To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ABEYGOONESEKERA, Mr Viduranga Aruna (Aruna)
For services to New Zealand-Sri Lanka relations and the Sri Lankan community
Mr Aruna Abeygoonesekera works for the Ministry of Social Development and has held financial and strategic roles in that sector for almost 20 years.
Mr Abeygoonesekera has supported the affairs of Sri Lankan and the wider community as a committee member and as President of the New Zealand Sri Lanka Friendship Society in Wellington. He is a leader for Sri Lankans living in Wellington and has worked to support and celebrate ethnic and cultural diversity and the arts. Since his appointment as Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in 2007, he has established good working relationships with government, and assisted in the promotion of trade and economic relations between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Mr Abeygoonesekera has enhanced the diplomatic connection and was instrumental in the recent gifting of an elephant from the Sri Lankan Government to Auckland Zoo, has hosted Ministerial delegations from both countries that have resulted in partnerships being formed in the dairy, tea, and education sectors, and established the Sri Lanka New Zealand Business Council in 2010.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ALLEY, Dr Maurice Rewi
For services to conservation and education
Dr Maurice Alley has made a significant contribution to the conservation of New Zealand wildlife over the last 20 years through investigation and the education of students in wildlife conservation.
Dr Alley and his wife established the Julie Alley Bursary which is awarded annually for post-graduate research in New Zealand conservation. His investigations and research has helped in the identification of causes of health issues and the recovery of endangered species, particularly for native birds such as kiwi, kakapo, kea, hoiho, and kaka, and other animals such as tuatara. He is regularly called on as a forensic expert by the Department of Conservation. Over the 47 years he worked at Massey University, he mentored many young researchers, and supervised 22 PhD and Masters students. His work is also regarded internationally, and he has established links with universities in China and Mongolia, and mentored Chinese students in Palmerston North. He has been a member of the New Zealand Society of Veterinary Pathology for more than 50 years, and served as President for one term. Dr Alley has published more than 150 scientific publications, and contributed more than 100 articles to the Wildlife Society of New Zealand Veterinary Association newsletter.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ALLEY, Dr Patrick Geoffrey
For services to health
Dr Patrick Alley began work as a general practitioner in a rural practice in the Waimangaroa Buller District, and since then has been predominately through the public health system with the Waitemata District Health Board, performing gastro-intestinal, acute general and trauma surgery.
Dr Alley has worked internationally as an exchange surgeon in Hong Kong, and in Vietnam as a trauma care instructor. He has lectured at the Fiji School of Medicine, attended Pacific Island surgeons meetings in Samoa, Rarotonga and Fiji, and travelled as a lecturer to the United States and South East Asia. He is dedicated to improving palliative care by supporting the further education and training of those involved, and has served as the Chair of Hospice North Shore for many years, establishing valuable links between palliative care providers, and as a Trustee of the North Shore Hospice Trust and North Shore Hospice Development Foundation. He was awarded the Royal Australian College of Surgeons medal for contributions to surgical education, surgeon’s health and medico-legal work in 2006, and awarded the Māori Health Medal in 2015 for his work training Māori doctors. Dr Alley was recognised by the Confederation of Post Graduate Medical Committees of Australia as the Clinical Educator of the Year in 2013.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ALOFIVAE, Ms Sandra
For services to the Pacific community and youth
Ali’imuamua Sandra Alofivae is an independent director of Pasifika Futures Limited, the Pacific Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency.
Ms Alofivae was a founding partner of King Alofivae Malosi Barristers and Solicitors, who were recognised specialists in family and youth court legal matters, and has worked as a professional legal specialist in family and youth law for more than 20 years. Her experience working with communities and families in South Auckland has seen her appointed to many community and government statutory boards, including her recent appointment to the Housing New Zealand Board. She is a member of the Minister’s Advisory Committee for the Minister of Pacific Peoples, served as a Families Commissioner for six years, and has been an appointed member to the Counties Manukau District Health Board since 2010. She has contributed her legal expertise to the wider Pacific community, and has served the Mangere Pacific Islanders Presbyterian Church and the New Zealand Presbyterian Church as a member on a number of Judicial Commissions. Many of Ms Alofivae’s governance roles have contributed to improving the well-being of families and communities in Auckland and contributed to a number of Boards focusing on education such as the Aoga Fa’asamoa Incorporated Early Childhood Centre and the Fonua Ola Pacific Social Service provider network.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
AX, Ms Maureen
For services to dance and youth
Ms Maureen Ax is a registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance and became a Life Member of the Academy in 2002.
Ms Ax opened her dance school in Palmerston North at the age of 16, where she has been principal and teacher for more than 50 years. Many charities have received the profits from school recitals. She has choreographed local theatre groups, adjudicated at festivals, is a former Vice-President of the New Zealand Performing Arts Competition, and is a Life Member of the Manawatu Performing Arts Competition Society. She has extended her commitment to helping young people through the Rotary International movement, becoming Palmerston North Rotary Club's first female President in 2003. She has hosted international students and hosted students from Palmerston North Boys High School, caring and supporting them so that they could complete their education at the school. Ms Ax has been a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, and acted as a mentor for the New Zealand Young Enterprise Scheme for Palmerston North Girls High School.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BELLINGHAM, Miss Elisabeth Judy (Judy)
For services to classical singing
Miss Judy Bellingham has enjoyed her own career as a performer, is a dedicated music teacher, and is committed to the professional development of teachers.
A former President of the New Zealand Association of Teachers of Singing, Miss Bellingham is currently the William Evans Associate Professor in Voice at the University of Otago’s Music Department. She has been a vocal coach and Board member for the New Zealand Youth Choir, and has supported and encouraged young singers from the Otago region. As Chair of the Dunedin Performing Arts Competitions Society she has run competitions in all disciplines of the arts. Mrs Bellingham has shared her knowledge and expertise as a regional and Finale adjudicator for the New Zealand Choral Federation’s The Big Sing for secondary school students and provided workshops throughout the country. As the Artistic Director and a Tutor at the biennial residential New Zealand Singing School in Napier, Miss Bellingham has provided an opportunity for young singers to receive tuition and mentoring from internationally- and nationally-recognised teachers.
HONOURS
New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BERRY, Mr Robert Latham (Bob)
For services to the cheese industry
Mr Bob Berry established Whitestone Cheese in the late 1980s in a converted garage, covering both the production and marketing of the final products.
Whitestone Cheese is now a major boutique cheese producer employing in excess of 60 people and exporting internationally. Whitestone Cheese is a recognised brand in the United States, Australia and the Pacific region. Mr Berry was a founding member of the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association, and served as Chair for five years. He was made a life member of the Association in 2012, one of only two people to have been honoured with a life membership. Mr Berry is a sponsor of many community initiatives through the Whitestone Cheese company, including contributions and sponsorship of the Oamaru Opera House and the Alps2Ocean cycle trail.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BRACKENBURY, Mr Gerald (Gerry)
For services to conservation
Mr Gerry Brackenbury has contributed for 40 years to conservation and natural history in Whangarei and Northland on a voluntary basis.
Mr Brackenbury has been a committee member and Chairman for eight years of the Whangarei Museum and Heritage Park Society, during which time he oversaw the Society’s move to a Trust. Since the end of his tenure he continues to volunteer his time to the museum, caring for the grounds and contributing to education programmes. He was a founder of the Northern branch of Royal Forest and Bird Society and instigated a project for turning Motu Matakohe/Limestone Island into a refuge for bio-diversity. He has contributed 30 years towards creating an island that holds rare species of birds, lizards and insects, which is regularly visited by hundreds of school children on educational trips. He has been involved with the Pukenui Forest Trust for the past decade and, as Chairman, has overseen translocation proposals of various species of birds and lizards back into the forest, as well as carrying out pest and weed control. He helped establish the Northland Environmental Centre in Whangarei in 1980. Mr Brackenbury has been a driving force behind Project Crimson for the conservation of pohutukawa and rata.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BREBNER, Mr Tristan David
For services to education
Mr Tristan Brebner was New Zealand’s longest serving principal at the time of his retirement in 2015, with 46 years of consecutive service across six different schools, the last of which being Edgecumbe Primary School in the Bay of Plenty.
Over the years Mr Brebner developed and implemented a specific learning model to raise achievement levels of students while Principal of five closely situated schools surrounding the Rangitikei Plains, Kawerau and Edgecumbe. This approach was closely supported by the local community, role models and Ngati Awa Kaumatua. To maintain the programme’s growth and sustainability he supported Edgecumbe Primary staff through personal learning and development opportunities both nationally and internationally. He is a founding member of the ‘Hearts and Minds’ Principals Support Network, a group of North Island principals who meet to share educational initiatives and work through challenging trends in education, which has operated for more than 25 years. He established a ‘Breakfast Club’ for students at Edgecumbe Primary, ensuring fresh fruit and food was available for students at least twice a week. He has assisted with the operation and maintenance of the Manawahe Community Hall and provided guidance to schools on the usage of the Te Urewera Lions Hut facility. Mr Brebner has led numerous camps and outdoor trips for students and their families over the years.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BRUNT, Mrs Christine
For services to the Girls' Brigade
Mrs Christine Brunt has been involved with Girls’ Brigade, an international Christian organisation providing weekly programmes for girls aged five to eighteen, since becoming a leader of the 12th Waitakere Company in 1977.
Mrs Brunt became a Commissioned Officer in 1980. She held various positions in the Marlborough Area Girls’ Brigade from 1987 to 2006 including Area Training Coordinator, Area Representative and two terms as Area Commissioner. She was on the National Training Committee from 1997 to 1999 and appointed to the National Executive from 1999 to 2002. She served as the National Commissioner from 2007 to 2010. She was instrumental in introducing the iconz4girlz (IFG) programme during her tenure and has been Convenor of the Management Team for this programme since 2013. IFG has stimulated a season of growth with 24 new Units catering for hundreds of girls. She has led a small team in writing leaders’ training manuals, programme material and supporting compliance documents for IFG Units, organised and delivered training for leaders and maintained liaison with churches. Mrs Brunt was recognised for her work within Girls’ Brigade with the National Commissioners Award in 2011 and a 35 year service award in 2012.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BRUSS, Mrs Margaret Patricia
For services to netball
Mrs Margaret Bruss has been passionate about netball since she first began playing at secondary school in 1950, and has served as a coach, selector, umpire, manager, administrator and historian of netball teams since the 1960s.
Mrs Bruss has served in voluntary roles as the President of the Otago Netball Association and Chairperson of the Otago Netball Association Life Membership and Service Award sub-committee. In recognition of the impact that she has had on netball in Otago, she has been bestowed with every netball award in the region, and currently holds the highest honorary role of Patron of the Dunedin Netball Centre. Mrs Bruss is also an archivist and meticulous record keeper, and has published two books on the History of Netball in Otago. She has also volunteered at the Central Otago Stories Museum and Art Gallery as an archivist since 2007, and at the Alexandra Branch of the New Zealand Genealogical Society as a Treasurer and Research Officer for ten years.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CAMPBELL, Ms Shelley
For services to health and people with disabilities
Ms Shelley Campbell is an active member of a wide range of health and disability groups, and has had considerable experience in community outreach, particularly with young people.
Ms Campbell has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Sir Peter Blake Trust since 2010, and through this role has implemented leadership development and environmental programmes throughout New Zealand. She served as the Chief Executive of Waikato Primary Health Ltd for four years, during which time she introduced a number of initiatives that have been adopted nationwide. She undertook the project management to establish the Waikato District Health Board, Chaired the National Bowel Cancer Screening Taskforce, and was a member of the Cancer Council of New Zealand. She is an active advocate in the disability sector, serving as a trustee of the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation, a board member of Te Pou, a national centre of evidence-based workforce development for mental health, addiction, and disability, and the Le Va board, which aims to improve health and social outcomes for Pacific communities. Ms Campbell is also a member of Be Accessible’s Fab50 network where she supports the organisation’s mission to create opportunities for people with disabilities.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CLARK, Mrs Beverley Alice (Bev)
For services to health
Mrs Bev Clark served a term of six years as Chairperson of the Southland Ethics Committee.
Mrs Clark was voted as the Chair for the Central Southland Health Trust and the Winton Birthing Unit for the eight years following their inception. In this role she supported the Health Centre through a period of pending closure and helped develop the facility to maintain maternity and health care in the region. She was a member of the support group to retain the Dunstan Hospital at Clyde, and became Chairperson of Central Otago Health Services Ltd, who led the rebuild and further development of the hospital to provide continued access to primary healthcare in the region. She served as a Director on the Southern Regional Health Authority and the Health Funding Authority. She chaired the Consumer Liaison Committee for the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and was a council member of their division of Rural Hospital Medicine. She was appointed for a term of six years to the New Zealand Psychologist Board. Mrs Clark is a Marriage and Funeral Celebrant in Wanaka and is a founding executive member, treasurer and Life Member of the Celebrants Association in New Zealand.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DENNIS, Dr Andrew Ian
For services to conservation
Dr Andrew Dennis has made significant contributions to conservation in the Nelson-Tasman and West Coast regions, and the South Island’s eastern high country.
Dr Dennis contributed to early campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s to protect West Coast forests in South Westland and Paparoa from logging, resulting in the creation of the South Westland World Heritage Area and the Paparoa National Park. His book ‘The Paparoas Guide’ played a key role in raising awareness for the area and is still today recognised as the definitive guide to the Paparoa Range. He authored and co-authored a number of other books between 1981 and 2007. He was a member of the Nelson Marlborough Conservation Board from 1996 to 2003. He has been a member of the Forest and Bird Nelson-Tasman branch committee for more than 30 years. His expertise and advocacy was critical to the successful establishment of Kahurangi National Park in 1996 and the Horoirangi Marine Reserve in 2006. He has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Molesworth Recreation Reserve since 2006. He was instrumental in helping to protect the Mokihinui River from being dammed. Dr Dennis served on the Federated Mountain Clubs Executive for a decade from the early 1990s.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DEWES, Mr Norman Jack Mei (Norm)
For services to Māori and the community
Mr Norm Dewes has advocated for the underprivileged and disadvantaged in Christchurch for a number of years and has represented Māori on numerous Boards, panels and Councils at both local and national levels.
Mr Dewes established Te Rununga o Nga Maata Waka as an Urban Māori Authority in 1989 and was appointed as CEO in 1990. He has successfully led the organisation for the past 25 years, offering a range of services and programmes that contribute to whanau wellbeing. He was a founding member of National Urban Māori Authorities in New Zealand. He has overseen the management of Nga Hau e Wha Marae since 2004, when the Marae was in financial strife, and has turned it around to a position of stability. Following the 2011 Canterbury earthquake the Marae housed up to 27 displaced organisations to support the recovery effort. He was instrumental in contributing to the setup of the Christchurch Rangatahi Court in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and Child, Youth and Family. Mr Dewes was appointed Chairman of the South Island Commissioning Agency Te Putahitanga in 2014.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DICKSON, Mr Bruce Henry
For services to architecture
Mr Bruce Dickson is an award-winning architect who has been influential in the redevelopment and maintenance of Whanganui’s CBD, a strong advocate for more than 30 years for the retention of heritage buildings and the driving force behind developing a vision for the city looking towards 2040.
Since 1967 Mr Dickson has been a founder and director of several separate architectural practices including Dickson Lonergan Architects, Dickson Elliott Lonergan and DLA Architects, and Bruce Dickson Architecture. He was an integral member and Chair of the Whanganui Mainstreet Design Heritage Committee for the redevelopment of the CBD in the 1990s. He became a founding member of the Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust in 2011. He has been closely involved in the restoration and earthquake strengthening of buildings at Whanganui Collegiate. His award-winning designs can be found throughout New Zealand and primarily within the Whanganui/West Coast region, covering houses, offices, retail spaces, utilities, chapels, churches, schools, halls, medical chambers and tertiary institutions. Mr Dickson’s more recent projects have included the design of temporary premises for Whanganui’s Serjeant Art Gallery and was joint architect for the new UCOL campus in Whanganui, which opened in 2008 and received architectural awards for Urban Design, Interior Architecture, Public Architecture and Conservation architecture.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DUNCAN, Mrs Jacqueline
For services to education
Mrs Jacqueline Duncan has spent 44 years teaching and has been a principal for 29 years.
While her education experience is mostly in Primary Education, Mrs Duncan has worked in Special, Secondary and Tertiary Education. She was principal of Cashmere Primary School for 15 years, and led the school through the disruption of the Christchurch earthquakes. She has been a mentor for first-time principals and worked as a facilitator in the Principal Development Planning Centre. She has been committee to evidence-based leadership practice and has dedicated time to be informed of, to share and comment on current education and leadership research. She has provided considerable professional development opportunities for her teachers to continue to raise the standard of teaching and learning. She encouraged close links with the community and engaged with them so they were informed of the latest issues and developments in their children’s education. Mrs Duncan has donated her time to professional organisations, including the Canterbury Primary Principal Association, New Zealand Principals Federation, NZEI Principal Council, New Zealand Educational Administration and Leadership Society, the Canterbury Catholic Primary Principal Association and the Graham Nuthall Classroom Research Trust.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ELLIS, Mr Murray Wayne
For services to rugby
Mr Murray Ellis has had a lifetime involvement with rugby from playing at club and representative level, to refereeing and administration at regional and national levels.
Mr Ellis has been a referee in Bay of Plenty, Wairarapa Bush and Manawatu and a Club and Provincial Administrator in Canterbury, Southland and the West Coast. He was a Management Committee member of West Coast Rugby Football Union from 1981 to 1987 and Club President of Merivale Rugby Football Club from 1990 to 1994. He was a member of the Canterbury RFU Board from 1995 to 1999 and a Director of the Crusaders Super Rugby Franchise from 1999 to 2014. He was Chairman of the Crusaders Limited Partnership from 2007 to 2014. In the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes he led the Crusaders through a difficult period following the loss of their playing venue at AMI Stadium and the death in the 2011 earthquake of fellow Crusaders’ Director Phil McDonald. Mr Ellis was made an inaugural Life Member of the Crusaders in 2015.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FALEAFA, Dr Monique
For services to the Pacific community and health
Dr Monique Faleafa has served Pacific communities in the not-for-profit sector, district health boards, academia and social services for over 17 years as a clinician, and as an advocate for improving health and social outcomes for Pacific communities.
Having held many clinical, research and senior management roles, Dr Faleafa was appointed in 2013 as the founding Chief Executive of Le Va - New Zealand’s national non-government organisation that specialises in Pacific suicide prevention, mental health and addiction workforce development, disability support services, public health, cultural competency and holistic wellbeing. She also contributes to her communities at governance levels, currently serving on Crown Entity, the Health Promotion Agency, MBIE Science Challenge Board, the Westpac External Stakeholder panel, and has been the Deputy Chair of regulatory authority, the New Zealand Psychologists' Board since 2009. She also currently serves on various committees advising on policy and practice for the Ministry of Health. Internationally she serves on the Pacific Advisory Group and is a mental health advisor to Australia’s National Rugby League, is an Alumni of the commonwealth Emerging Pacific Leaders Dialogue, and one of only two Pacific Associate Members of Global Women. Dr Faleafa achieved distinction in her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology from the University of Auckland, contributing to neuro-rehabilitation from a cultural perspective.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FERRARI, Mr Michael David, JP
For services to business and the community
Mr Michael Ferrari has used his business management skills to help a large number of organisations at local, national and international levels on a voluntary basis.
Mr Ferrari has held a range of leadership positions with the Otago Southland Employers’ Association, The New Zealand Employers’ Federation, Business New Zealand and the Otago Bridge Club. He has volunteered with Business Mentors New Zealand since 1999 and has worked with more than 250 businesses in Otago and 19 businesses in the Pacific Islands. He has held various positions, including Chairperson, with Dunedin Citizens Advice Bureau since 1999 and has represented the National Association of CAB. He was appointed to the Board of Te Whare Pounamu Dunedin Women’s Refuge in 2014 and was acting Chairperson from 2014 to 2015. He has been Chair of Enterprise Clutha Trust, and in 2013 was a founding member of Clutha Development Trust. He is the Ministry of Social Development’s Community Representative appointment to the Otago Southland Benefits Review Committee. He was a member of the Ngai Tahu Sinclair Wetlands Working Group. Mr Ferrari has been a Trustee of the PACT group since 2004 and the Creative Arts Trust since 2007, which support people in the mental health community, with intellectual disabilities and with alcohol and drug addictions.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FLAVELL, Mrs Marlene
For services to netball
Mrs Marlene Flavell has been an integral member of the Auckland Netball Centre for 59 years, during which time she has held positions as grassroots player, representative player, NPC Coach, and Executive Committee member.
Mrs Flavell has been a member of the Auckland Netball Centre Judicial Committee since 2010 and an Ambassador for the Centre since 2006. She has been President of the Panmure Netball Club since 1974. Under her leadership the Club has consistently fielded five or six teams each year, providing a vital transition from secondary school to club competitions. She was the Premier 1 team coach for 37 years. She has coached at least two teams every years. She has coached on a volunteer basis for a number of teams including the New Zealand Development Squad and the Aotearoa Māori Netball Oranga Healthy Lifestyles (AMNOHL) national tournaments since inception and has been regional coordinator on the AMNOHL Executive committee. She is also a Trust member of the Board of AMNOHL. She is a strong driver for fundraising for development programmes. She was the Silver Ferns Selector from 1991 to 2000. Mrs Flavell has been recognised with a number of netball outstanding service awards.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FOUHY, Mr Kieran Francis
For services to education
Mr Kieran Fouhy was Headmaster of St Peter’s College (SPC) in Auckland from 1989 to 2015, during which time he led a turnaround of the school from a low position to become one of the city’s premier secondary schools.
Under Mr Fouhy’s leadership the student roll increased from 669 in 1989 to 1,344 students in 2015, with a demand for placings across greater Auckland exceeding places available. He oversaw the rebuilding and extension of SPC, including new blocks for specialist subjects and the upgrading of sports fields. The academic standards of SPC in regards to university entrance pass rates have seen the school placed first among Auckland boys’ secondary schools in the decile seven and eight group. He instigated a number of initiatives to improve the SPC culture and community, including a compulsory music programme for junior students and international outreach programmes for hosting international students as well as seeing SPC students volunteer in India, the Philippines and the Pacific Islands. He was the principal instigator and a foundation member of the Auckland Central Catholic Schools Group. Mr Fouhy was Chair of the Edmund Rice Justice Aotearoa-New Zealand Trust and a supportive founding member of Edmund Rice Camps Auckland, which provides camp experiences for children from lower socio-economic families.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HAWKE, Mrs Julie Maree
For services to Highland dance
Mrs Julie Hawke has been involved with the teaching and administration of Highland Dance for the past 35 years.
Mrs Hawke currently runs the largest Highland dancing school in New Zealand, with studios in Christchurch and Ashburton. Pupils range in age from pre-school to mid-20s and are involved in competitions, examinations, productions, community based displays, and recitals. Pupils regularly achieve at the highest level. She currently holds a number of positions including Director of the Highland Dance Company of New Zealand, National Examiner and Adjudicator, and Vice President of the Piping and Dancing Association of New Zealand (Canterbury/West Coast Centre). She has been President of the Ashburton Highland and National Dancing Association for 25 years and in this role she has supported the Ashburton Scottish Society and Mid Canterbury A&P Associations and organised many community events, concerts and competitions, including hosting three New Zealand Championship Gatherings. As Director of the Highland Dance Company of New Zealand, representing New Zealand Academy of Highland and National Dancing, she has directed leading dancers to represent New Zealand at international events in the United States, China and Germany. National tours Mrs Hawke has been involved with have included ‘Journey of the Celts’ and the Christchurch Arts Festival’s ‘Bodyfest’.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HEAL, Mr Stuart Barry
For services to cricket and the community
Mr Stuart Heal has held a number of governance roles and made a significant contribution to cricket in New Zealand, to agriculture through being CEO of the leading agricultural supply cooperative CRT for 20 years and to the community through Rotary International.
Mr Heal has been a director of New Zealand Cricket since 2008 and Chairman since 2013. During this time he oversaw the successful co-hosting of the 2015 Cricket World Cup. He was previously chair of Otago Cricket for six years. He has had significant roles with Rotary in New Zealand and was appointed a director of Rotary International from 2010 to 2012, a role which comes to New Zealand only once every 10 to 12 years. He is Chairman of Pioneer Energy Ltd., a director of Pulse Energy Ltd., a director of Southern Rural Fire Authority, a director of IFS Forestry Group Ltd., Chairman of Well South Primary Health Network and Chairman of University Bookshop (Otago) Ltd. Mr Heal recently retired as a trustee of Otago Hospice.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HOLLAND, Mr Barry Wayne
For services to broadcasting
Mr Barry Holland has been involved with broadcasting for 53 years, specialising as a radio personality, a sports presenter and latterly as a newsreader.
Mr Holland began his career at 1ZB in the 1960s and was the host of the television show ‘Break 21’ in the 1970s, co-fronted ‘Top Town’ for three seasons, hosted the ‘Superstar Series’ and the ‘On The Mat’ wrestling series. He attended the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and four Commonwealth Games to provide live broadcasts and commentaries back to New Zealand. He hosted a top rating sports programme on Saturday mornings on Newstalk ZB for 20 years, which included the popular ‘Buy, Sell and Exchange’ segment. He has been a sports producer for Peter Montgomery’s Sports World and Murray Deaker’s evening sports shows. He has tutored numerous broadcasting cadets at Newstalk ZB, tutors journalists at New Zealand Media and Entertainment and at the Whitireia Radio School. He served on the Board of Management of Polio New Zealand Inc for two years and was elected President of Polio New Zealand in 2014. He has been a voluntary member of the New Zealand Crippled Children’s Society. Mr Holland was a steward and Director of the Auckland Racing Club for eight years.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HULLENA, Mr Thomas (Tom)
For services to education
Mr Tom Hullena is a highly acclaimed Principal with more than 30 years of dedicated service to education, including four years as a lecturer, research and teacher-educator at Victoria University.
In 2015 Mr Hullena retired as Principal of Makoura College, a low decile school in Masterton which in 2008 was destined for closure due to a range of performance and financial issues. Appointed as Principal of the College in 2009 he led the school through a period of transformational change involving significant philosophical, cultural and structural innovation. This has resulted in a student-centred approach to learning where the needs and interests of students drive the curriculum and the development of a school culture based on the concepts of care, inclusion, effective relationships, high expectations, and personal and social responsibility. Makoura College is now a highly successful and collaborative school. The school was the winner of the 2014 Prime Ministers Education Excellence Award, the Atakura Award for ‘Excellence in Leading’.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
JACKSON, Mrs Deborah Mary
For services to the State
Mrs Deborah Jackson is a Principal Land Advisor at the Office of Treaty Settlements, having worked at OTS since 2001, and is one of New Zealand’s foremost authorities on Crown Land issues.
While working at the Parliamentary Counsel Office she created the standard clauses for Treaty Bills in 2012 and now oversees the training of all analysts in how to use these standard clauses. She has single-handedly drafted land based provisions in bills and oversees the deed drafting of land redress. She has been the architect of the deed template and all subsequent refinements. She has been involved with land matters of almost every settlement OTS has done since 2001 and has been integral in making almost all novel redress happen on more than 50 settlements over 12 years. Her work on the Tuhoe settlement involved working closely with the Department of Conservation to create the legal personality for Te Urewera, and she has worked on almost all Rights of First Refusal, notably Hauraki, Tamaki and Te Tau Ihu. Mrs Jackson is well regarded by iwi and is often called on to help them navigate aspects of the settlement that are technically complex.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
JARMAN, Mr John Kent Escott (Kent)
For services to surf life saving
Mr Kent Jarman has been involved with Surf Life Saving for 48 years as a competitor, administrator and leader.
Mr Jarman has held a number of committee positions in the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service, including powered craft officer, club captain, Vice President, Chairman and President and has been actively involved with all of the major alterations made to the clubhouse. He was a Board member of Surf Life Saving Bay of Plenty from 2006 to 2010 and since 2012 has been a Surf Life Saving Eastern Region committee member. He has been involved with Surf Life Saving District and National teams as a team member, manager and coach. He is currently an Inshore Rescue Boat (IRB) Operator, an IRB examiner and is involved in training and examining IRB personnel throughout New Zealand. He has won numerous Surf Life Saving New Zealand competitions between 1978 and 2000 and achieved gold and silver medal results in the 1991 and 1994 World Masters, as well as placing second in the over 40’s as the New Zealand representative to the Hawaiian Challenge Waikiki Kings Race in 1996. Mr Jarman has been awarded Life Membership to Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service, Surf Life Saving Bay of Plenty and Surf Life Saving New Zealand.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
JORDAN, Ms Billie Kowhai
For services to seniors and dance
Ms Billie Jordan is a self-employed communications consultant who founded The Hip-Operation Crew, a hip hop dance group consisting of 22 members aged 68 to 96 years old.
The group uses hip hop dance as a vehicle to form stronger connections with young people and to promote attitudinal change in society towards the elderly and youth. Ms Jordan performs a range of roles for the Crew, from choreographer to publicist and manager, all on a voluntary basis. The group received the Guinness World Record as the oldest dance group in the world and have performed at the World Hip Hop Championships in Las Vegas and the Taipei Arena in Taiwan. They competed in the New Zealand National Hip Hop Championships in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Ms Jordan presented a TED Talk in 2015, featuring a performance by The Hip-Operation Crew, in which she addressed the issue of Ageism in Western society. She and the Crew were the subject of the 2014 documentary film “Hip Hop-eration”, which followed the group from their inception to their performance at the World Hip Hop Championships in Las Vegas. The film has won several awards at New Zealand and international film festivals. Ms Jordan currently runs an international travel company taking seniors on unique adventures to maximise their potential.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KIDD, Mrs Dianne Janet
For services to health administration
Mrs Dianne Kidd was a founding Trustee of the Helensville District Health Trust (HDHT) established in 1989.
Mrs Kidd has been Chairman of the Trust since 2009 and was Deputy Chairman for several years prior. She was actively involved in the Trust’s establishment of one of New Zealand’s first Birthing Centres. She contributed her financial experience and expertise to help raise the necessary funds to build purpose-built premises for the Kaipara Medical Centre. Under her chairmanship she established a new Board for the Helensville Women and Family Centre and ongoing support with a shared administration management model. She oversaw the opening of satellite premises in Parakai for Iris Home Support Services and the Kaipara Medical Centre, and fundraising for a new ambulance ramp for the Medical Centre. Throughout 2012 and 2013 she oversaw the acquisition of the Medical Centre by the Trust from its corporate owners, the purchase of an adjacent property to the Health Centre, and the design and redevelopment of a community wellbeing centre from the gift to the Trust of the former Parakai Tavern building and adjoining two houses. Mrs Kidd was instrumental in the creation of an innovative partnership and ownership model for the Kaipara Medical Centre between the Health Trust, its senior doctors and the Waitemata District Health Board.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LEMISIO, Mrs Susana
For services to the Tokelau community and early childhood education
Mrs Susana Lemisio was a key driver for the establishment of the first Tokelau language nest and playgroup for Tokelau children in Petone between 1987 and 1992.
Mrs Lemisio encouraged other mothers to participate and gain qualifications in the early childhood sector, which led to the creation of other language nests in the Hutt Valley and the establishment of Ofaga o te Gagana Tokelau Ahohi I Aotearoa-New Zealand (Tokelau Early Childhood Association New Zealand), the national body supporting early learning centres across the country. She played a key role in the Te Motumotu initiative in 2002 to invigorate Tokelau language and Early learning achievement through the Ofaga o te Gagana Tokelau Association. This sparked the Ministry of Education’s work to develop the first Tokelau language guidelines published in 2009 for the New Zealand curriculum. She worked as a Parent Educator for Te Umiumiga PAFT from 1994 until 2011. She was a founding member of the Tokelau Hutt Valley Sports and Culture Association in the 1980s. She was a founding member and continues to be involved with Te Umiumiga A Tokelau Hutt Valley Inc, an umbrella organisation overseeing facilities for the Tokelau community. Mrs Lemisio was involved with the Hutt Valley branch of PACIFICA in the 1970s and later co-founded a Fatupaepae PACIFICA branch for Tokelau women in the mid-1980s.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LOWE, Mr Andrew Graeme (Andy)
For services to conservation
Mr Andy Lowe was the driving force in the establishment of the Cape Sanctuary wildlife restoration project on the Cape Kidnappers peninsula.
Mr Lowe inspired a group comprising landowners, iwi, government departments, local bodies and volunteers to set up the Sanctuary, which covers more than 2,500 hectares and now contains the most diverse range of endangered wildlife species on mainland coastal New Zealand. The Sanctuary has proven that endangered species, human habitation, food production and recreation can co-exist sustainably. The model has now broadened into the Cape to City project encompassing 26,000 hectares. The Department of Conservation and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council have high regard for Mr Lowe’s advocacy on environmental issues. He strives for a pest-free New Zealand and holds governance roles in other similar projects throughout New Zealand. As managing director of Lowe Corporation Limited, Mr Lowe continues the commitment to philanthropy shown by his late father, Graeme, through sponsorship of the local rescue helicopter, Hawke’s Bay rugby and numerous other causes.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MANOHARAN, Dr Nadarajah
For services to health
Dr Nadarajah Manoharan has practiced as an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon in New Zealand since 1974, primarily in small centres beginning in Whanganui and permanently in Palmerston North from 1982.
Dr Manoharan continued to service smaller centres through a weekly Whanganui clinic and a weekend Masterton clinic in addition to other centres. He has advocated for greater access to affordable healthcare for children and has never allowed finance to be a barrier to patients in need of his services. He is voluntary teacher for trainee registrars and a member of the Mid Central Health District Health Board since 2013. He is a member of the Board’s Public Health Advisory, Funding and Audit, and Disability Support Advisory committees. He established the Whanganui ENT Department and significantly developed the Palmerston North ENT Department, leading to its recognition as a training institution under the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2008. Dr Manoharan was Clinical Director of Surgery for Palmerston North Hospital from 2008 to 2010.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MARRETT, Dr Ralph
For services to the New Zealand Defence Force
Dr Ralph Marrett has held a range of appointments at all levels within the Defence Technology Agency (DTA), beginning in 1968 as a scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory.
Dr Marrett has played a key role in representing New Zealand in multilateral defence science relationships and served for several years as the New Zealand Principal in the Technical Cooperation programme (TTCP), which involves more than 1,200 scientists across five nations. As Executive Chair of the TTCP Maritime Division he established award-winning research and development in the area of net-centric warfare studies and experimentation. He has received awards for leadership and his work on Anti-Submarine Warfare, as well as a distinguished service award for his outstanding lifetime contribution to international defence science. During the period 1985 to 2008 when aspects of New Zealand’s defence relationship with the United States were struggling he played a significant role in ensuring defence science managed to continue relatively unimpaired. In particular, when the United States was unwilling to release information that was vital to protection of the Exclusive Economic Zone, he played a central role in gaining access to that information. Dr Marrett’s foresight ensured DTA and NZDF were well placed to take advantage of positive changes in diplomatic and military relationships with the United States.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MCCUTCHEON, Mr Hugh Donald
For services to volleyball
Mr Hugh McCutcheon has been involved in the sport of volleyball, both as a player and a coach, for more than 30 years.
Mr McCutcheon has represented New Zealand at the Junior and Senior level indoors, and has also represented his country in Beach Volleyball. He made his mark internationally as a coach in the United States where he coached the then #2 World ranked USA Men’s Team to the Gold Medal in the 2008 Olympic Games, and the then #1 World ranked USA Women’s Team to the Silver Medal in the 2012 Olympic Games. He is the only head coach, in any US Olympic team sport, to lead a men’s and women’s team to the podium. He now coaches NCAA Division 1 Volleyball at the University of Minnesota and was named National Coach of the year in 2015 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. He has continued his work in the international arena by serving on the Federation International de Volleyball coaching commission. He is a frequent contributor to the New Zealand Volleyball community and delivers regular professional development courses for coaches of all-codes. He has hosted numerous New Zealand coaches and teams at the USAV training centre in Anaheim and in Minneapolis. Mr. McCutcheon has also consulted with Sport New Zealand, Netball New Zealand, and the Canterbury Crusaders coaching staff.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MCLACHLAN, Ms Genevieve Therese
For services to people with disabilities
Ms Genevieve McLachlan is committed to improving the lives of New Zealanders living with a disability or impairment.
Ms McLachlan established Adaptive Technology Solutions, a holistic consultancy service that works with people who have experienced a range of accident or health related disabilities and impairments, and provides people with assistive technology to improve their quality of life. Although she grew up with cerebral palsy and a visual impairment, she has never let her disabilities slow her down. She spent almost seven years working for the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind, providing vocational and adaptive technology assessments, and training for blind and low vision clients. She is also a Trustee of SailAbility Wellington, which runs sailing programmes for people with a wide range of disabilities, and was a Guide Dog Handler Consultant for the Blind Foundation. She is a past Treasurer of the Guide Dog Alliance Inc. and was a member of Grey Power Upper Hutt. She is currently a Be.Welcome Coach with Be.Accessible. Ms McLachlan received multiple awards at the David Awards in 2014, which honour champions in small business, including the Bizbuss Most community-minded business, and the Solo Meo Award for a business owner who runs their business single-handedly.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MORELAND, Mr John Kenneth (Ken)
For services to rugby
Mr Ken Moreland has been a player, coach and administrator of rugby for more than 53 years for Hautapu, Cambridge and Waikato, and has made a significant contribution to sport over this time.
Mr Moreland has been a member of the Hautapu Sports and Recreation Club since 1962 and was made a Life Member in 1988. He was involved with the introduction of other sports to what was originally a rugby club only. As well as playing and coaching Hautapu teams from 1962 to 1983, he also served as Chairperson of the Waikato Rugby Council of Clubs, Deputy Chairperson of the Waikato Rugby Union, Assistant Manager of the Chiefs for three years and President of the Waikato Rugby Union from 2010 to 2013. He is also a foundation shareholding owner of the Chiefs. He has mentored a number of young players who have gone on to play for the Chiefs and the All Blacks. In 2011 he founded the Perago Trust to support aspiring young Cambridge athletes. Mr Moreland has been an active member of Cambridge Life Skills Trust, which provides free counselling for Cambridge children.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NEMAIA, Mrs Mele Fakatali (Mary)
For services to the Niuean community
Mrs Mary Nemaia is a passionate representative of the Niuean community and its language.
Mrs Nemaia was one of the developers of the Niuean language resource ‘Haia!’, implemented the Achieving Through Pasifika Language programme at two schools in Auckland across nine years, and taught after-school Niuean language classes for more than six years. She has also served as the Chair of Vagahau Niue Trust for five years, which is an organisation that works to encourage the revitalisation of the Niuean language. She is a leader and an active representative of her community. She is a member of the Ministry of Education’s Pacific Advisory Group, the New Zealand branch of the International Pacific Women’s Information Network, and the Pacific Advisory Group for the Auckland Museum. Mrs Nemaia is also a member of PacificWin which promotes gender equality in the Pacific, and was a leading facilitator of the 2015 PacificWin Women’s Indigenous Network International Conference.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NIHONIHO, Ms Maru Eva
For services to the gaming industry and mental health
Ms Maru Nihoniho founded her own game development company, Metia Interactive, in 2003 and is internationally recognised for designing and developing medically therapeutic games.
Under Ms Nihoniho’s leadership Metia developed SPARX, an educational tool to help young people combat depression. SPARX was developed in conjunction with researchers from the University of Auckland and is an animated 3D game where young people learn life skills to combat depression by completing challenges based on proven cognitive behaviour therapies. The game has been proven to have a significant positive impact on young people aged 12 to 19 years. SPARX has won several awards including the 2011 United Nations World Summit Awards in the e-Health and Environment category. SPARX was developed as a New Zealand-specific tool with culturally specific elements, but since its release SPARX has been localised for the Netherlands and Australia. Her first commercial title ‘Cube’, a puzzle game for the PlayStation Portable, was published in 2006 and released in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australasia. ‘Cube 2’, in development, is a psychometric test tool that will help improve spatial and cognitive abilities. Ms Nihoniho has provided mentoring and advice to those looking to get into game development and has given talks at schools and industry events.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NIXON, Dr Garry Harold
For services to rural health
Dr Garry Nixon has worked to improve the health of rural communities for more than 24 years and has been instrumental in establishing Rural Hospital Medicine as a speciality with a defined scope of practice.
Dr Nixon has been a Medical Officer and Rural Hospital Doctor at Dunstan Hospital in Central Otago since 1992 and has been instrumental in increasing health service accessibility in the region. He has been working to expand the knowledge and practice of rural health by serving as a researcher, teacher and lecturer in Rural Health at the University of Otago, and has introduced several speciality training modules to benefit rural patients, such as the Rural Hospital Medicine vocation in 2008, and along with others the Certificate of Clinician Performed Ultrasound programme which has been recognised as a world class programme of special benefit in remote rural areas. In 2014 he became Chair of the Rural Working Party for the University of Otago Health Sciences Division and in 2015 was appointed Director of the Postgraduate Rural Medical programmes at the Dunedin School of Medicine. In 2010 Dr Nixon was made a Distinguished Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PAIKEA, Mrs Hariata Hariet
For services to health and Māori
Mrs Hariata Paikea has worked tirelessly as a leader and mentor for the last sixty years, supporting the wellbeing, culture and health of her community.
Mrs Paikea has supported young people through her work as an advisor and kuia with the Horohoro school and Kohanga Reo, and as a foster parent. She played a fundamental role in the establishment of the Tipu Ora Health Centre in Rotorua, and is a trustee of both the Nurse Cameron Memorial Trust and the Janet Fraser House, which is used as a facility for alcohol and other drug counselling services in the region. She also supported the Utuhina Manaakitanga Trust for many years as a Trustee, which provides services for clients with addiction issues. She has served as the President of the Women’s Health League for Horohoro since 1975, and the national body since 2005, and as a representative for women’s health through the Whanau Ora Collective. She also works to promote Māori culture, and is a respected elder and leader of her Marae. Mrs Paikea is an active member of Te Arawa Pukenga Koeke Iwi elders council for the Te Arawa tribal region, and frequently takes classes for people wanting to learn more about the culture.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PAYKEL, Ms Sarah
For services to business
Ms Sarah Paykel is an experienced business owner and leader who founded Sarah Paykel Ltd, a public relations and communications company.
In addition to her regular clients Ms Paykel provides support for health and not-for-profit organisations. She was a Director and founding partner of Lush Cosmetics Australasia and her success in this venture has been recognised with awards from the Australian business community. She serves on the boards of a number of New Zealand companies, including Rose and Thorne lingerie, My Droplet Charitable Trust and Co.ofWomen to support New Zealand female entrepreneurs. Ms Paykel is a Trustee of the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand and has worked with a number of New Zealand organisations including The Breast Cancer Research Trust, The Starship Foundation, KidsCan, KidzFirst Hospital, and Sweet Louise Charitable Trust for breast cancer patient support.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PETHERICK, Mr Barry Douglas
For services to education
Mr Barry Petherick retired as principal of Waiopehu College after serving 21 years at the school; initially a two-year term from 1980 to 1981 and then continuous service from 1996 until the end of 2014.
Mr Petherick was originally a chemistry and physics teacher following an earlier career working in a biochemistry and genetics laboratory at Massey University. He was integral in the introduction of a number of social services to support young people to remain in education in the Horowhenua region, including a Teen Parent Unit where young people can continue education while also getting childcare support, the Blake House Medical Facility, and an Early Childhood Centre at Waiopehu College. He also forged close ties with community, industry, and potential employers and tertiary providers to help students transition to work or on to further education, and led the school to adopt the Youth Guarantee network’s vocational pathways programme. Mr Petherick also volunteers his time to a number of groups, such as the Horowhenua District Council’s Community Wellbeing Executive.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
POPE, Mr Anthony James (Tony)
For services to education
Mr Tony Pope was Principal of Selwyn Primary School in Rotorua for 20 years before retiring in 2011.
During this time Mr Pope implemented a number of initiatives to ensure the school facilities were available to the whole community, effectively making the school a community hub. This included the construction of a school hall with the intention of it doubling as a community hall. The school has seen its predominantly Māori population make significant achievements in English language and literacy. He has given his time outside of school hours to act as a mediator and to visit the homes of his students to address problems relating to children’s wellbeing. He served as Secretary of the Rotorua Principals Association for 18 years and was made a Life Member in 2013. Mr Pope worked for the Ministry of Education in Rotorua as a Special Education Advisor in Behaviour until his retirement from education in 2015. He has since devoted his time to art, with many of his murals now adorning schools across the Rotorua area, and has worked with local schools and students on art programmes and exhibits.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
POROU, Ms Tina Tangi Whaiora
For services to Māori and the environment
Ms Tina Porou is a dedicated environmental advocate and holds a number of governance roles which include the Lake Taupo Forest Trust and Toitu Ngati Porou.
Ms Porou has been a member of the Waste Advisory Board and the Matauranga Māori Advisory Group for the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences as well as working as an advisor to Ngati Porou on freshwater and as a member of the Ngati Turangitukua Environmental Committee. She has held a range of resource management roles managing and protecting important national taonga like the Waiapu River, the Tongariro River, Lake Taupo and the Waikato River, and working in forestry as the Acting Chief Executive of forestry company Ngati Porou Whanui Forests. She was integral in creating the only two Joint Management agreements that currently exist between local council and Iwi in both Ngati Porou and Ngati Tuwharetoa. She is a coach and mentor for aspiring young Māori and has established a Māori internship in her current work as the Head of Sustainability and Environment at Contact Energy. She has spoken at the United Nations on sustainable forestry options and attended the COP21 conference in Paris on behalf of the Iwi Leaders Group on climate change. Ms Porou’s advocacy work for kaitiakitanga in business spans fisheries, farming, energy, climate change and forestry.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ROCK, Ms Cecilia Jane (Cissy)
For services to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities
Ms Cissy Rock has contributed to the Auckland gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) communities in both voluntary and paid capacities.
As Senior Project Leader/Programme Manager for the Auckland Council Ms Rock co-designed and implemented the strategic and operational policy framework which ushered in New Zealand local government’s first Rainbow Communities Advisory Panel, established in 2015 to provide strategic advice to on issues of significance to Auckland’s GLBTI communities and to help the Council engage with these communities. Prior to this she designed, implemented and led the Rainbow Door Group, an informal forum for both rainbow and mainstream social service providers, Council staff and community members to meet with Auckland Council to discuss issues and opportunities. She initiated the 100% OK campaign, urging Aucklanders to support GLBTI people and to facilitate greater visibility of GLBTI issues in the 10 year strategic plan for Auckland. Her voluntary contributions to the GLBTI communities have included establishment of the Lowdown Charity, which runs a range of social and creative events for the lesbian community, Board Chair of the Auckland Women’s Centre from 2010 to 2013, during which time she established Women’s Talk forums, a committee member of Outline NZ, an active supporter of the Auckland Lesbian Business Association and performing facilitation work for GenderBridge and RainbowYOUTH organisations.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SCHOFIELD, Mr Gary Stewart
For services as an artist and to New Zealand-United States relations
Mr Gary Schofield is a New Zealand artist, educator and lecturer on military strategy, and author based in the United States and has contributed his abilities in these areas to furthering New Zealand’s diplomatic relations.
Mr Schofield’s military paintings are featured in numerous embassies and museums around the world. He is the only New Zealander to have two significant works of art on permanent display in the Pentagon (his work “The Pentagon 911” is featured in the main entry ramp). He is also the only New Zealander to have paintings on permanent display at Arlington National Cemetery and Fort Lee. In 2015 he created four Gallipoli 100th Anniversary paintings recognising the sacrifice of Turkey, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. The original paintings were gifted to each respective country and copies are displayed in a number of locations around the world. In 2015 he completed a 30 year project, a life-size bronze bust of Tūkāroto Matutaera Pōtatau Te Wherewhero Tāwhiao, the second Māori King, which was unveiled for permanent display at the Waikato Museum. Mr Schofield is the Founder and President of The Global Concern, a non-profit organisation established to address climate change, and advises the general public and US Members of Congress on Global Climate Change.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SHORTLAND, Mrs Rahera
For services to Māori, education and television
Mrs Rahera Shortland has taught te reo Māori and tutored kapa haka in secondary schools and established the first total immersion Māori language unit in a secondary school at Auckland Girls’ Grammar.
Mrs Shortland helped establish Te Ātaarangi Educational Trust, which has been at the forefront of Māori language revitalisation using unique tools and techniques, and is the current Chairperson. She is a tutor at Ngā Kura Reo o te Motu. She is the Director of Te Maunga Enterprises, which provides consultancy services and language programmes for the Māori Television Service (MTS), and has been an active member of Te Pūtahi Paoho, the Māori Television Electoral College that represents Māori stakeholder interests in the governance of the MTS. Mrs Shortland is a licensed translator and interpreter and is also an author.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SINCLAIR, Mr Barry Whitley
For services to cricket
Mr Barry Sinclair has had a life-long involvement with cricket.
Mr Sinclair played 21 test matches between 1962 and 1968, and captained the New Zealand team in three Tests. He also played for Wellington from 1955 to 1971. After moving to Auckland, he joined the North Shore Cricket Club where he played in the premier team and devoted himself to mentoring and coaching young players. He has mentored a number of notable players, including Richard Jones and Grant Elliott. He has made significant contributions to the game at club cricket level as an administrator, fundraiser, and coach, and has provided leadership and support to the Past Players Hardship Trust initiative and their community programme Hooked on Cricket. He was made a patron of the North Shore Cricket Club and inaugural patron of the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association. Mr Sinclair was inducted into the Wellington Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SOWDEN, Mr Kenneth Raymond (Ken)
For services to Paralympic sport
Mr Ken Sowden began his involvement with the disability sport sector in 1993 as a volunteer and in 1995 took on the role of Operations Manager for ParaFed Canterbury.
Mr Sowden has grown ParaFed Canterbury to be the lead ParaFed in New Zealand and has helped shape policy and influence the direction of the ParaFed movement. He has had a significant impact on the sport of Wheelchair Rugby and played a key role on the leadership team that led the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) to Independent Federation status in 2009. He has been the IWRF Asia – Oceania Zone founding President for 17 years and is the longest serving member of the IWRF Board, where he is the Vice President. As Asia–Oceania Zonal President he helped a number of countries in this region take an active role in the sport, for which the Ken Sowden Cup for the Trans-Tasman Wheelchair Rugby tournament was named. He was the team manager for the Wheel Blacks at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics where the team won bronze. He was the New Zealand Paralympic Team Operations Manager for the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games. Mr Sowden has been on the organizing committees for several International Paralympic Committee events held in Christchurch and led the organizing committee for the 2006 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships in Christchurch.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
STEVENSON, Mr Andrew Francis Barr (Andy)
For services to aviation
Mr Andy Stevenson is an aerial topdressing entrepreneur and a world leader, innovator and mentor in the field of fixed wing aviation, and has flown more than 30,000 accident-free hours since 1964.
Mr Stevenson owns Farmers Air Ltd, New Zealand’s largest privately owned aerial topdressing company. He has advocated for safety in this industry and has trained more than 30 pilots at his own expense, in his own time to his meticulous standards. During a tough period for the agricultural industry he re-modified the New Zealand-manufactured PAC750XL aircraft for different roles, and through this he formed Kiwi Air Ltd. Kiwi Air is a world leader in aerial surveying, having flown 70 percent of the world’s countries and covered remote areas such as the West African Sahara Desert, central Africa and the Northern Artic of Canada and Greenland. Kiwi Air has contributed to humanitarian aid in and around the mountains of Papua New Guinea with young New Zealand pilots and engineers at the helm. Kiwi Air is one of fourteen operators worldwide approved as a Category A provider for the United Nations World Food Programme. Over the past four years he has redeveloped the PAC750XL aircraft into a topdressing configuration at his own cost and for the future of topdressing in New Zealand. Mr Stevenson has given support and sponsorship to many East Coast charities.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SYCAMORE, Mr Graham John
For services to cycling
Mr Graham Sycamore has been involved with cycling for more than 50 years as a competitor, administrator and commissaire.
As a competitor Mr Sycamore was a national track cycling champion at junior and senior levels in the 1960s. He has been an International Cycling Union commissaire for 26 years, including officiating at seven Commonwealth Games and three Olympic Games. As an Administrator he was the Secretary-General of the Oceania Cycling Federation for 22 years until 2014 and is a current Board Member of Cycling New Zealand. The experience and connections he has made as a commissaire and Secretary-General has been invaluable for New Zealand cycling. He has helped organise New Zealand’s premier road cycling event, the Tour of Southland, for a number of years. He is a Life Member of Cycling New Zealand Federation and Cycling Southland. Mr Sycamore has been an Invercargill City Councillor for 15 years and is a Trustee of the Southland Museum and Art Gallery, the Invercargill Community Recreation and Sports Trust, and the Norman Jones Foundation.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TEPANIA-ASHTON, Ms Teresa
For services to Māori and business
Ms Teresa Tepania-Ashton has contributed her extensive financial and banking experience to the improvement of Māori economic development.
Ms Tepania-Ashton joined HortResearch as their Business Development Leader for Māori. In this role she helped Māori develop land-based projects looking for accelerated pathways to industry and exporting. She was appointed as CEO of Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi and during her seven years in this role she developed Ngāpuhi’s corporate assets as a director of Ngāphui’s Fisheries, Social Services and Asset Holding companies. She is now Chief Executive of Māori Women’s Development Inc (MWDI), which provides last-resort loans to Māori women looking to start their own business. MWDI runs adult and youth training programmes and has trained approximately 130 financial literacy facilitators in remote communities. She was a community representative to Unitec’s Māori advisory board and served as a Trustee of Te Puna Reo Māori O Maungarongo, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Mangaronga, and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna. Ms Tepania-Ashton was a Trustee of Leadership New Zealand, a Director of Te Putea Whakatipu, and is currently a Director of Te Aupouri Fisheries Management Ltd and Te Aupouri Commercial Development Ltd, and Chairperson of Te Mangai Penapena Putea, a partner-working group for the Financial Literacy and Savings strategy with He Kai Kei Aku Ringa.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TREGONNING, Mr Garnet Donald
For services to orthopaedics
Mr Garnet Tregonning has been a member of the Orthopaedic Consultant Staff at Counties Manukau Health since 1975 and has made a significant contribution to orthopaedics in New Zealand.
Mr Tregonning was a member of the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association Education Committee from 1991 to 1993 and Chaired the Committee from 1994 to 1997. Early in his career he introduced a modern method of fracture management to New Zealand, which has since become widely established. He was involved with teaching this technique for many years and was a Senior Trustee of the AO/ASIF Foundation (Association for Osteosynthesis/Association for the Study of Internal Fixation) education group from 2000 to 2012. He has been course director for these courses in New Zealand and the Pacific. He was Chairman of the Board of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in the late 1990s and was a New Zealand Examiner in Orthopaedic Surgery from 1998 to 2005, the last two years of which as Chief Examiner. Mr Tregonning was Head of Department of the Middlemore Orthopaedic Department for 10 years and is a past President of the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TUFFIELD, Mrs Amalia (Lia)
For services to special education
Mrs Lia Tuffield has worked for more than 41 years in the education sector.
Mrs Tuffield was a principal for 15 years, and an assistant and deputy principal for six years. Following her retirement as a principal, she began working at Arahunga Special School, and through this organisation she developed and implemented an Outreach Service for children with special education needs. The service gave specialist training and development to regular classroom teachers, and benefitted students by giving them access to additional support in a regular classroom setting. The impact of the project has been widespread with 20 teachers now working across 40 schools. The outreach service is considered to be a model project that has served to inform more integrated Special Education services and projects in other districts and regions. Mrs Tuffield has also contributed her significant experience and expertise in her role as a Limited Statutory Manager, helping a number of schools facilitate successful change management processes, and contributed her expertise at the national level in her role as a senior advisor at the Ministry of Education.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
URE, Mr John David
For services to music
Mr John Ure has been a major figure in the creation and development of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
Mr Ure was Principal Horn of the Christchurch Symphony and the Canterbury orchestra in the 1970s. In 1980 he was appointed Principal Horn in the Symphonia of Auckland. He was a member of a group of dedicated musicians that founded the new Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, which developed into the country’s leading professional regional orchestra. He drafted its first constitution, and has served as its Personnel Manager, Orchestra/Artistic Manager, and Director of Operations. He was Principal Horn for the first 18 years of the orchestra, and has served on its Board for 19 years. The early years of the orchestra were challenging, and it is unlikely that it would have survived without his energy and direction. He has a particular passion for New Zealand music, and has encouraged its performance, resulting in a special award to the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra from the Composers Association of New Zealand. Mr Ure also plays horn for the Auckland Chamber Orchestra, the St Matthews Chamber Orchestra, the Waikato Opus orchestra, Bach Musica Orchestra and the New Zealand Pops Orchestra.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
UTTING, Mr Mervyn Douglas Thomas
For services to sheep dog trials
Mr Mervyn Utting is New Zealand’s most successful living sheep dog trial competitor and between 1974 and 2015 has won numerous placings in dog trial competitions.
Mr Utting has been the New Zealand Champion six times and the North Island Champion 10 times. He has represented New Zealand in the Trans-Tasman Test Series. He was the 2015 North Island and New Zealand Short Head and Yard Champion. He has previously been a judge at the New Zealand Short Head and Yard Championships and in 2001 was Chief Marshall at North Island and New Zealand Championships. He has been Poverty Bay delegate to the New Zealand Dog Trial Association and has been a member of the Poverty Bay Centre Executive Committee for many years. He was a member of the Poverty Bay Charity Sheep Dog Trial Club, to which he has provided sheep for trials. Mr Utting was President of the Waimata Dog Trial Club from 1974 to 2010 and hosted many Club trials on his farm.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WAINUI, Dr Peetikuia Bessie
For services to Māori, health and education
Dr Peetikuia Wainui has contributed to Māori health services and encouraged higher education for Māori in a range of roles.
Dr Wainui has been a nurse for 40 years. In this role she managed the Outreach Meningococcal B Immunisation Programme for under five year olds (Māori) in the Wellington region. She was able to organise onsite vaccination services for Mongrel Mob and Black Power children, to provide health services where other health services would not tread. She was Senior Lecturer of the Kawa Whakaruruhau Programme at the Wellington Polytechnic School of Nursing and Health Sciences and worked to enlist and retain Māori nurse trainees in the early 1990s. From 2003 to 2009 she was manager and accreditation policy analyst for Te Ngāwari Hauora Charitable Trust, the first Māori Health Provider to gain Certification of Accreditation in Wellington. She project managed the building of the Te Wainui Marae from 1999 to 2000, which serves to accommodate and assist other local marae in a whānau ora capacity. She is the current Chairperson of Te Wainui Marae Charitable Trust. Dr Wainui has been involved with a wide range of voluntary work in Gisborne, including Riding for the Disabled, various kohanga reo, youth and community activities, and the Mangatu Māori Women’s Welfare League.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WILSON, Mr Peter David
For services to business
Mr Peter Wilson was Chairman of Directors of Westpac New Zealand Ltd from 2006 until 2015.
Mr Wilson was previously a Director of Eastern and Central Savings Bank and its successors and a Director and Chairman of Trust Bank New Zealand Ltd. His extensive experience in banking saw him play an invaluable role in guiding Westpac through the global financial crisis. His tenure saw growth across all market segments and a focus on building deeper relationships with customers and communities. In the aftermath of the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes he oversaw Westpac’s establishment of the Westpac Business and Community Hub and the Canterbury Care Fund, as well as a number of local and national fund-raising initiatives. Under his stewardship Westpac underwent significant organisational change involving the transfer of a number of business activities and associated employees from Westpac Banking Corporation New Zealand Branch to the locally incorporated Westpac New Zealand in 2011. He sat on the WBC main board of directors in Australia from 2003 to 2012. He was a member of the New Zealand Markets Disciplinary Tribunal until 2013 and chaired its Special Division. Mr Wilson has held a range of directorships and is currently Chairman of Arvida Group, PF Olsen Group, and Deputy Chairman of Meridian Energy.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WOOLF, Mrs Margaret
For services to gymnastics
Mrs Margaret Woolf has had a passion for rhythmic gymnastics for almost 60 years, and has expressed this as not only a competitor but also as a teacher, mentor, coach, judge, promotor and event organiser both in New Zealand and internationally.
Mrs Woolf has served almost continuously on the National Rhythmic Gymnastics Sport Development Committee since 1985, and has held the position of an International Brevet Judge, the highest international judging qualification, for more than 12 years. As an International Brevet Judge, she has represented New Zealand at many international events, including Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympics, and world championships. Mrs Woolf was awarded a life membership by Gym Sports New Zealand in 2012.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
YOUNG, Mr Graham Stewart, JP
For services to education
Mr Graham Young was Principal of Tauranga Boys’ College from 1985 through to 2008 and has since been Educational Leadership and Management Advisor at the University of Waikato.
Mr Young introduced a number of new concepts to the school, including having advanced students take university courses whilst still at school. He was a driving force behind the construction of the Whare Wananga at the College as a place to learn Māori language and culture. He has served on many national education bodies, including the Secondary Principals’ Lead Group and the Ministry of Education Reference Group. He has been President of the Secondary Principals’ Association New Zealand. He is currently Secondary Director of the National Aspiring Principals Programme, facilitator of a number of Principals Professional Learning Groups, a member of the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic Council, and Advisor and Facilitator for the Bay of Plenty Principals’ Association. He was a ministerial appointment to the Board of NZQA during its formative years. Mr Young has contributed to the wider Tauranga community through his involvement in steering groups to establish the Tauranga Branch of Foundation Alcohol and Drug Education, the Life Education Trust in Tauranga, and driving the steering committee to launch the Bay of Plenty Sports Foundation and consequently serving as a Trustee.
Honorary
To be an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HANDA, Dr Haruhisa
For services to golf and philanthropy
Dr Haruhisa Handa has provided financial support to help develop golf in New Zealand.
Dr Handa began providing support for the New Zealand Women’s Open in Christchurch following the earthquake in February 2011, seeing the continuation of the event as something positive to focus on during the rebuild. He has unconditionally invested nearly $1 million and has annually donated the gate proceeds to Canterbury University to benefit the Handa Fellowship for International Studies. He also donated to the New Zealand Olympic Committee to encourage competitive sport at all levels. He established the International Sports Promotion Society in 2006 to provide profile and support whilst developing a free coaching programme for blind and disabled golfers. The ISPS Handa New Zealand’s Women’s Open attracts an international field of golfers annually, with more than 27 countries represented in 2014. Dr Handa is a Life Member of PGA of Australasia.
To be an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KOMATSU, Professor Emeritus Ryuji
For services to education and New Zealand-Japan relations
Dr Ryuji Komatsu is Professor Emeritus at Keio University and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Shiraume Gakuen and is a pioneering educator as a founder of the Japan Society for New Zealand Studies in 1994.
A provost of the Tohoku University of Community Service and Science Dr Komatsu established the affiliated New Zealand Research Centre in 2002. He established the first ‘New Zealand Collection’ in Japan at Tohoku University library, which has more than 2,000 publications on New Zealand, mostly his personal donations. Both the Japan Society for New Zealand Studies and the New Zealand Research Centre publish academic journals annually and have held more than 60 academic conferences to discuss a variety of issues pertaining to Japan and New Zealand. These innovative establishments resulted in many publications on New Zealand for a wide and general Japanese readership and have enhanced the exchange of ideas and the development of close connections between New Zealand and Japanese societies. 12 of Dr Komatsu’s published books have focused on New Zealand. Dr Komatsu has provided strong support to the development of Keio University’s inter-university exchange agreements with the University of Auckland and the University of Otago.
To be an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LORIGAN, Ms Tara Maire Ashe
For services to business and women
Ms Tara Lorigan founded Co.OfWomen in 2009, a business support organisation led and developed by experienced, successful entrepreneurs to champion the success of entrepreneurial women.
Co.OfWomen provides practical support, connections and learning programmes to progress the aspirations of business owners. It launched Women Entrepreneurs Week in 2010, a platform for championing the diversity of female entrepreneurial success across the country, and the New Zealand Hall of Fame for Women Entrepreneurs in 2012 to create explicit examples of success by honouring significant business achievement. Co.OfWomen has grown to a level where it also supports other entrepreneurial programmes, such as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women. Ms Lorigan founded Growmybiz in 2007 to support owner-led businesses such as Pita Bread Ltd. and Bookabach. She was appointed from 2003 to 2006 as Director of Incubation and Marketing at the Auckland University of Technology’s Technology Park. In this role she developed the Rapid Growth Programme, for which the Park won the Vero Excellence in Business Award. She was a Judge of the Enterprising Manukau Business Excellence Awards from 2010 to 2011. Ms Lorgian previously held a range of senior roles for multi-national and start-up technology companies in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
To be an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LYNCH, Mrs Alice Jeanette
For services to education
Mrs Alice Lynch and her husband Maurice are United States citizens who raised their daughter Rebecca in New Zealand before her death at age nine in a car accident, following which they established the Rebecca L Lynch Memorial Scholarship to provide New Zealand women an opportunity to study in America.
The scholarship was established in 1981, with the first scholarship being awarded in 1983. More than 40 New Zealand women have since been assisted by the scholarship, which allows students to study at the University of Idaho for two semesters. The scholarship has no stipulation on what the students should study and has gone to diverse fields, covering non-resident tuition fees, registration fees and room and board costs. Mr and Mrs Lynch visit the scholarship students during their study and often host them at their home, keeping in touch beyond the duration of their study. Mr and Mrs Lynch have not lived in New Zealand since the 1960s but remain committed to assisting New Zealand women to study in the United States.
To be an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LYNCH, Mr Maurice Butler
For services to education
Mr Maurice Lynch and his wife Alice are United States citizens who raised their daughter Rebecca in New Zealand before her death at age nine in a car accident, following which they established the Rebecca L Lynch Memorial Scholarship to provide New Zealand women an opportunity to study in America.
The scholarship was established in 1981, with the first scholarship being awarded in 1983. More than 40 New Zealand women have since been assisted by the scholarship, which allows students to study at the University of Idaho for two semesters. The scholarship has no stipulation on what the students should study and has gone to diverse fields, covering non-resident tuition fees, registration fees and room and board costs. Mr and Mrs Lynch visit the scholarship students during their study and often host them at their home, keeping in touch beyond the duration of their study. Mr and Mrs Lynch have not lived in New Zealand since the 1960s but remain committed to assisting New Zealand women to study in the United States.