ms Nicola Ann (Lady O'Regan)
For services to heritage preservation and the arts
Ms Nicola Saker (Te Atiawa) has been committed to promoting New Zealand literature, culture and built heritage through her volunteer work.
Ms Saker began her advocacy for Wellington’s cultural institutions through her involvement in the campaign to save St James Theatre in the 1980s. Since then, she has served as a BATS Theatre Board member, PolyHigh Community Childcare Centre convenor and Trustee of the New Zealand Festival of the Arts. She was an independent member of the Community Consultative Committee on Wellington’s waterfront in 1996 and chaired its Public Area Design Group. In 2009 she joined the Board of the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Society, the organisation responsible for maintaining Katherine Mansfield House and Garden in Thorndon and has been its President and Chair since 2014. She has taken a leading role in fundraising activities for the Society, organising the Talking Books series of public talks and editing two books, ‘The Katherine Mansfield Cookbook’ and ‘Woman in Love: Katherine Mansfield’s Love Letters’. She has promoted Katherine Mansfield’s life and work by co-curating several exhibitions, presenting at international seminars and writing journalistic articles. In 2019, Ms Saker was responsible for overseeing a major refurbishment and reinterpretation of the Katherine Mansfield House and Garden, ensuring the attraction remained accessible to Wellington’s residents and visitors.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SATTERTHWAITE, Mrs Amy Ella
For services to cricket
Mrs Amy Satterthwaite has been part of the New Zealand cricketing community for 20 years as a player, captain, mentor and as coach.
Mrs Satterthwaite debuted for the Canterbury Magicians in 2003 at age 17, going on to win 15 titles across one-day and Twenty20 competitions. She debuted for the White Ferns in 2007 against Australia in both One Day Internationals (ODI) and in Twenty20 Internationals (T20I). She toured with the team to England where she recorded six wickets for 17 runs, regarded as one of the best figures in Women’s T20Is at the time. She had the best batting average at the 2016 T20I World Cup and continued to average more than 61 runs in ODIs until 2019. By retirement in 2022, she had played 145 ODIs and 111 T20Is, including 13 ODIs and 12 T20s as Captain. She ended her playing career with 4,639 ODI runs and 1,784 T20I runs, with 50 and 26 wickets respectively. Mrs Satterthwaite was appointed as the Assistant Coach for the Adelaide Strikers in the 2022/2023 Women’s Big Bash League.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SHAW, Mr Derek Monty
For services to the environment, local government and athletics
Mr Derek Shaw has advocated for environmental, community and sporting causes in the Nelson region since the 1970s.
Mr Shaw has been involved in the Nelson Environment Centre (Te Putahi Taiao) since 1976. He served as Chair of the organisation between 1979 and 2016, editing a quarterly journal, presenting numerous submissions on a wide range of environmental issues, facilitating meetings, driving campaigns, coordinating volunteers and managing its shop and library. He was a founding Trustee of The Brook Waimarama Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Nelson, serving as a Trustee and regularly as acting Chair between 2004 and 2019, and was made a Life Supporter in 2020. Between 1984 and 2013 he served as a Nelson City Councillor, helping to develop the city’s biodiversity strategy and the Nelson Biodiversity Forum. He contributed his expertise at a national level between 2001 and 2007 as a member of the Environment Legal Assistance Advisory Panel. For almost 20 years he has helped organise Nelson’s amateur athletics through Masters Games, including taking a lead role in the organisation of the New Zealand Masters Track and Field Championships in 2017. In 2015, Mr Shaw took over as Chair of the Top of the South Athletics Charitable Trust, which is responsible for the athletics track, associated facilities and equipment at Saxton Oval.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SIMON, Miss Kennedy Wailer
For services to rugby
Miss Kennedy Simon (Tainui) has been involved with women’s rugby in New Zealand since debuting in 2013 for Waikato.
Miss Simon has played 33 games for Waikato since her debut and debuted for the Black Ferns team in 2019. She was named the 2021 Player of the Year for the team. She continued to make considerable impact at the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2022, Co-Captaining the side to victory. She has represented New Zealand in sevens since 2018, representing New Zealand in Japan. Miss Simon was awarded the Women’s Representative Player of the Year at the 2021 Waikato Rugby Awards.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SIMS, Mr John Edward (Jack)
For services to karate
Mr Jack Sims is a professional karate instructor with a career spanning 56 years.
Mr Sims began training in martial arts in 1958 before travelling to Japan to study Shotokan Karate. He founded the Chidokan Karate School in 1967, pioneering authentic Japanese karate in New Zealand. As Head Instructor (Kancho), he established 22 dojos throughout the North Island, Australia and Fiji and trained numerous instructors, resulting in thousands of practitioners taking up the sport. Many of his students have since won national and international competitions. He represented New Zealand in the first World Karate Championships in Tokyo in 1970, later qualifying as New Zealand’s first international karate referee. He was invited to referee at the 1977 World Championships in Japan. He was instrumental in establishing the first New Zealand Karate governing body in 1972, now known as Karate New Zealand. In 1981, he was appointed to the referee council of the Asia-Pacific Karate Organisation. He was contracted for 26 years to design and deliver Close Quarter Battle techniques for the New Zealand Special Air Service. He has designed several self-defence classes for the security industry, with a specific focus on women’s self-defence. Mr Sims continues to teach karate aged 81 and was awarded the rank of ninth degree Black Belt in 2016.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SMITH, Dr Susan Margaret (Huhana)
For services to the environment
Dr Huhana Smith (Ngāti Tukorehe, Te Mateawa, Ngāti Rangitāwhia, Ngāti Kapumanawawhiti ki Kuku) has been addressing climate change concerns for costal land along Horowhenua and Kapiti, through Massey University’s School of Art.
Dr Smith is the head of the School of Art, leading the largest Māori-led research project into climate change, with local iwi and hapu. She has led to create innovative approaches and outcomes, across transdisciplinary spaces, discourses, realities, with mātauranga Māori, sciences and communities. She has led her team to work with Māori land and farm-owners and used their ancestral knowledge and whakapapa to encourage a better understanding of climate change. She was part of the Deep South Challenge Vision Mātauranga science programme, which included seven science projects looking at how climate change would affect Māori primary industries, tourism and taonga. As a result, several projects were created using detailed imagery in maps, large-scale aerial photography and images from drone cameras, with several exhibitions showcasing how the coastal areas will be impacted. Dr Smith was elected as co-chair of Horizons Climate Action in 2021, comprising of seven Mayors from the region and tangata whenua members, tasked with addressing the impact of climate change in Manawatū and the surrounding areas.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SOLOMON, Mr Franklin Manu (Frank)
For services to education, particularly Māori and Pacific education
Mr Frank Solomon (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa) and his wife Judy Solomon co-founded Solomon Group, an education provider for school non-achievers with particular reference to Māori and Pacific learners in South Auckland and Northland.
Mr Solomon trained as a teacher and was Principal of Waiheke Area School and Rotorua Lakes High School in the late 1980s. In 1997, Mr and Mrs Solomon co-founded Solomon Group initially in Pukekohe, a Private Training Establishment that provides learning opportunities to disadvantaged Māori and Pacific learners in a holistic, cultural environment based on Māori kaupapa values. They established several initiatives to support 7,000 students a year over many years to gain skills and qualifications to secure employment, achieve financial independence and lift mana. They were host providers for ‘Whānau Ara Mua’, an intergenerational education programme which increases parents’ literacy and employability skills. The Group also worked collaboratively with Māori and Pasifika Trades Training to provide pathways to employment within the trades. Mr and Mrs Solomon worked with ANZ to deliver the ‘Money Minded’ programme, teaching financial literacy and budgeting skills to students, many of whom were former beneficiaries.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SOLOMON, Mrs Judith Anne (Judy)
For services to education, particularly Māori and Pacific education
Mrs Judy Solomon and her husband Frank Solomon co-founded Solomon Group, an education provider for school non-achievers with particular reference to Māori and Pacific learners in South Auckland and Northland.
Mrs Solomon trained as a teacher and worked in various schools in Rotorua and Auckland for more than 30 years. She was Head of Learning at Rotorua Lakes High School from 1988 to 1996 and Dean of English at St Stephens Māori Boys School from 1996 to 2000. In 1997, Mr and Mrs Solomon co-founded Solomon Group initially in Pukekohe, a Private Training Establishment that provides learning opportunities to disadvantaged Māori and Pacific learners in a holistic, cultural environment based on Māori kaupapa values. They established several initiatives to support 7,000 students a year over many years to gain skills and qualifications to secure employment, achieve financial independence and lift mana. They were host providers for ‘Whānau Ara Mua’, an intergenerational education programme which increases parents’ literacy and employability skills. The Group also worked collaboratively with Māori and Pasifika Trades Training to provide pathways to employment within the trades. Mr and Mrs Solomon worked with ANZ to deliver the ‘Money Minded’ programme, teaching financial literacy and budgeting skills to students, many of whom were former beneficiaries.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SUTHERLAND, Mr Arthur Graham
For services to outdoor education
Mr Arthur Sutherland has dedicated 45 years to outdoor education in New Zealand, having been involved with the Ministry of Education since 1978.
Mr Sutherland helped establish the Boyle River Outdoor Education Centre in 1978, and has served on its governing trust, the North Canterbury Alpine Trust since. He was a teacher at Kaiapoi High school for 25 years and held the position of Director of Adventure School during this time. The school was the recipient of the outstanding Outdoor Education programme award in 2003. He was integral in the development of the Risk Management and training Assessment scheme for teachers and the then Department of Education’s draft booklet for the Risk Management Scheme for education outside the classroom (EOTC). He was a member of the Ministry of Education’s steering group which produced the EOTC guidelines ‘Bringing the Curriculum Alive’ in 2009. He was an Executive Member of Education Outdoor New Zealand between 2004 and 2010, received the Supreme Award for contribution to Outdoor Recreation and was made Life Member in 2003. Mr Sutherland received the Outdoor New Zealand’s Special Executive Award in 2016 for his service and the Peter Allen Award from the Boyle Outdoor Education Centre in 2018.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TAMIHERE, Mrs Awerangi Lorraine
For services to Māori health
Mrs Awerangi Tamihere (Ngāti Kauwhata, Rangitāne, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Kāi Tahu) has been working in the field of Māori Health for more than 35 years, including health reform design at the national level and designing and implementing Māori health operational models.
Mrs Tamihere has been instrumental in providing strategic direction, mentoring and leadership for Te Whānau o Waipareira, a foundation providing health, justice, education and social services, growing it from 90 to more than 300 staff. As Chief Operating Officer of both Te Whānau o Waipareira and the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, she has responsibility for the strategy, design and implementation of the Whānau Ora Commissioning for Outcomes Model, measuring health gains for families across a network of 106 Whānau Ora Partners across the North Island. This model has showed emerging indicators and measures for reducing child poverty and contribute to broader whānau health gains. She has been a Global Commissioner on the Global Values Commission since 2022. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she led an 80-staff team of vaccinators, nurses and support crew to support vaccination efforts across the Northland region. Mrs Tamihere has been a member of the Māori Women’s Welfare League Henderson Branch since 2008, is Co-Chair of the Auckland Regional Skills Group, Deputy Chair of Te Putea Whakatupu Trust and a Director on the Māori Health Authority, Te Aka Whaiora.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TAUFALE, Mr Talalelei Senetenari (Tofilau Talalelei)
For services to Pacific health
Tofilau Talalelei Taufale has championed Pacific health across diverse Pacific community groups, iwi, health providers, councils, industry, and government agencies locally and nationally.
Mr Taufale has been the Pacific Health Manager of the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board since 2011. He has instigated and led many targeted Pacific Health and Wellbeing initiatives, community outreach projects and fundraisers, including a Measles Fundraiser for Samoa in 2019. He led the development of a Pacific Workforce Strategy, established the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board Cadetship programme, the Māori and Pacific Hauora programme, and supported Pacific youth opportunities. He is recognised for his health and wellbeing leadership for Pacific workers in the Regional Seasonal Employment Scheme. He has been integral to the national rollout and support of the COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the Hawke’s Bay region, which has seen the region lead the vaccination rates based on population percentage. Mr Taufale is co-founder and director of USO Bike Ride, an initiative established to promote health and wellbeing for Māori and Pacific whānau through cycling. USO Bike Ride has worked with several organisations including the Cancer Society, Waka Kotahi and schools to promote cycle education nationally and internationally, while working with families to understand the importance of regular health checks, active transport and safe cycling.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TAUMOEPEAU, Dr Semisi Pouvalu
For services to education and tourism
Dr Semisi Taumoepeau has been contributing to the Pacific community, particularly the Tongan community in New Zealand through education and tourism.
Dr Taumoepeau has been the Head of the Tourism Management Department and Director of Pasifika Studies and Relations at the Auckland Institute of Studies (AIS) since 2003. He has developed academic partnerships and pathways between AIS and several Pacific tertiary organisations and with the Tongan tertiary institutes sector for more than 15 years. Through his Pasifika roles he has taught and mentored many Pacific tertiary students to gain their qualifications and employment within sectors that are vital to economic growth. He has been an active Pacific researcher in collaboration with various New Zealand university research units, and in the region, in the fields of Pacific aviation economics, tourism development and Pacific tertiary education. Dr Taumoepeau has authored many research publications, journal articles and books on these disciplines for Pacific region practitioners and educators.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TE KANAWA, Dr Rangituatahi (Rangi)
For services to Māori art and heritage preservation
Dr Rangi Te Kanawa (Ngāti Maniapoto) was a Kaitiaki Taonga Textiles Conservator at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and has spent almost 30 years as a conservator of textiles, Māori, European, Pacific tapa, mats and flags.
As a third generation weaver, Dr Te Kanawa is a recognised exponent of raranga and whatu, the Māori art of weaving. She initially worked as a textile conservator at Te Papa from 1991 to 1998, before working in private practice in Te Kuiti and returning to Te Papa in 2008. She advises on the treatment and consolidation of degraded black fibres in Māori textiles, which has had a significant impact on museum practice. She does preventative conservation work on kākahu (cloaks) and whāriki (mats) in museum collections. She has promoted a fuller understanding of conservation through her work on Te Papa exhibitions, in particular ‘Kahu Ora - Living Cloaks’ in 2012. She delivers workshops showing kaitiaki the best practise for the long-term preservation of taonga in their care. She has held workshops for hapū and iwi on marae for the care and preservation of taonga through Te Papa’s community outreach team, National Services Te Paerangi. In 2017, Dr Te Kanawa co-authored an essay for the Getty Museum publication ‘Refashioning and Redress: Conserving and Displaying Dress’.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TUCKER, Mr Robert John (Rob)
For services to photography and the community
Mr Rob Tucker is an award-winning photographer who has contributed to New Zealand’s photographic record for more than 50 years and has supported the Taranaki community.
Mr Tucker’s involvement in photography began in the early 1960s. He was a photojournalist for newspapers in London, Auckland and New Plymouth between 1965 and 1986, and taught photojournalism at Auckland University of Technology, Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki and Whitirea Polytechnic. He has published 35 educational and specialist books illustrating topics of interest to children and promoting regional New Zealand, donating many copies to Taranaki schools. His work attracted visitors and commercial activities to the Taranaki region, including the filming of ‘The Last Samurai’ (2003). Two of his photos have appeared on the cover of Time International magazine. In the 1970s, he was involved in establishment of a photojournalism section of Qantas Media Awards, and was a foundation member of the Karl Heinz Reipen Trust, which donates funds to Taranaki causes. He was the driving force behind the ‘Brotherhood of Journalists’ charity auction for Hospice Taranaki in 2022, collecting more than 100 photos from his network to raise more than $150,000. In 2021, Mr Tucker received the New Plymouth District Council Citizen’s Award.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WARRINGTON, Mr Murray Robert
For services to brass bands
Mr Murray Warrington has contributed to community and national brass bands for more than 60 years.
Mr Warrington joined the Hastings Citizen Brass Band in 1961 and has since held various positions including President, Chairperson and Secretary. He was instrumental in obtaining a band room, new uniforms and instruments. As Band Manager, he organised a ten-day visit to China and Hong Kong in 1996, becoming the first Brass Band from New Zealand to visit China. He managed the National Band of New Zealand in 1980, 2003 and 2005, organising tours of the North Island, the United States and a three-week tour of Europe where the band competed in the World Music Concourse (World Championships) in The Netherlands. He was a National Executive member of the Brass Band Association of New Zealand from 1980 to 1990 and has been Financial Controller since 1989. He managed the National Youth Band of New Zealand in 1987, 1988 and 1994, facilitating assemblies and tours. He was on the organising committee to bring the 2009 National Brass Band Championship Contest to Napier for the first time since 1956, and chaired the organising committee to hold the championship in Napier again in 2018. Mr Warrington has been a Trustee of the Brass Band Association of New Zealand Charitable Trust since 2011.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WHITE, Mr David John
For services to the prevention of family violence
Mr David White has campaigned against family violence for more than ten years, raising awareness of the behavioural signs leading to abuse.
Mr White is the father of Helen Meads, who was killed by her husband in 2009. He is the author of ‘Helen: the Helen Meads Tragedy’ and ‘Family Violence: Lifting New Zealand’s Dark Cloud’. He has advocated extensively for the prevention of family violence in New Zealand with the aim of breaking the inter-generational harm caused by abuse. He has spoken in schools, community groups and prisons and engaged with government agencies. As a keynote speaker for New Zealand Police, he has spoken annually at the national family violence specialist course held at the Royal New Zealand Police College. He served as a member of the Family Violence Death Review Committee, where he raised awareness of the ongoing impact of family violence on whānau. He has supported and widely advocates the work of the Ruapehu Whānau Transformation Trust, which works to reduce family violence in the Ruapehu district. He organised the tour ‘Harm Ends – Future Begins’ in 2019, travelling to 71 electorates throughout the country to advocate for a zero-tolerance approach to family violence. Mr White is a White Ribbon Ambassador and a Trustee and current Ambassador of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WHITING, Mr Dean Douglas
For services to Māori arts
Mr Dean Whiting (Te Whānau ā Apanui) has been contributing to Māori arts revitalisation and preservation since 2001 through Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.
Mr Whiting is the Kaihautu Māori / Director Māori Heritage for Heritage New Zealand and for more than 20 years has provided leadership to the Māori built heritage programme, through a range of services to Māori communities. The programme focuses on the revitalisation of the traditional arts and cultural practice and offers conservation and traditional arts workshops. He served on the Board of Creative New Zealand between 2017 and 2022 and was the Project Conservator at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Through his earlier consultancy, he worked with marae and institutions around New Zealand to conserve taonga and offered government and iwi business art and design services. Mr Whiting has several publications including co-publishing ‘Fire Protection of New Zealand’s Traditional Māori Buildings’ in 2005.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WILLIAMS, Mrs Jacqueline Lesly (Jaki)
For services to Scouting
Mrs Jaki Williams has been involved in New Zealand’s Scouting movement for more than 40 years.
Mrs Williams opened the first Kea Club in Whangārei in 1980, a Scouting section for younger children aged five to seven years old. She became Kea Leader for the Wellington area in 1986 and was appointed National Kea Commissioner in 1994. During her tenure, she promoted, developed and facilitated leader training nationally. She was instrumental in the formal recognition of the Kea section receiving equitable status in the Scouting movement alongside the Cubs, Scouts and Venturers. She produced publicity and support material for the section and led numerous training courses. From 2002 to 2009 she was District Commissioner for the Kapiti District, holding responsibility for the operation of all the Scouting Groups in the region. She was elected to the National Executive Committee of Scouts New Zealand in 2004. She served two terms, contributing to the development of the movement’s restructuring strategy ‘The Way Ahead.’ She was Zone Leader for the newly established Kapiti Coastal Zone from 2009 to 2014 and has been involved in the administration of four New Zealand Scouting Jamborees. Mrs Williams served as Secretary for the Scout Youth Foundation for four years, fundraising to enable disadvantaged youth to participate in the Scouting movement.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WILLIAMSON, Ms June Lynette (Linn Lorkin)
For services to music
Ms June Williamson, who performs under the stage name Linn Lorkin, is a piano, jazz and cabaret singer/songwriter with a music career spanning several decades.
Ms Lorkin started performing in the late 1960s, developing a repertoire of songs in several languages including French, Italian, Russian and Yiddish. She became part of Auckland’s inner city gig scene, working collaboratively with a diversity of musicians and bands, including Tama Renata with whom she founded the 1970s band Exit. She has been performing with The Jews Brothers Band since 1994 and French Toast since 2000 and has entertained throughout Europe and in the United States, where she was well known in Manhattan’s jazz piano bar scene, winning Best Cabaret in New York’s United Solo Festival in 2013 with her original show ‘Hey, Piano Bar Lady!’. She has written more than 100 songs and produced 18 albums, including six solo albums. Her songs include ‘K Rd’, ‘Helping Dad Milk the Cows’ and ‘Family at the Beach,’ which won Best Kiwi Summer Song in a New Zealand Radio listeners’ poll. She has co-written several music theatre pieces and performed multi-disciplinary shows with Inside Out Theatre. Ms Lorkin was awarded the Variety Artists’ Club New Zealand Scroll of Honour in 2014 and published her memoir ‘The Redhead Gets the Gig’ in 2022.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WILSON, Mr Kenneth James (Ken)
For services to education, research and the economy
Mr Ken Wilson has contributed to the quality of public education, to innovation in research and the economy through his work in various organisations since 1975.
Mr Wilson began teaching at Central Hawkes Bay College in 1975 and in 1989 left his role as Head of English at Rongotai College to serve as Advisory Officer and Advocate for the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association until 1994. He was a Senior Researcher and Business Manager of the Centre for Research on Work, Education and Business (WEB) between 1994 and it closure in 2012. WEB Research gained international recognition for its application of Developmental Work Research (DWR) across the New Zealand public and private sectors. Applications of DWR included working with the former Department of Labour to create the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme, with NZQA to develop and implement the Evaluative Approach to Quality Assurance and with Formway to develop the ‘Life Chair’ – all internationally recognised accomplishments. He managed the successful merger of Wainuiomata and Parkway Colleges and has been the Limited Statutory Manager and/or Commissioner of some 16 primary and secondary schools. Mr Wilson serves on the New Appointments National Panel to support the implementation and operation of Kāhui Ako. Mr Wilson chaired the Four Eyes Foundation from 2018 to 2022.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WOOD, Mrs Kathryn Anne
For services to youth and outdoor education
Mrs Kathryn Wood has been involved in the Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award scheme in Auckland for 35 years.
Mrs Wood began assisting with the Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award scheme, an internationally recognised youth development awards programme in 1987. She initially worked as a youth leader, assisting with the Award Scheme at Marist Sisters' College and the Order of St John for 11 years. She established Auckland Challenge Inc. (a family-based not-for-profit) in 1998 after identifying a need for a development programme for young people not associated with other youth organisations or schools and otherwise unable to participate in the Award Scheme. Auckland Challenge Inc. receives 200 to 300 registrations annually and has enabled hundreds of young people to develop their confidence, endurance and teamwork skills. Auckland Challenge runs information sessions and workshops throughout Auckland, providing mentorship to school leaders and aspiring leaders of the Awards Scheme. She has developed 'Urban Exploration', a programme for youth with physical or mental disabilities, allowing them to participate in an environment practical for their needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mrs Wood and her team created digital content to allow young people to continue to engage in the Awards programme.
To be an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LUAFUTU, Mr Fa'amoana Ioane
For services to arts and the Pacific community
Mr Fa’amoana Luafutu has contributed to social change as a writer and through his work in theatre and film.
Mr Luafutu wrote his first book ‘A Boy Called Broke’ while an inmate at Rolleston Prison. The book began an eight-year collaboration with The Conch, serving as the inspiration initially for the award-winning play ‘The White Guitar’, which toured nine New Zealand cities. He co-wrote the subsequent critically acclaimed play ‘A Boy Called Piano’, which toured nationally, was broadcast with Radio New Zealand before being adapted into a feature documentary, in which he told the story of his time in state care in New Zealand in the 1960s and the intergenerational impacts of this experience. The documentary won Best Feature Documentary at the Montreal Independent Film Festival, Māoriland Film Festival and featured at 12 international film festivals including in Finland, Tahiti and the United States in 2023. He has played a key role in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, with his testimony at the Tulou Pacific hearing and the film inspiring others to come forward. He contributed writing to the award-winning series ‘The Panthers’, with the character of ‘Fuff’ based on his experience. Mr Luafutu received a Special Recognition Award from Creative New Zealand for his contribution to Pacific Arts and Culture.
To be an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SAIJO, Mr Fumiyuki
For services to New Zealand-Japan relations
Mr Fumiyuki Saijo has been a driving force behind the sister city relationship between Dunedin and Otaru, Japan since 1984.
Saijo San has visited New Zealand more than 20 times including 11 Otaru delegations, during which he has fostered connections between Japan and New Zealand across trade, education, sport, cultural and youth exchanges. Under his leadership the Otaru New Zealand Society has hosted the Civic, Trade, Cultural and Educational Delegation visits from Dunedin. He was Vice President of the Society from 2000 and current President from 2008. He has been President of the Hokkaido Federation of New Zealand Societies since 2013. He has been instrumental in the gifting of significant cultural gifts to Dunedin, including a Japanese garden at Dunedin Botanical Gardens, a special book collection on Japanese Art for Dunedin Public Library and 100 precious kimono to Otago Museum. He is a member of the Japan New Zealand Business Council. As President of the Alumni Society of Otaru Choryo High School, Saijo San initiated a sponsorship programme in 2016 for Otaru students to study English and New Zealand culture at Otago University Language Centre.