To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
AH SAM, Mrs Melegalenuu
For services to Pacific language education
Mrs Melegalenuu Ah Sam has held several roles with Mangere College since 1990, currently as Deputy Principal from 2017.
Beginning in the mid-1990s, Mrs Ah Sam established Samoan language teaching at the college, later driving the addition of Cook Islands Māori and Lea Faka-Tonga. She led the establishment of the Languages ‘L Block’ at the college in 2012, as a hub for Māori and Pacific learning in language and culture. She has encouraged a Pan-Pacific cultural environment at the college and ensured strong engagement with the respective Pacific Language Weeks. Her students have achieved NZQA Scholarships every year since inception in 2004. She is a founding member and executive officer of Fotu o Malama Association (FOMA) Association for Teachers of Samoan Language and Culture in secondary and tertiary sectors. She has been pivotal in the organisation delivering professional development for practising teachers of Samoan language and helped Samoan become a University Entrance and Scholarship subject for NCEA. She has been Treasurer of FAGASA, the national organisation of Samoan language teachers, at regional and national levels. She has been lead coordinator of the Samoan stage at the ASB Auckland Polyfest since 1993, and a member of the Polyfest organising committee and Trust Board. Mrs Ah Sam is long-serving Treasurer of EFKS New Zealand New Vision Church.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ATKINS, Mr Nicholas Stuart, JP
For services to science and the community
Mr Nicholas Atkins has been contributing to education and science since 1985 through the Science Badge Award Trust.
Mr Atkins was a founding member of Science Badge Award Trust, established in 1985 to stimulate student interest in science and technology through participation in a science award scheme. The Trust had started with three badges initially but has grown to 29 badges, ranging from agriculture to zoology. The programme began in the Canterbury region and is now available nationwide in New Zealand with more than 150 schools participating annually. He has been the Chairperson of Canterbury Westland Science Fair Organising Committee since 1983, responsible for sponsorship, school liaison and started the Year 7/8 Science Fairs in Christchurch. He has been involved with Scouting New Zealand since 1962, holding various positions including as Metropolitan Zone Commissioner and District Leader. He was a member of the Education Advisory Board Orana Park and has been the Secretary of Christchurch Kiwanis Club since 2007. He was a Vestry member and Secretary of Saint Christopher’s Avonhead between 1998 and 2012. Mr Atkins has been a Judicial Justice of the Peace since 1989, retiring in 2021.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ATONI, Mr Lesi Ruby (Les Lehi Tenise)
For services to the Tokelau community
Mr Les Lehi Tenise Atoni has contributed to the Tokelau community in New Zealand for 20 years.
Mr Atoni has been the President of the Atafu Tokelau Community for ten years, previously serving as Secretary. As President, he led the development of their first organisational strategic plan ‘Te Kanava’ for the period 2017 to 2021. Through Te Kanava they developed a Tokelau Language application, hosted meetings with the Administrator of Tokelau on supporting developments in Tokelau, hosted community engagements in partnership with government organisations, and successfully campaigned for government support to develop Gagana Tokelau and Vagahau Niue languages as NCEA subjects. He is the Co-Project Leader for the Tokelau Kaiga Wellbeing Strategic Plan, the first national plan developed with Tokelau communities across all regions, launching in 2022. He is a founding member of the Tokelau Wellington Leadership Group, established in 2009, who introduced the Tokelau Language Week events. He has been a member of the Ministerial Advisory Council for the Minister for Pacific Peoples. Mr Atoni is member of the Tokelau Governance Group, receiving the Pacific Heritage Award from Creative New Zealand for their Vaka Project in 2013.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
AYERS, Mr David Lindsay
For services to local government and the community
Mr David Ayers has contributed more than 40 years to his local community and local government in the wider Canterbury region.
Mr Ayers worked in local government for 36 years. He was a councillor for 21 years, Chair of the Rangiora Ward Advisory Board for six years, and Mayor of the Waimakariri District Council from 2010 to 2019. He led Waimakariri’s recovery operations and planning after the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. Local Government New Zealand awarded the Council an ‘AA’ rating during its Excellence Programme assessment, one of only two councils in the country to receive such a grade, largely due to his leadership. He was Deputy Chair of the Greater Christchurch Partnership from 2013 to 2019, with responsibilities that included developing a sub-regional growth strategy. He has served numerous community organisations, including the Waimakariri Community Arts Council, North Canterbury Radio Trust, Rangiora Landmarks, Enterprise North Canterbury, Peer Support Trust of New Zealand, and Chair of the Canterbury Museum Trust Board. He was Chair of the Waimakariri Art Collection Trust and a foundation member of Rangiora Community Watch. Mr Ayers has been active with the Methodist Church of New Zealand, including 40 years with his local parish and membership of the national Board of Administration.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BAIRD, Mr John Stephen
For services to business and governance
Mr John Baird has contributed to business management and enterprise governance in New Zealand, particularly in food industry and community organizations over the past 45 years.
Mr Baird is a former Managing Director of Ceramco Corp Ltd and held a number of senior management and director roles in Goodman Fielder Wattie between 1972 and 1993, including as Managing Director of Goodman Fielder Wattie (NZ). He has variously provided Board/Director governance or audit and risk governance on the Dingle Foundation, Auckland Rugby, the Eden Park Trust Board, the Comfort Group, and Mercury Energy, as well as a number of small-medium enterprises. He was a Trustee with Business Trust Marlborough between 2016 and 2020, and continues to act as a volunteer mentor for the Trust providing business advisory services to support local businesses and foster economic growth in the wider Marlborough region. Mr Baird was a member of the Waitangi Tribunal from 1999 to 2012 and continues with certain member duties on the current Te Rohe Potae inquiry.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BERGHAN, Ms Carol Anne Kahutaha
For services to Māori
Ms Carol Berghan has been CEO of Te Hiku Iwi Development Trust since 2017.
The Te Hiku o Te Ika – Crown Social Development Accord was signed in 2013 as part of Te Hiku Iwi Treaty settlement process, which positioned Te Hiku alongside government agencies to focus on improving social development and wellbeing among Te Hiku iwi, hapu and whānau. In 2018 Te Hiku Iwi and the Crown co-designed a Joint Work Programme (JWP), updating the Accord in 2020 to meet the evolving needs of Te Hiku. Ms Berghan has facilitated effective and successful partnership engagement between iwi and government agencies to trial and test new ways of working. She introduced employment trials, launching the TUPU model to help whānau affected by unemployment, and was key to obtaining government support to maintain water supply for Te Hiku members affected by drought. She held previous government roles, including chairing the ‘Make It Happen’ Te Hiku Ministerial Taskforce from 2014 to 2017, Secretariat for the Māori Economic Taskforce in 2010/2011, and a current ministerial appointment on the Regional Skills Leadership Group for Tai Tokerau and community advisor to the Local Government Reform. Ms Berghan has prior experience in the economic and commercial sectors, including small business ownership.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BEZETT, Mr John Tyson
For services to sport and recreation
Mr John Bezett has been involved in the New Zealand Masters Games since 1993.
Mr Bezett became the Chairman of the New Zealand Masters Games in 1993, a year after it was launched, and stepped down from this role in 2021. The Games are New Zealand’s largest sporting event, involving approximately 5,000 competitors and contributing $3-5 million to the economy each year. He was a member of the Dunedin City Council for 24 years and was Chair of the Dunedin City Council Economic Development Committee, involved in the upgrade of Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, Dunedin Town Hall and Dunedin Centre. He worked to modernise Otago City’s water and wastewater systems and in the build of Forsyth Barr Stadium. He has been an advocate of the St Clair Sea Wall Construction and the return of the St Clair Hot Water Salt Pools. Mr Bezett received a Life Award in 2014 from the New Zealand Masters Games for his contributions.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BIGGS, Mrs Anne Marie
For services to education
Mrs Anne Marie Biggs was Principal of Glendowie School from 1995 until retiring in 2021.
At the start of Mrs Biggs’ tenure, the roll was approximately 163 and the school faced challenges of poor attendance and negative perception. Mrs Biggs has overseen a transformation of the school, with the roll growing to 630 and an improved reputation stemming from new learning programmes, innovative classroom designs, building projects and improvements, and professional development for staff. She integrated a Montessori unit within the school in 1996 and Glendowie has hosted onsite satellite classes for the Somerville Special School. She led Glendowie to become the first state school in New Zealand to offer the Primary Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate. She introduced an onsite programme for after-school and holiday care, established a state kindergarten within the school grounds, and researched and instigated a successful dyslexia programme. Developments at Glendowie School include a full-size gymnasium, modern library and IT centre, art room and quiet spaces. She has travelled internationally and helped establish schools in several countries including Qatar and Japan. Mrs Biggs has hosted delegations of 22 Principals from Japan in 2016 and 20 Principals from Thailand in 2018.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BIRCHALL, Mr Noel Brian
For services to outdoor recreation and conservation
Mr Noel Birchall has been involved with the management of the Northland fish and game resource for 53 years, having served on the Bay of Islands Acclimatisation Society and on the Northland Fish and Game Council from establishment in 1990 until his retirement in 2021.
Mr Birchall has served on the National Executive and Council of Fish and Game New Zealand. He has participated as a voluntary ranger in training and other activities for more than 25 years. He has supported and encouraged youth and families into sports fishing and game bird hunting. He has actively promoted habitat retention, preservation and maintenance of sustainable populations of species to ensure public recognition of the value of the resource. He has been a member of the Northland Fish and Game Prosecutions Committee and a Councillor of New Zealand Fish and Game from 2015 to 2021. Mr Birchall has been a member of the Kaikohe Rotary Club for more than 30 years, holding executive positions including President and Treasurer.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BORLAND, Mrs Sandra Joy (Sandy)
For services to nursing and the Pacific community
Mrs Sandy Borland has served the Pacific community in Southland through health for more than 30 years.
Mrs Borland has been a voluntary key leader for Miharo Murihiku Trust since 2009, an organisation focussed on arts, culture, education and youth, taking charge of catering at large-scale events at the annual Murihiku Poly-festival, subsequently becoming a mentor for young people. She is heavily involved in the PACIFICA Invercargill organisation, holding several roles including as President between 2010 and 2011, Vice Secretary between 2011 and 2014 and currently as Vice President since 2014. Through PACIFICA, she led a drive to support Samoa through the measles outbreak in 2019, communicating with nurses in Samoa to gather baby products, baby baths, Vaseline, disposable items and liaising with a local freight company for delivery. She helped establish a Pacific Health Clinic in Murihiku which provides health services to the community in a culturally responsive manner. Through the clinic, she supplies items to Pacific families in need including bedding, furniture, food parcels and home cooked meals. She has been a member of several advisory boards including those relating to sexual health, asthma and vaccination. Mrs Borland has been part of the Pacific Island Case Management Team of Southern District Health Board since 2004.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BROWN, Mr Matthew Faafetai Malietoa (Mataio)
For services to mental health and the prevention of family violence
Mr Mataio Brown founded My Father’s Barbers, a community barbershop that supports men’s mental health and family violence prevention initiatives, including weekly men’s group sessions at the barbershop and daily talks with men in the chair.
Mr Brown regularly hosts and speaks at family violence prevention events, seminars, wananga on marae, group therapy on construction sites and barbershops, as well as internationally. He created and has facilitated a barbering programme in men’s prisons throughout New Zealand since 2018 in partnership with the Pathway Trust. He has collaborated with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), Department of Corrections, Aviva, Mapu Maia, Oranga Tamariki, local schools, trusts and foundations, and the barbering community to create open spaces for conversations around mental health and domestic violence. He co-founded the anti-violence movement She is Not Your Rehab in 2019, which encourages men not to put the burden of past trauma on their partners and to seek help themselves. He co-wrote the 2021 best-selling book of the same name. Funds raised gifted 9,350 copies of the book to all prisoners nationally. Mr Brown was a patron for the Department of Corrections in 2020, has been an ambassador for the It’s Not OK campaign with MSD and Aviva since 2019, and for the Griffiths University Domestic Violence Research Department in Australia since 2020.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BROWN, Mrs Sarah Clare
For services to mental health and the prevention of family violence
Mrs Sarah Brown has contributed to mental health and family violence services for men alongside her husband Mataio Brown.
Mrs Brown co-founded She Is Not Your Rehab with her husband in 2019, launching the concept of a non-religious and non-legislative movement whose mission is to impact the culture around abusive relationships, domestic violence and unhealthy ideals of masculinity. She is Not Your Rehab encourages men not to put the burden of past trauma on their partners and to seek help themselves. She co-wrote the bestselling book ‘She Is Not Your Rehab’, published in 2021. Funds were raised to gift 9,350 copies of the book to all prisoners nationally through the Department of Corrections. Since 2019 they have partnered with the Ministry of Social Development and Aviva as ambassadors for the ‘It's Not OK Campaign’. Mrs Brown and her husband have been ambassadors for the Griffiths University Domestic Violence Research Department in Australia since 2020.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CHILTON, Mr Christopher Bruce (Chris)
For services to music and journalism
Mr Chris Chilton has been involved with music and journalism in Southland since the 1980s.
Mr Chilton has served on the committee of the Southland Musicians’ Club for more than 20 years, as Secretary and currently as Vice President, mentoring and promoting up-and-coming musicians through his articles in The Southland Times and online. He was a journalist for 35 years, using his platform to create wider interest in the arts and giving insights into local community issues. He wrote the narration of the ‘Southland 1990 Show’, which celebrated 150 years of New Zealand music and featured more than 300 performers, including himself. He edited the history of the Southland Musicians Club, 45 South. He is a committee member of Southland Music Hall of Fame and was Chair of the Southland Entertainment Awards for seven years until its 30-year celebration in 2017. He chaired the committee that re-distributed Southland’s famous album ‘New Age Savage’ nationally and internationally. He led the ‘Where There’s Smoke’ campaign, addressing Southland’s poor fire safety record and distributing smoke alarms to the community through Invercargill Licensing Trust. This campaign won the Qantas New Zealand Award in 2002. Mr Chilton was inducted into the Southland Music Hall of Fame in 2016 and is a Life Member of the Southland Musicians’ Club.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CLIFFORD, Inspector Dean Murray
For services to the New Zealand Police and the community
Inspector Dean Clifford has been a member of the New Zealand Police for 34 years, becoming Sergeant in 1994, Senior Sergeant in 1996 and Inspector from 2000.
Inspector Clifford has been based in various locations, including at Flaxmere Community Policing Centre during a challenging period where he worked with the lower socio-economic community to form a partnership to build trust and confidence. Through several roles, he has built strong community networks and partnerships focusing on Youth, Family Harm and Mental Health. He was the Policing Development Manager, responsible for district planning and innovation, focusing on family violence and implementing several new models on how to approach Family Harm. He was the Hastings Area Commander from 2004 to 2012. As the Eastern District Prevention Manager, he implemented Neighbourhood Policing teams and together with health services, initiated the provision of mental health and addiction services within custody settings in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti. Inspector Clifford was deployed to Timor Leste in 2013 as a Senior Mentor to implement the Community Policing model and during 2021 acted as the Director in charge of the Royal New Zealand Police College.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CORRIGAN, Ms Robyn Marire Harriet
For services to social work
Ms Robyn Corrigan has been involved with social work, particularly Māori social work for more than 30 years.
Ms Corrigan has been a lecturer, a social work practitioner, facilitator, practice leader, clinical team leader, general manager and advisory and board member at local, national, and international levels. She has been determined to ensure families and children are served by effective and ethical social work practice. Between 1990 and 1992 she was one of the first iwi social workers, supporting families, assisting with issues and upholding the mana of the region. She was the inaugural Chair of the Social Workers Registration Board, established in 2003, holding the position for five years. As past Chair of the New Zealand Association of Social Workers, she supported the creation of the Tangata Whenua Takawaenga Caucus, consisting of Māori social work practices from five regions: Tamaki Makaurau, Te Taitokerau, Tairāwhiti, Te Whānau o Rongokāko and Mana Whenua, creating a platform to discuss differences in practice and ethical boundaries when working with Māori. She represents New Zealand on the International Indigenous Voices in Social Work conferences. Ms Corrigan is a founding member of the Tangata Whenua Social Workers Association.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DALTON, Mrs Adrienne Kathryn, JP
For services to conservation and youth
Mrs Adrienne Dalton co-established Te Whāngai Trust in 2007 as a social enterprise, which to date has supported around 800 New Zealanders from challenging backgrounds to upskill with career opportunities supporting nature.
Mrs Dalton has a background in special needs education and social care and became involved with conservation working with Taskforce Green to restore native bush on her and her husband’s farm. She then set up Te Whāngai Trust with her husband as a pilot programme with the Ministry of Social Development, later personally funding its continuation. The Trust has three nursery hubs from North Waikato to South Auckland, each run by local iwi. Over the past 10 years the Trust has grown and sold more than 3.6 million native trees and supported countless hectares of weed and pest management in the region. The Trust provides both formal and informal on-the-job training across a range of environmental skills. The Trust advocates for its staff with agencies and supports them to gain NZQA qualifications during work time. Mrs Dalton has provided pastoral care to at-risk youth and regularly completes a two-hour round trip to collect suspended students from a high school to gain work experience with the Trust. The Trust has received several Sustainable Business Awards.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DE LANGE, Detective Inspector David (Dave)
For services to the New Zealand Police and the community
Detective Inspector Dave de Lange has been serving the Hawke’s Bay and Eastern District communities for 35 years, 25 of those with the Criminal Investigation Branch.
Detective Inspector de Lange has spent several years overseeing the Hawke’s Bay Crime Squad, leading several serious crime investigations including murder, assault and sexual crimes. He spent four years as the Leader of the Eastern District Child Protection Team, covering all Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay crime against children, developing Police partnerships with other organisations including Oranga Tamariki and Ministry of Social Development. He has dedicated 22 years of governance to two schools in Hastings; Karamu High School and Mayfair Primary School, serving as Chair of Mayfair Primary School Board of Trustees between 1998 and 2003 and on the Board of Trustees of Karamu Highschool between 2004 and 2020, 12 years as Chair. He has supported members of the Board of Trustees and the Principals to ensure professionalism and integrity of the school business. Detective Inspector de Lange has led the Eastern District Organised Crime Team in the last 18 months covering Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay, successfully leading numerous covert and overt operations, responsible for the seizing of more than two million dollars’ worth of assets.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DEANS, Reverend Louise Margaret
For services to the community and women
Reverend Louise Deans has been contributing to the Canterbury community for more than 30 years.
Reverend Deans has been an ordained Anglican Priest for 33 years and is a community priest. After revealing her own sexual abuse by a high-ranking priest, the Anglican Church developed protocols for complaints of professional misconduct and initiated educational initiatives for the safety of the church attendees. She published ‘Whistle Blower: Abuse of Power in the Church – a New Zealand Story’ in 2001 which resulted in several women coming forward who had experienced similar abuse in the church, including those who appeared before the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care to testify. This resulted in a formal apology from the Anglican Church authorities and a resettlement agreement. She was an elected member of Selwyn District Council between 1989 and 1995 and was a committee member of the Rural Women’s Stepping Out programme, advocating for farm women to pursue their careers. She has been an advocate for heritage buildings in Christchurch following the 2011 earthquakes. She created the Homebush Stables Historical Society in 1992, restoring the stables building on the farm of Homebush and established the tourism business giving tours of the building, gardens, museum and restaurant. Reverend Deans continues her work as an Ordained Anglican Priest.
HONOURS
The New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal, 1993
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DENNIS, Mr Hurimoana Nui
For services to Māori and the community
Mr Hurimoana Dennis assumed leadership as Chair of Te Peua Memorial Marae in 2010 at a time when there were tensions between the Marae Board of Trustees and the wider Marae whānau.
Under Mr Dennis’ leadership, relationships were rejuvenated, a marae strategy and business plan were established and financial stability achieved, as well as initiation of a $5 million Marae rebuild and $7.8 million new build Tranistional Housing programme. He led the provision of support to people facing homelessness during the winter months of 2016 and 2017. With more than 1,200 volunteers, the marae supported 181 homeless people. The Manaaki Tangata e Rua programme was refined in 2018 to support up to 25 people at a time using a unique indigenous model of care. To date the program has placed 548 people into homes and co-locates MSD and Kainga Ora staff at the Marae to provide services to homeless people. He is a member of the National Kohanga Reo Trust and Chair of the Board of Trustees for Te Paa (People at Risk Solutions), which focuses on the care and respectful re-integration of people recently released from prison. Since 2020 Mr Dennis has been instrumental in the Taumata Kōrero forum of 16 Māori providers, delivering COVID-19 vaccination services, food and medicine access, and rangatahi support across Tamaki Makaurau.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DESAI, Mrs Makereta Mamoa
For services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community
Mrs Makereta Desai initiated the establishment of the Manaia fire force and first response unit, having required assistance from the Coromandel Volunteer Fire Brigade for a fire in 2002.
Mrs Desai identified prospective recruits and put together a fundraising team of village supporters in 2002. This led to the establishment of what is now the Manaia-Hauraki Volunteer Fire Brigade in 2003. She was involved in fundraising to build the Manaia Fire Station, which opened in 2013. She oversaw a smoke alarm installation campaign in 2020, which saw alarms installed in 143 properties over eight days. She was active with St John Coromandel from 2002 to 2005 and 2014/2015, during which time she helped build relationships between the organisation and the Māori community. She initiated establishment of Manaia River and Landcare in 2002 to provide ongoing slip prevention and biodiversity restoration to the river. She was a major contributor and Secretary from 2003 to 2009 and continues to be involved with working bees. She supported a partnership leading to creation of the Manaia River Restoration project with funding from Waikato Regional Council. She was Trustee and Secretary of Wiremu Tekou Trust from 1995 to 2014. Mrs Desai’s other community service included youth recreational coordinator, Helensville Māori Wardens, Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Manaia School during the 1980s and 1990s.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ELLISON, Mr Christopher James (Chris)
For services to New Zealand-Australia relations
Mr Chris Ellison has been Honorary New Zealand Consul to Western Australia since 2013, having moved from Dunedin to Australia more than 40 years ago.
Mr Ellison is a business leader in Western Australia’s mining industry and has philanthropically supported unemployed youths, medical research, education and families. As Honorary Consul, he has represented New Zealand at many functions including Anzac Day events, military observances, supporting New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, sporting events, the introduction of New Zealand businesses to opportunities and markets, and diplomatic events. His influence in the mining industry has been beneficial to New Zealand. Over the years, Mr Ellison has assisted stranded New Zealanders and those in hardship back to New Zealand at his own cost.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
EVERISS, Mr Ross Duncan
For services to rugby
Mr Ross Everiss has been Team Manager of the All Blacks Sevens Rugby team since 2003 and is recognised for creating a positive team environment and developing successful players.
Under Mr Everiss’ leadership All Blacks Sevens players have won the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year on five occasions between 2005 and 2013. His support and mentorship has contributed to the success of the team and helped inspire the younger generation into the sport. The All Blacks Sevens have regularly competed in the World Rugby Sevens World Series circuit since 2000, winning 13 of the 21 events to date, and are current champions of the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the Commonwealth Games and World Series. They have won the World Cup in 2001, 2013 and 2018, four Commonwealth gold medals and a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. His leadership is acknowledged as being key to smooth operations off-field, complementary to the success of the team’s coach on the field. He began his rugby management career with the Rotorua Tai Mitchell Primary School team, later taking on manager roles with Marist St Michaels Rugby and Sports Club Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty Colts. Mr Everiss was Manager of the Bay of Plenty Steamers for five seasons from 1999 to 2001 and 2010 to 2011.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FA'ALOGO, Mr Siaosi (George)
For services to the New Zealand Police and the community
Mr George Fa’alogo served in the New Zealand Police for 35 years and has contributed to the Wellington community through sports and education.
Mr Fa’alogo held various senior manager and practitioner roles within the New Zealand Police in operational, training, and strategic environments. As the Manager of the Violence Reduction Unit, he had oversight on family violence, child protection, adult sexual assault, alcohol harm, online child exploitation and victims. He was the Youth and Community Services Coordinator in Porirua and Prevention Manager in the Hutt Valley. He was deployed to the Solomon Islands for two years to work with the Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIPF) on a four-year programme to improve national and regional security, primarily to assist the RSIPF Executive to operationalise their Prevention Strategy. With his wife, he coached the first Solomon Islands Outrigger Canoe athletes to appear at the 2019 South Pacific Games in Samoa. He was the licensee of the First Five Child Care in Porirua, on the Board of Trustees at Papakowhai School and Saint Patricks College Silverstream between 2006 and 2015, setting up Polynesian Clubs and Pacific Parents Groups. Mr Fa'alogo has represented Samoa and the New Zealand Police internationally in rugby league and has coached, managed and organised rugby and netball tournaments, and waka ama regattas in Wellington for 15 years.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FORGIE, Mrs Elizabeth Ann
For services to education
Mrs Elizabeth Forgie has been Principal of Kerikeri High School since 1993, where she has led a sustained schoolwide educational reform and overseen more than doubling of the roll.
Kerikeri High School was one of the original pilot schools for Te Kotahitanga in 2004 and has remained committed to this philosophy, which has seen Māori achievement in NCEA qualifications increase from 28.6 percent in 2004 to 87.5 percent in 2020. Mrs Forgie has built relationships with Ngāti Rēhia and Ngāpuhi, providing reciprocal support at community events. She has overseen multiple multi-million-dollar building projects to expand the facilities for the expanding school. She pioneered the Kerikeri High School Sailing Academy, resulting in national and international success in sailing, including several Olympic and America’s Cup winning sailors. She established the Kerikeri High School International Department, which has grown to take nearly a third of all international students coming to Northland. She has been on the Executive of the Secondary Principals’ Association of New Zealand (SPANZ) since 1994 and was Vice President in 1996 and 1997. Mrs Forgie has been awarded the Woolf Fisher Fellowship on two occasions. Kerikeri High School was joint winner of the inaugural Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in 2014.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FRASER, Mrs Margaret Letitia
For services to hepatology
Mrs Margaret Fraser has been a Registered Nurse and Clinical Nurse Specialist in Hepatology with the Southern District Health Board since 1996.
Mrs Fraser assisted patients through a change in treatment of viral hepatitis infection from a year-long treatment plan with limited success and high chances of complications and side-effects to a three-month treatment plan with a near 100 percent success rate in curing the infection. Patients of hepatitis infection are often stigmatized due to the main route of infection being through intravenous drug use, tattooing and piercing. Mrs Fraser has supported patients beyond the administration of treatment. With only a small number of people coming forward for treatment to avoid contact with authorities, she set up the first clinic at the Otago Corrections Facilities to diagnose and treat patients with hepatitis C and other hepatological illnesses. With the Dunedin Intravenous Drug Users Organisation, she started offering diagnostic and treatment clinics and reached out to the Community Alcohol and Substances Service to reach patients outside of health pathways. She was an instrumental team member in organising three hui in Dunedin, Lower Hutt and Tauranga with members of the Mongrel Mob to facilitate testing and education of members and their families. Mrs Fraser was appointed Clinical Nurse Specialist representative of the South Island Alliance Hepatitis C Working Group in 2016.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GALAL, Mrs Maha Tawfek Hassan
For services to the Muslim community
Mrs Maha Galal has worked to support the Christchurch Muslim community following the 15 March 2019 terrorist attack.
Mrs Galal volunteered her assistance to Christchurch Resettlement Services following the attack, providing valuable support leading to her employment with the organisation. She initiated an Empowerment Project, which encourages and supports victims and families to find their way forward in a practical way. This has been an umbrella for multiple smaller projects helping recognise and address the needs of widows and injured victims of the attack, including home maintenance workshops, a knitting social club, a presentation skills group to build confident communication, the Shuhada Funeral Trust for financial aid towards funerals and conducting volunteer services in accordance with Islamic principles, and a training group to provide work opportunities for graduates. She has made herself available to clients at all hours. She has helped support widows with property matters, helping them manage inherited mortgages and enter full-time employment. She has represented the Muslim community at meetings with NGOs, support agencies and government ministries. She has organised formal celebrations and social gatherings such as picnics to bring the community together and extend their visibility in a positive manner. Mrs Galal is a member of the Collective Impact Board, established following the March 15 Royal Commission report.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GARRATT, Mr Richard Patrick
For services to tennis and Māori sport
Mr Richard Garratt (Ngāi Tūhoe) has been an advocate for tennis and Māori sport for more than 50 years.
Mr Garratt was President of the Kiwi Tennis Club for five years from age 22, Mangere Central Tennis Club for 37 years, Aotearoa Māori Tennis Association, Tennis Seniors South Auckland Association, and of Tennis Auckland in 2006. Through Aotearoa Māori Tennis Association, he has organised coaching camps for Māori rangatahi, assisted elite juniors to United States tennis scholarships, and fundraised for groups of players to play in the Queensland Seniors Tournament for the last decade. He was instrumental in assisting Dame Ruia Morrison’s return to Wimbledon in 2013. He is the Chief Executive of Te Tohu Taakaro o Aotearoa Charitable Trust (Aotearoa Māori Sports Awards) and was instrumental in compiling a history of Māori tennis ‘He Hītori o te Tēnehi Māori’. He holds various national titles and represented New Zealand Seniors in two World Championships. He was a committee member of Manukau Rovers Rugby Football Club, former trustee of Tu Toa Charitable Trust and Counties Manukau Sport Foundation. He is a Life Member of Mangere Central Tennis Club, Manukau Rovers Rugby Football Club and the Aotearoa Māori Tennis Association. Mr Garratt was awarded the role of Honorary Vice President of Tennis New Zealand in 2022.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GORDON, Mrs Jennifer Mary (Jenny)
For services to Catholic education
Mrs Jenny Gordon has contributed to Catholic education for more than 40 years, 25 years as a teacher specialising in mathematics and religious education at several state and state-integrated schools, including at St Mary’s College Wellington.
Mrs Gordon coordinated the Catholic Family Life Education programme for the Archdiocese and was involved with developing and implementing the document ‘Te Houhanga Rongo: A Path to Healing’. She became the Vicar of Education for the Archbishop of Wellington in 2006, becoming the first female and first layperson to hold this role. As Vicar of Education, she was the Archbishop’s representative, appointed to exercise local jurisdiction for Catholic Education. In this role she oversaw the operation of the Catholic state-integrated schools for the Wellington Archdiocese, comprising more than 45 schools. She was instrumental in building a strong relationship between the Ministry of Education, the Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools (APIS) and the New Zealand Catholic Education Office (NZCEO). She contributed significantly to the incorporation of the Private School Conditional Integration Act into the Education and Training Act 2020. She coordinated the training for the Board of Trustees and oversaw the appointments of principals and other positions. Mrs Gordon retired as Vicar of Education in 2021 and is currently a Board Member of NZCEO and Chairperson of APIS.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GRENNELL, Ms Dianne Kay (Di)
For services to Māori and the Public Service
Ms Di Grennell’s leadership in iwi and community action strategies against family violence have created space for Māori collective and tikanga ways of addressing the impacts of violence.
Ms Grennell has co-Chaired Ngā Mātanga Māori since 2019, an advisory group of mātauranga Māori experts with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), and has led the proposal for development of a kaupapa Māori values framework for the welfare system. She has been a member of national policy advice groups, including the Māori Taskforce on Whānau Violence and the Māori Reference Group to MSD. She has been a lead in the commissioning of Whānau Ora and the Māori Housing Network. She has been a specialist lecturer with the Te Wero programme for rangatahi and men post-prison release. She authored ‘Aroha in Action’, a child abuse prevention resource. Under her leadership, Amokura Family Violence Prevention was awarded the Annual Human Rights Prize from the Leitner Centre for International law and Justice. She has extensive governance experience and advises or holds positions on boards and community advisory groups including Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri Iwi Trust, Horizons Regional Council, and Hora Te Pai Health Services, and Literacy Aotearoa among others. Ms Grennell held several roles within Te Puni Kōkiri, including as Deputy Chief Executive for six years.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HAKARAIA, Ms Elizabeth Anne (Libby)
For services to the film and media industries
Ms Libby Hakaraia has worked in New Zealand’s broadcasting and media sector for more than 30 years, producing and directing current affairs programmes, documentaries, arts and entertainment programmes, and short and feature films.
In 2014 Ms Hakaraia launched the Māoriland Film Festival, which has grown to become the largest indigenous film festival in the southern hemisphere. In 2016 the Māoriland Charitable Trust began operating the Māoriland Hub, a multi-purpose cinema and arts space in Ōtaki. She is Executive Director of the Hub, responsible for all activities staged. The Trust runs the Te Uru Maire initiative for rangatahi, giving Māori youth access to tools and skills to create stories and connect with indigenous storytellers internationally. She is producer of NATIVE Slam, a 72-hour filmmaking challenge involving New Zealand and international indigenous filmmakers. Since 2016, 39 short films have been produced and screened at film festivals internationally. She has been a jury member at ImagineNATIVE, the world’s largest indigenous film festival in Toronto. She has screened her own short films at international festivals and was a producer of the successful New Zealand film ‘Cousins’ (2021). She has been an executive member of Screen Production and Development Association and Ngā Aho Whakaari. Ms Hakaraia has published three books on Matariki, the Māori new year.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HARGREAVES, Mrs Marianne
For services to the arts
Mrs Marianne Hargreaves has contributed to Canterbury’s art communities as an artist and administrator.
Mrs Hargreaves has held creative and management positions within the Christchurch and New Zealand International Arts Festivals, the New Zealand Jazz and Blues Festival, and was previously the Arts Advisor to the Arts Centre of Christchurch where she established one of the regions few Artist in Residence programmes in 2004. She took over management of WORD Christchurch (previously the Christchurch Writers Festival) in 2009, transforming the local event into a national festival. During the COVID-19 pandemic she led her team to deliver successful festivals in 2020 and 2021. She has been an Executive committee member of the Friends of the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū since 1997, with two terms as President. She was President during the City Council changeover in galleries, managing the transition and doubling the membership numbers, and has led an annual art auction to raise funds for the gallery. She was a founding member of the Physics Room Trust and an advisor for Objectspace. She led a team from the Canterbury Embroiderers’ Guild to create a commemorative wall hanging for Christchurch City Council for the 1993 Women’s Suffrage centennial. Mrs Hargreaves is a founding member and Treasurer of the Christchurch Arts Audience Development Group.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HENRY, Dr Ella Yvette
For services to Māori, education and media
Dr Ella Henry has a background in sociology, business and Māori indigenous development and has been active in research, teaching and advocacy for Māori media for more than 20 years.
Dr Henry has worked at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) since 2008, initially in Māori Development and since 2019 at the Business School, where she is Director of Māori Advancement. She was Head of Puukenga School of Māori Education at Unitech from 2002 to 2004. She has endeavoured to accumulate knowledge of Māori history, culture and society, particularly examining gender complementarity in Māori cosmology and society, and apply this knowledge to contribute to better outcomes for Māori, specifically wāhine Māori and in the fields of media and academia. She has been involved with the Māori screen industry as a writer, actor, presenter and commentator. She was Chair of Nga Aho Whakaari, the Association of Māori in Screen Production, which she helped establish. She was previously Chair of the Association of Women in Film and Television New Zealand. Dr Henry was a Treaty Negotiator for her iwi Ngātikahu ki Whangaroa and was a Trustee and Chair of the Post-Settlement Governance Entity until 2019.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HOCKEN, Mr Bryan Mervyn Ernest
For services to agriculture and the rural community
Mr Bryan Hocken has had a farming career of more than 50 years and promoted New Zealand beef and sheep in the Taranaki region.
Mr Hocken was President of Taranaki Federated Farmers from 2006 to 2008. He has been Councillor of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Western North Island Farmer Council since 2011, organising events, field days and workshops for farmers. He has promoted New Zealand Beef and Lamb through hosting people from around the world, political figures and diplomats at his award-winning farm. He was a lead organiser of a nationwide Federated Farmers campaign in 2003 to oppose an animal emission tax to be imposed on farmers, leading to the proposed tax being dropped. He has advocated for farmers on other issues, including the United States lamb tariff and micro-chipping of farm dogs. He organises a bi-annual ‘Beef + Lamb New Zealand Taranaki Big Dine In’ with upwards of 200 guests, guest speakers and entertainment to celebrate success and gather for the wellbeing of farmers. He was Chairman for 36 years and is now Patron of Tarata Hall Committee, is President and a Life Member of Tarata Sheep Dog Trial Club, and Chairman of the Inglewood Veterinary Group. Mr Hocken is known as the honorary Mayor of Tarata in recognition of his local contributions.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HORTON, Mr Gregory Bernard (Greg)
For services to philanthropy and governance
Mr Greg Horton has provided financial support to a range of organisations, including Motor Neurone Disease New Zealand, and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable causes.
Mr Horton has contributed to the University of Auckland Foundation for 12 years, particularly to the Law School. He was a committee member of the Leading the Way Campaign from 2007 to 2012, which raised $201 million for the University. He has been Chair of the Saint Kentigern Boys’ School Roselle Foundation since 2015, raising $1.8 million for the school to refurbish and seismic-strengthen Roselle House. He has been a Board member of Emirates Team New Zealand since 2013. He is a former director of Fulton Hogan, and as a business advisor has continued to support Fulton Hogan as well as several other entities including Silver Fern Farms and Seeka. He is a former Chairman and Acting Chief Executive of Motor Neurone Disease New Zealand. Mr Horton, who lives with Motor Neurone Disease, personally raised $750,000 for the organisation in 2021.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HOWSE, Dr Josephine Harle
For services to education
Dr Josephine Howse has contributed to the education sector for 30 years.
Dr Howse was the Auckland Branch President of New Zealand Educational Administration Society from 1992 to 1993 before becoming the National President in 1994. She was the Head of the Centre for Professional Education with the Auckland Institute of Technology, where she founded the Secondary Teacher Education training qualification, including approval through the Teacher Registration Board, and the Tertiary Tutor Training qualifications with NZQA. As Head of the Centre for Professional Education at Auckland University of Technology, she led the Centre during transition into the newly created School of Education and Social Sciences between 1999 and 2001. As Deputy Chief Executive of the City of Manukau Education Trust she coordinated the Principal for a Day programme, managed the Manukau Family Literacy Programme for Māori and Pacific adult students, and the Pacific SmartCentres project. She became the Vice President of the Royal Commonwealth Society Auckland in 2012 and President in 2017. She has coordinated functions for Commonwealth and Royal events for members, guests, schools and the community. Dr Howse served as Vice President of the Commonwealth Council of Education Administration and Management before becoming the International President in 2000, the first and only New Zealander to be elected to the Commonwealth Presidency.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
JAMES, Dr Beverley Lorraine (Bev)
For services to seniors
Dr Bev James has more than 30 years’ experience in social research, evaluation, policy analysis and service design and has been Director of Public Policy and Research Ltd since 2004.
Dr James has made significant contributions to research for older people’s housing needs, including for older tenants, retirement village residents, and in culturally responsive ways. She has applied her research findings to support planning and policy development, enable organisations to understand and meet the needs of older people, and enable older people to make informed decisions about housing options. Her research has been used by SmartGrowth, the Western Bay of Plenty’s growth strategy for managing the region’s population and housing affordability. Along with others, she developed the ‘My Home My Choices’ online tool and ‘Life When Renting’ tools for older renters and landlords. She has chaired the Marlborough Sustainable Housing Trust since 2008, which has provided housing to economically disadvantaged people whose housing needs are associated with age, health issues or disability. Dr James has been a researcher on the Building Better Homes Town and Cities National Science Challenge team since 2016, and was a researcher in the Ageing Well National Science Challenge.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LEASK, Mrs Estelle Pura
For services to conservation and Māori
Mrs Estelle Leask is a member Te Rūnanga o Awarua in Bluff and a Senior Environmental Advisor for Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
Mrs Leask contributes to conservation efforts at all levels from checking traps to providing strategic direction for programmes. Since 2008, she has been Chairperson, Volunteer Coordinator and Te Korowai Whakahou Native Plant Nursery Coordinator for the Bluff Hill Motupōhue Environment Trust. She led an initiative for students from the Southern Institute of Technology Environment Management course to assist with aspects of the Trust’s work. She joined Southland Conservation Board in 2018 and is a Director on the Board of Predator Free 2050 Ltd and Predator Free New Zealand Trust. She helped the Department of Conservation (DOC) grow its working relationship with Ngāi Tahu. She led the development of two Ngāi Tahu Aspirations documents for the Maukahuka - Pest Free Auckland Island Project and Predator Free Rakiura. She is Murihiku Iwi Liaison to DOC for Predator Free Rakiura. She is a Trustee on the Whenua Hou Komiti. She supports various Southland environmental volunteer programmes including the Kākāpō Recovery Programme, Descendant Guided Tours on Whenua Hou, Otatara Community Nursery, Motu Piu/Dog Island Restoration Project, and the Bluff Community School Native Plant Nursery. Mrs Leask is former Ngāi Tahu representative on the Takahē Recovery Group and current Kea Conservation Trustee.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MANU'ATU, Dr Linita
For services to Pacific education and the Tongan community
Dr Linita Manu’atu has been involved with Pacific educational research since the 1980s across an academic career with Auckland universities, and her current executive leadership role at ‘Api Fakakoloa Homebased Educational Services (‘AFES).
Dr Manu’atu runs ongoing professional development for educators through ‘AFES. She has published in the areas of indigenous and migrant education, and language, culture and education. She has worked with Pacific, Māori and indigenous academics nationally and internationally to develop research frameworks for multi-disciplinary research with Pacific peoples. She has chaired the Tongan Language Year organising committee since 2012. She has co-hosted weekly Tongan radio talk shows covering current events and education on a voluntary basis. She has written the book “Tonga Koloa’ia” on the contributions of Tongan language and culture in New Zealand. She led the development of the Bachelor of Education (Pasifika Early Childhood Teaching) degree based on research using indigenous Tongan concepts, which was endorsed by the New Zealand Teachers Council in 2013. From 2015 to 2018 she worked for the Tongan government to lead the development of a new degree for Tongan Early Childhood Teaching in the Tongan language. Dr Manu’atu has contributed to the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) on the Pasifika Caucus.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MCEWAN, Mr Paul Ernest
For services to neonatal care
Mr Paul McEwan is a founding trustee and Chair of the Canterbury Neonatal Unit Trust formed in 1992.
Mr McEwan’s leadership of the trust has raised more than $600,000 since the establishment of the trust which has benefited Canterbury and the Westland provinces. Under his leadership the trust has supported several projects and causes including supplying incubators adapted for the rescue helicopters, providing a support package to families who reside outside of Christchurch but have their infant in the Christchurch Women’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The trust helped establish New Zealand’s first human milk bank at Christchurch Women’s Hospital which collects, processes and stores human milk for mothers in Canterbury and throughout New Zealand. More than 2,000 mothers have helped since the milk bank was established in 2014. They have provided equipment to facilitate training in emergency new-born resuscitation and supports research projects to improve surgical techniques for repair of congenital abnormalities. As an experienced financial planner and advisor, he has led the trust to maintain a high level of the capital raised and support regular funding. Mr McEwan is a retired cricket player, having made more than 100 appearances for Canterbury cricket, scoring 5,940 runs and 11 centuries and played four tests and 17 one-day international matches for the Black Caps.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MCSWEENEY, Ms Kiriovea Jasmin (Jasmin)
For services to the film industry
Ms Jasmin McSweeney is Head of Marketing at the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) and has guided filmmakers for 15 years.
Ms McSweeney has worked on the release and marketing of 15 of the top 20 New Zealand films released theatrically in New Zealand, which have included ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’, ‘ ‘Boy’, ‘The World’s Fastest Indian’, ‘The Dark Horse’, ‘Savage’ and ‘Cousins’. She has identified filmmakers with unique voices early in their careers and provided care and attention to foster their work, in addition to working with more established directors. She has advocated for Māori and Pacific filmmakers, women and other under-represented groups in the screen sector, helping indigenous filmmakers screen at international film festivals and be picked up for wider distribution. She has represented NZFC internationally, appearing on panels at international events. She has been responsible for NZFC’s Te Ahi Kā programme, which provides ongoing representation of New Zealand films after their film festival premiere or initial release period. She introduced NZFC’s digitisation programme and the launch of their video on demand platform to ensure the longevity and accessibility of back catalogue titles. She has represented NZFC on the New Zealand Motion Picture Industry Council for 10 years. Ms McSweeney convenes New Zealand’s selection committee for the Academy’s International Feature Film Award.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MILLS, Dr Robert John McNeill
For services to wildlife conservation
Dr Robert Mills is a veterinarian who has contributed significantly to conservation and wildlife care in Taranaki on a voluntary basis.
As CEO of New Plymouth Vet Group, Dr Mills has developed a native bird care and treatment programme, beginning in 2000. Since then New Plymouth Vet Group has donated specialist time and resources to the triage, care and recovery of native birds, including rare species. He and his team have cared for hundreds of birds for the Department of Conservation, Wildbase Hospital Massey University, and birds brought in by the public. He has supported the upskilling of his team of vets, nurses and technicians in avian medicine. These efforts have contributed to a range of species such as kororā/little blue penguin, ruru and kereru being able to receive care locally, reducing stress of travel to other regions for treatment. He was President of the New Zealand Veterinary Association Taranaki from 2000 to 2003 and Secretary from 2004 to 2007. Dr Mills is an active member of Forest and Bird Taranaki, and together with his wife established a new wetland, planting extensively in the riparian areas of their property on the outskirts of New Plymouth.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MORGAN, Ms Sharon Louise
For services to the community, the arts and rugby
Ms Sharon Morgan has contributed to and been a strong promoter of the Whangarei community.
Ms Morgan has been a trustee for numerous community groups, including Te Kowhai Print Trust, Creative Northland, Anawhata Museum Trust, Northland Community Trust, Trinsley Charitable Trust, Kamo Home and Village Charitable Trust, Whanagrei Sculpture Symposium, and Pukenui/Western Hills Forest Charitable Trust. As a Trustee of Whangarei Art Museum Trust from 2010, she shepherded the development and governance of the Hundertwasser and Te Wairau Māori Art Centre. She has mentored emerging artists. She was a key supporter of Kiwi North completing two major building projects in the past 10 years, including sourcing native plants and enlisting Mangakahia Lions to help with fencing and planting around the new kiwi house. She became the first female President of the Northland Rugby Union from 2017 to 2020. She has been an ambassador for Rugby for Life and Secretary for the New Zealand Vikings Rugby Club. She played a key role in fundraising efforts to save the Te Oruoru Sports and Recreation Centre at Pakotai from being demolished. She was a Whangarei District councillor from 2007 to 2019, with two terms as Deputy Mayor. During this time Ms Morgan helped strengthen Council partnerships with Māori.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NGAMANE, Mr Walter Ngakoma (Ngakoma)
For services to Māori and tourism
Mr Ngakoma Ngamane has been Chairman of Ngāti Maru Runanga Trust since 1999 and a Trustee and Chairman since 2001 of Matai Whetu Marae.
Mr Ngamane has been co-negotiator for Ngāti Maru working alongside other iwi to complete Treaty Settlement Negotiations since 2009. He has been a long-time member of Mana whenua groups for WaterCare Auckland, Matamata Piako District Council, Tamaki Makaurau Mana Whenua Forum and others. He is principal representative between Ngāti Maru and Thames-Coromandel District Council and Hauraki District Council. He has been Ngāti Maru education representative to local schools, supporting the development of rangatahi in the region. He has taught at several schools throughout Hauraki and served on School Boards of Trustees. He was a foundation member in establishing Te Kohanga Reo movement in Pare Hauraki. He has been co-Chair of Hauraki Rail Trail since 2016. He has helped resolve challenges for the Rail Trail posed by differing Māori and non-Māori interests. He was instrumental in the implementation of a five-day cycle ride from Kaiaua to Matamata, which attracts visitors to the towns along the trail and has been successful for the local economy. Mr Ngamane has been a significant member of Hauraki Cultural Festivals over the years.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NGUYEN, Mr Hai Dinh
For services to refugees and the Vietnamese community
Mr Hai Nguyen is a respected leader in the Vietnamese Buddhist community in Wellington and Australia.
Mr Nguyen was one of the first Vietnamese refugees accepted by New Zealand following the fall of Saigon and has led the promotion of the Buddhist faith in New Zealand since. He served as an interpreter of language and cross-cultural understanding among groups of newly arriving Asian refugees and their New Zealand sponsors. He has worked closely with New Zealand Immigration and Refugee Services in Hutt Valley, Porirua, and Wellington City in helping with the resettlement of many refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to find employment in New Zealand. He was the driving force behind the Thien-Thai Temple in Upper Hutt for 30 years, dedicated to build a suitable place of worship for the Vietnamese Buddhist community. Recognising the lack of a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk in the Hutt Valley, he with his wife sponsored teaching visits of monks from Australia, United States of America and Vietnam to provide spiritual guidance and support to the community. Mr Nguyen worked with the New Zealand Treasury until retirement in 1990 where he took the challenge of funding the build of the temple, which was completed in 2020.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
OSBORNE, Mrs Anna Elizabeth
For services to the community and occupational health and safety
Mrs Anna Osborne is Chair of the Stand With Pike Families Reference Group (FRG), formed following the Pike River Mine tragedy in November 2010 by the families representing the majority of the 29 miners who lost their lives.
In 2017 Mrs Osborne jointly led the request that political parties sign a commitment to act immediately to safely re-enter, fully recover, make safe and comprehensively investigate the 2.2-kilometre Pike River mine drift. Te Kāhui Whakamana Rua Tekau mā Iwa-Pike River Recovery Agency was established in January 2018 with a mandate to recover the drift and later entered into a partnership agreement with the FRG following the 10-year anniversary of the tragedy. The FRG has led the campaign to safely re-enter and recover the Pike River Mine Drift, to give closure to the Pike River families, to promote accountability for the tragedy and to help prevent future mining tragedies. Mrs Osborne has been the FRG liaison person and a key driver of efforts to recover the drift. More broadly, Mrs Osborne has campaigned for improved health and safety protections for New Zealand workers.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PEAU, Mrs Tolupene (Neta)
For services to the Tokelau community
Mrs Neta Peau is a prominent leader within the Tokelau community in Auckland.
Mrs Peau had a passion for sport since migrating to New Zealand at age 15 and represented New Zealand at regional levels and Samoa and Tokelau at international levels in rugby league. She served as Vice-Captain of the Samoan Rugby League Team in 2008 and gathered Tokelauan players in the Tag World Cup in Auckland in 2012. She transitioned from player to coach and trainer, and was appointed Manager of the Tokelau Tag Team who attended the World Cup in Australia in 2018. She played for the Richmond Rugby Club in the women’s league for ten years, and rallied Tokelauan players to join the club. She has played, coached and led the Tokelauan team in Kilikiti who have won the Pacific Kilikiti National Cup several times. She has been a member and Cultural Advisor of the Mafutaga Tupulaga Aukilani for more than 20 years, one of eight national bodies of Tokelau, who celebrate and bring Tokelau people together. She introduced tournaments and Tokelau traditional dance as events through the organisation, which has drawn the younger generation in to their culture. Mrs Peau has been an Executive Member of the Auckland Tokelau Society for ten years, providing cultural guidance and leadership.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PILKINGTON, Ms Jo Mere
For services to the events sector and the community
Ms Jo Pilkington is a long-standing member of the New Zealand events industry and has worked with a wide variety of professional, community and voluntary organisations to raise their profile and share their kaupapa through the running of successful events, festivals and commemorations.
Ms Pilkington has used her experience to assist organisations nationwide, in many cases on a voluntary basis, and has been particularly active in Auckland and Hawke’s Bay. She helped develop the events industry professionally by being instrumental in the design and implementation of the Diploma in Event Management for Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in 1999. She followed this by guest lecturing and mentoring Event Management students at AUT, Unitec and the Eastern Institute of Technology between 2005 and 2013. She was a Board member of Creative Napier from 2006 to 2008, the Kingsland Business Society from 2010 to 2012 and Chair of the Northcote Intermediate School Parent Teacher Association from 2012 to 2014. She has supported Auckland’s LGBTQI+ communities, as a Board member of the Auckland Pride Festival Trust from 2014 to 2016 and Event Producer for the Rainbow New Zealand Charitable Trust’s annual fundraising gala since 2018. Ms Pilkington became Co-Chair of the Rangitoto Island Historic Conservation Trust in 2020.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PRENDERGAST, Miss Grace Elizabeth
For services to rowing
Miss Grace Prendergast has represented New Zealand in rowing since 2010.
Miss Prendergast made her first New Zealand team in the Junior Women’s Four, winning Gold at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Czech Republic. She competed at the Under-23 level in the women’s four in 2012 and placed seventh in the elite women’s eight in 2013. She and pair Kerri Gowler won Gold at the World Rowing Under-23 Championships with a new World Rowing Under-23 Championship best time. The pair were selected as part of the women’s four at the Elite World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, winning the race by over six seconds, setting a new world best time which still stands today. She qualified with two for the 2016 Olympic Games, and won silver in the eight and pair at the 2015 World Rowing Championships. In 2017, the pair went unbeaten in the season becoming World Champions in Sarasota, and finished a close second in 2018. The pair won Gold in 2019 and was part of the women’s eight who won Gold, the first time New Zealand had won the women’s eight in the history of the regatta. Miss Prendergast and her boatmate became two-time Olympic medalists at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, winning the women’s pair and receiving Silver with the women’s eight.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
RINTOUL, Mr Kenneth Alan (Ken)
For services to governance and the community
Mr Ken Rintoul has made significant contributions to projects in the Northland region for more than 20 years.
Mr Rintoul was a member of the Northland Regional Transport Committee between 2010 and 2013 where he was instrumental in the proposal of the Mid-North Trial Bus Service following the closure of rail service. He transformed the struggling Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail proposal to successful delivery with close to $1 million in funding received from the Northland Regional Council. He was establishment Chair of the Northern Rural Fire Authority, helping reduce suppression costs from $2-3 million down to $180,000 and helped the successful creation of the Enlarged Rural Fire Organisation, chairing it from 2013. He was key in the funding application to the Regional Council for the Hundertwasser Trust, which saw in 2011 the purchase of two commercial properties to complete development. He designed a business plan for Northland College with its expansion of the College Dairy Cattle Farm and was Chairman of the Northland College Board of Trustees. He has been a Trustee of Northland Top Energy since 2015, during which the organisations assets have grown from $367 million to more than $700 million. Mr Rintoul was President of Kerikeri Football Club and is a member of committees within Waka Kotahi.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ROBINSON, Ms Holly Irene
For services to athletics
Ms Holly Robinson has represented New Zealand in Para athletics since 2011.
Ms Robinson attended her first IPC Athletics World Championship in 2011 and was selected to compete in the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. She competed in two IPC Athletics World Championships in 2013 and 2015, winning silver and bronze respectively. She was the opening ceremony flag bearer at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, winning silver in the women’s javelin F46 event. She has won a further three silver medals at the 2017 and 2019 World Para Athletics Championships and the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. She won Gold in the women’s javelin F46 event at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. In 2021, she became the first Para athlete to win a medal in an open event at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships, winning silver in javelin. She was the Māori Sportsperson with a Disability at the Māori Sports Award Gala in 2017. Ms Robinson was named Otago Athlete of the Year and Otago Para Athlete of the Year at the Athletics Otago Sports Awards in 2020.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ROCKHOUSE, Ms Sonya Lynne
For services to the community and occupational health and safety
Ms Sonya Rockhouse is a founding member of the Stand With Pike Families Reference Group (FRG), formed following the Pike River Mine tragedy in November 2010 by the families representing the majority of the 29 miners who lost their lives.
In 2017 Ms Rockhouse jointly led the request that political parties sign a commitment to act immediately to safely re-enter, fully recover, make safe and comprehensively investigate the 2.2-kilometre Pike River mine drift. Te Kāhui Whakamana Rua Tekau mā Iwa-Pike River Recovery Agency was established in January 2018 with a mandate to recover the drift and later entered into a partnership agreement with the FRG following the 10-year anniversary of the tragedy. The FRG has led the campaign to safely re-enter and recover the Pike River Mine Drift, to give closure to the Pike River families, to promote accountability for the tragedy and to help prevent future mining tragedies. Ms Rockhouse has been one of the spokespeople for the Pike River families and has been a key team member working towards recovery of the drift. More Broadly, Ms Rockhouse has campaigned for improved health and safety protections for New Zealand workers.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SANDERS, Mrs Karla Anne
For services to bullying prevention
Mrs Karla Sanders founded Sticks ‘n Stones in 2013, a strengths-based bullying prevention programme led by youth.
Mrs Sanders’ approach has been integrated into more than 100 schools in New Zealand and has had a profound effect on the community. At least 38 groups in 13 schools, or almost 1,000 students across Central Otago and Southland engage with the in-person programmes each year. She works with the Ministry of Education to centre student action as part of annual Bully Free NZ week. She has partnered with Facebook to present workshops in more than 40 schools nationally, empowering them to create positive change, online and off, in their schools and communities. She co-designed ICON.org.nz, the web application which gives young people honest, practical and relatable strategies when they are experiencing negativity online. ICON went on to win the Not-for-Profit Technology Innovator of the Year award at the 2019 New Zealand Charities Tech Awards. She has facilitated at conferences and held several workshops internationally with her students including in Dublin in 2018 at the Global Bullies, Bullied and Bystanders Conference. Mrs Sanders is currently Chief Executive Officer of Sticks ‘n Stones.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SHANNON, Ms Kim
For services to education and the Public Service
Ms Kim Shannon established and led the Ministry of Education’s Education Infrastructure Service (EIS), which has managed all large, complex construction projects on behalf of schools and is responsible for maintaining and modernising around 2,300 state schools.
Ms Shannon’s EIS team has grown from 40 people to more than 500. From 2010 she steered a transformation of school property from a $300 million portfolio to a $1.35 billion infrastructure portfolio that also encompasses payroll, internet access and school transport. She has been committed to improving schools’ infrastructure and has worked with the building sector and individual schools to ensure each new building or re-fit is designed and delivered collaboratively to meet local needs. She has overseen a major survey of all New Zealand schools and their condition, and has led through challenges including leaky buildings, asbestos and legal proceedings. She has overseen development of ‘Te Rautaki Rawa Kura – The School Property Strategy 2030’, stabilising the problematic Novopay payroll project, a major school transport contract renewal, wi-fi in classrooms and the Christchurch Schools Rebuild programme. During the COVID-19 pandemic, EIS worked with schools and internet service providers to connect around 53,000 homes to the internet. Ms Shannon has presented on earthquake resilience in schools to the OECD Education Policy Committee.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SHEA, Ms Deidre Ann
For services to education
Ms Deidre Shea has held leadership roles with Onehunga High School (OHS) since 1995, Auckland Secondary School Principals’ Association from 2008 to 2015 and the Secondary Principals’ Association of New Zealand (SPANZ) since 2014.
Ms Shea became the first female Principal of OHS in 2007 and has been a member of the Onehunga One Tree Hill Rotary Club since 2005. She has overseen establishment of new programmes at OHS, including a Construction School in 2005, Services Academy in 2007 and Health Science Academy in 2015, alongside significant infrastructure redevelopment. Construction School students build houses, initially for Habitat for Humanity and now for Kainga Ora. She has also implemented a student health service, the Starpath programme for student success, and added Samoan and Tongan language and Māori performing arts to the curriculum. OHS operates the nation’s largest school-based Adult and Community Education programme and she is the managing principal of the AIMHI Alternative Education consortium. She has played a major role in supporting candidates for many opportunities including Rotary Science forums. As SPANZ President from 2019 to 2021, she led through numerous challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms Shea represents principals on a range of working groups and currently chairs the NCEA Professional Advisory Group for the Minister of Education.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SHORTALL, Ms Stacey Anne
For services to the law and the community
Ms Stacey Shortall has been a lawyer representing financial institutions, public sector entities and other corporate clients in significant litigation and regulatory matters for more than 25 years.
Ms Shortall started her legal career in Wellington before working for Paul Weiss in New York for 11 years, providing pro bono services in women’s prisons to help imprisoned mothers and domestic violence victims. She has been recognised as a leading lawyer in New Zealand by the Chambers International Law Directory, The Legal 500, Legal Media Group and New Zealand Lawyer. She provided research assistance to the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda on genocide as a war crime and spent time in Ghana assisting with village outreach programs intended to free exploited girls. She founded the WHO DID YOU HELP TODAY social movement, which encourages people to help each other more, and the Who Did You Help Today charitable trust. She developed the Mothers Project, a programme in all New Zealand women’s prisons to help mothers maintain meaningful relationships with their children, seeking to reduce the likelihood of re-offending. Ms Shortall developed the Homework Club to assist children in low decile primary schools around New Zealand with their learning and Helptank, an online platform enabling community causes to access skilled volunteers.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
STRINGLEMAN, Mr Hugh Edwin
For services to agricultural journalism
Mr Hugh Stringleman has been an agricultural journalist for more than 40 years and is well regarded for his thorough research, accuracy and balance in his reporting, presenting complex issues in informative and instructive ways.
Mr Stringleman has been Agricultural Editor of The Press in Christchurch, Managing Editor of New Zealand Rural Press for 14 years, and a contributing journalist for Global HQ for 20 years. He co-authored the 2006 history of PGG Wrightson ‘Rural Challenge’ and compiled the book ‘Agricultural Heritage: Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association Inc 1843-2010’. He was President of the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators (NZGAJC) in 2008/2009 and led the Organising Committee from 2013 for the Guild’s successful hosting of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) World Congress in New Zealand in 2015. He has been a member of the National Executive for 10 years and has represented New Zealand at IFAJ conferences around the world. He has twice been awarded the NZGAJC’s top award for excellence in agricultural writing, the Rongo, in 2018 and 30 years previously. Mr Stringleman was also named Landcorp Communicator of the Year in 1996 and has previously been a member of the Professional Historians Association of New Zealand.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SUTTON, Mr Mark Robertson
For services to conservation
Mr Mark Sutton has been at the forefront of fisheries and wildlife habitat enhancement in Southland, particularly the Waiau Catchment, for 45 years.
Mr Sutton is currently a contracted Field Officer for the Waiau Fisheries and Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Trust and a Regional Representative for the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (QEII) since 2004. He began as a Field Officer for the Southland Acclimatisation Society in 1977, transitioning to Fish and Game in 1990, then The Waiau Trust in 1997. He has been a Board member for the New Zealand Game Bird Habitat Trust since 2015 and the Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust from 2010 to 2016. He has worked alongside landowners and farm managers to enable them to enhance biodiversity on their properties, improving land management, water quality and public access to waterways. His approach focuses on habitat creation and enhancement to improve wildlife outcomes and land management to improve water quality. He has worked on various projects including Waimatuku since 1992, Rakatu since 2000, and the Waiau mouth whitebait ponds. He has been instrumental in utilising Direct Seeding technology to plant native forests at scale. Mr Sutton’s work has helped connect protected land parcels in an emerging ‘Mountains to the Sea’ continuum of protected waterways under the QEII and Waiau Trusts.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TAMIMI, Dr Mai Mohammed Hamdi
For services to ethnic communities
Dr Mai Tamimi arrived in Dunedin from Palestine in 2008, obtained her PhD from the University of Otago, and has been a facilitator in Middle Eastern culture and interfaith dialogues.
Dr Tamimi is Team Leader Community Development with Dunedin City Council and was Middle Eastern Integration Coordinator from 2017 to 2018 with Arai Te Uru Whare Hauora. She has focused on the cultural wellbeing of women and youth and provided cultural and intercultural competence services. She has worked to break down stereotypes of Muslim women through her work with interfaith groups and has delivered crisis services for ethnic communities. She has supported the Muslim community following the 15 March 2019 Christchurch terror attack and was a member of the Royal Commission Ministerial Advisory Group. She delivered food and care parcels for families following 15 March and during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has helped refugee families integrate into society, providing assistance as an interpreter and maintaining social contact with families to ensure they feel supported. She made herself available 24/7 to support those in need. She is on the Board of Host International New Zealand, working to bring the experiences of former refugees to the design and implementation of resettlement and broader community support services in New Zealand. Dr Tamimi volunteers with Dunedin Abrahamic Interfaith Group.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TAURIMA, Mr Teaiorangi Trevor (Trevor)
For services to Māori, sport and conservation
Mr Trevor Taurima has been an instrumental driver of collaborative restoration projects encompassing 34,000 hectares in the Hawke’s Bay.
Mr Taurima joined the Poutiri Ao ō Tāne project in 2011, an 8,800 hectare nature forest restoration project on the Maungaharuru Range. He played a key role in consultations for securing the return of kākā, kākāriki, tīti, kōrure and pātake to the Maungaharuru Range, obtaining support and applying his tikanga knowledge for translocations. He visited iwi and hapū across New Zealand and promoted the project across multiple forums, from large conferences such as New Zealand Biodiversity Challenge and Kahungungu Fish Hook summits, to smaller community groups. The ‘Cape to City’ project then applied the learnings of Poutiri Ao ō Tāne to protect 26,000 hectares under the umbrella of the Te Matau ā Māui project. He developed a plan to promote engagement with the project by tangata whenua. He is a cultural advisor to the Department of Conservation, attending to whale strandings, opening conferences, and blessing wildlife. He has chaired Ngāti Kahungunu Innovation Hub and been Secretary/Treasurer of Te Runanganui O Ngāti Kahungunu. He helped found the Ngā Hau E Whā Māori Squash Association in the 1980s. Mr Taurima is co-founder of Heretaunga Ararau O Ngāti Kahungunu Waka Ama Roopu.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TE RAUNA, Ms Gaylene Katerina
For services to Māori and disabled people
Ms Gaylene Te Rauna has been on the Board of Ngāti Kāpō Aotearoa (NKA) since 2009, with four years as Chair, leading the oldest and only national tāngata kāpō Māori (Māori blind, low vision and deaf blind) and tāngata whaikaha Māori (disabled Māori) led organisation in New Zealand.
As Chair, Ms Te Rauna represented NKA on the Coalition of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO), involving six months as DPO meeting Chair, and has been involved in decision making on cross-agency government policy and practices. She joined NKA in 2007, becoming Secretary of the Wellington rōpū. As of 2021 she has been Vice President of NKA. She has held administrative roles with the New Zealand Childcare Association, New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa, Te Taura Wiri I te Reo Māori, and Whānau Care Services with Capital and Coast District Health Board. Ms Te Rauna has been a role model for disabled rangatahi and helped establish a Young Blind Adults Group.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TERRELL, The Reverend Victoria Pernel
For services to the disability community
The Reverend Victoria Terrell is an ordained Anglican Priest, who set up disability faith networks to bring disabled people together to explore spirituality.
Reverend Terrell has been associated with CCS Disability Action since the 1960s, receiving speech therapy and field officer services. She joined the Local Advisory Committee of CCS Disability Action in Wellington in 1999 and became a Field Worker in 2003. She became involved in the National CCS Disability Action Office in 2004, facilitating the National Disabled Staff group. She has been the Northern Elected Representative to the National Board and was involved in the development of the New Zealand Disability Strategy. She was awarded life membership of CCS Disability Action in 2017. She has been a Board Member of Talk Link Charitable Trust and Advisory Group Member of New Zealand Relay. She was a Kaituitui in Auckland for the Disabled Persons Assembly promoting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Reverend Terrell is the Disability Community Chaplain for the Diocese of Auckland and was recently appointed as the Disability Ministry Educator: Resource and Development Facilitator for the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TOD, Ms Margaret Ann (Ann)
For services to netball
Ms Ann Tod has contributed to netball in New Zealand for more than 20 years.
Ms Tod has been the Finance Director since 2011 of the International Netball Federation (now World Netball), the worldwide governing body of netball, responsible for world rankings, maintaining the rules of netball and organising the Netball World Cup and netball at the Commonwealth Games. She has encouraged the growth of netball globally in accordance with the objectives of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. She was an Audit Partner of KPMG in New Zealand until 2020 and is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. She is a member of the Netball North Harbour Umpires Association and is an umpire coach. She is an honorary auditor of the Oceania Netball Federation and is on the boards of various not-for-profit organisations including Make-A-Wish New Zealand and as Chair of Harbour Hospice. Ms Tod has been involved in Rotary New Zealand since 2003 and is a member of the Rotary Club of Auckland and Internal Audit Committee of Rotary District 9920.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TWIGG, Mrs Emma Kimberley
For services to rowing
Mrs Emma Twigg has had a rowing career spanning 20 years and has represented New Zealand since 2003.
Mrs Twigg has competed in four Olympic Games and won Gold in the Women’s Single Scull event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2014 she was crowned World Champion and, the same year, named as World Rowing’s Female Rower of the Year. Her career has included Olympic, Senior, U23 and Junior World titles in the single scull. She is the first New Zealander to win the women’s single scull at the Olympic Games and is regarded as one of New Zealand’s most decorated female rowers. Mrs Twigg is also an active advocate for LGBTQIA+ athletes.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
URALE, Mr Bill Rangi
For services to music and the community
Mr Bill Urale, better known as King Kapisi, is an award-winning hip-hop artist who has promoted connecting with Pacific culture, language and heritage through his music.
Mr Urale released his debut album ‘Savage Thoughts’ in 2000, with follow up albums in 2003 and 2005. He was the first New Zealand hip-hop artist to receive the APRA Silver Scroll song writing award in 1999. He has performed at most major music festivals and events nationally and has recently performed as part of the Korean virtual reality concert 360 Extended Reality in 2021. He has performed at numerous international music festivals including Glastonbury, SXSW, as well as in Australia, Japan, Fiji, Hawaii, Tonga, Ireland, France and Norway. He represented New Zealand at the Central Park birthday celebrations in New York and played at the old school hip-hop reunion in Crotona Park, South Bronx in 2003. He DJs in rural communities which may traditionally be excluded from touring circuits. Within his community he coaches multiple basketball teams, works to support youth excellence, the Turning the Tide on Suicide campaign, Whare Tauranga’s ‘Whare 4 Whānau’, and other social issues. He has supported a range of charities with fundraising, including several emergency disaster relief concerts. During the COVID-19 pandemic Mr Urale has supported Māori health providers to increase community vaccination rates.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
VAN TUEL, Mr Henry
For services to the Coastguard
Mr Henry van Tuel has volunteered with the Coastguard, initially in Wellington for five years, and in Hawke’s Bay since 2007.
Mr van Tuel has held multiple roles at local, regional and national level from radio operator, rescue vessel crew and skipper, incident manager, instructor and operations manager. He is currently Vice President of Hawke’s Bay Volunteer Coastguard and was President from 2014 to 2016. He was a member of the Eastern Region Board from 2012 to 2014 has been on the New Zealand Board, where he was elected Vice President in 2014 and President from 2016 to 2018. He has been instrumental in improving and maintaining the high standards of the Hawke’s Bay unit. His role as regional instructor since 2016 has seen him teach and examine instructors to a continued high standard across the region. He has delivered ‘safety at sea’ education via the media, schools and community groups. He has built positive relationships with local Police and Search and Rescue partners and is regarded as a ‘go to’ person for planning, organising and running searches, whether on the Incident Management Team or as skipper, making himself available 24/7. Mr van Tuel has received the Hawke’s Bay Volunteer Coastguard’s top service award on three occasions and was made a Life Member in 2019.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WALLBRIDGE, Mrs Cynthia Grace
For services to dental health and education
Mrs Cynthia Wallbridge is a dental therapist and hygienist who has voluntarily treated oral pain and addressed the dental health care needs of children.
Mrs Wallbridge volunteered with Mercy Ships from 1985 to 1990, serving the dental needs of people living in poverty in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Since 1995 she has worked with communities in New Zealand, while continuing to undertake voluntary dental projects in the Pacific on a regular basis. In 2014 she co-founded Family Teeth Matters Charitable Trust. She was instrumental in the development and launch of oral health educational tools for Decile 1 primary schools and kindergartens in Auckland. Since 2014, the Family Teeth Matters education programme has reached more than 6,500 children and she is working with Plunket in Auckland to further the reach of dental hygiene messaging. She consulted on two children’s narrative books with dental education messaging. She developed a short stage show with characters from the books, which has been performed at schools and provided as a digital resource for schools outside Auckland. She chaired the Auckland New Zealand Dental Hygienist Association in 2007/2008 and was New Zealand representative to the International Federation of Dental Hygienists from 2013 to 2016. Mrs Wallbridge organised the 2020 Global Dental Summit for Dental Hygienists, Dentists and Dental Therapists.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WALSH, Mr Patrick John
For services to education
Mr Patrick Walsh has been the Principal of John Paul College Rotorua since 2003 and has contributed to the education system through a range of leadership and policy roles.
Mr Walsh played a key role in the leadership of the Secondary Principals’ Association of New Zealand (SPANZ) and has been a member of the Executive since 2005, where he has assisted with the formation of policy and procedure. He has advised the Ministry of Education on several policy issues and was a member of various working groups within the Ministry. He has used his legal training to benefit the community. He has provided pro bono work in education law for Principals throughout New Zealand and he has helped to draft the by-laws for College Sport Auckland. He has recently been selected to be New Zealand’s representative on the Education Advisory Committee of the Australia Scholarship Group and he will be responsible for reporting on trends, issues and initiatives from the New Zealand education sector. Mr Walsh was a member of the Disciplinary Tribunal of the New Zealand Teachers Council and was Chair of the working party on Surrender and Retention Guidelines for schools, and was the recipient of the Woolf-Fisher Fellowship to Harvard University in 2020.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WILLIAMS, Mrs Kerri Leigh
For services to rowing
Mrs Kerri Williams (née Gowler) has represented New Zealand in rowing since 2013.
Mrs Williams made her first New Zealand team in the 2013 elite women’s eight. She and pair Grace Prendergast won Gold at the World Rowing Under-23 Championships with a new World Rowing Under-23 Championship best time. The pair were selected as part of the women’s four at the Elite World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, winning the race by over six seconds, setting a new world best time which still stands today. She qualified with two for the 2016 Olympic Games, and won silver in the eight and pair at the 2015 World Rowing Championships. In 2017, the pair went unbeaten in the season becoming World Champions in Sarasota, and finished a close second in 2018. The pair won Gold in 2019 and was part of the women’s eight who won Gold, the first time New Zealand had won the women’s eight in the history of the regatta. Mrs Williams and her boatmate became two-time Olympic medalists at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, winning the women’s pair and receiving Silver with the women’s eight.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WOODLEY, Mr Keith Lewis
For services to shorebird conservation
Mr Keith Woodley has been the Shorebird Centre Manager for the Pūkorokoro Miranda Naturalists Trust (PMNT) for 28 years.
In that time, Mr Woodley has led an ever-expanding range of Trust activities from various annual courses including Wader Identification, through organising visits of national and international speakers, delivering talks to local schools, ensuring wardens and field staff at the centre are undertaking trapping, and engaging with iwi to address environmental issues while meeting Treaty of Waitangi obligations. In his time as manager, the Shorebird Centre has grown to be a popular stop for tourists and the largest specialist natural history bookshop in New Zealand. He has published two books, one on godwits in 2009 and another on New Zealand shorebirds in 2012. He has made a significant contribution to the work of PMNT in East Asia, as an integral part of the New Zealand delegation to the East Australasian Flyway Partnership. He has travelled regularly to China, North and South Korea to work on projects and advocate for the protection of key habitats to maintain shorebird migratory patterns to New Zealand, including the signing of an agreement with China in 2016 and an application for World Heritage Status to protect these habitats. Mr Woodley has been on the Birds New Zealand Council since 2014.
To be an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
VAN ESS, Mr Hans
For services to ju-jitsu
Mr Hans van Ess is recognised as a founding father of ju-jitsu in New Zealand, as a leading teacher and highest-level black belt for much of the period 1961 to 2014, during which time he was involved as an instructor, administrator and ambassador before retiring as an 8th dan.
Mr van Ess began training in martial arts in Holland in the late 1950s before emigrating to New Zealand to teach physical education and martial arts in 1961, introducing the Dutch system of Kawaishi ju-jitsu. Licensed to teach judo and ju-jitsu, he founded the New Zealand Judo College in Auckland in 1962. In response to ju-jitsu clubs opening nationwide, in 1968 he co-founded the New Zealand Jiu Jitsu Association (NZJJA) to oversee teaching of ju-jitsu and maintain standards for students. He became Chairman of the NZJJA Black Belt Technical Council in 1972 during a time of turmoil for the organisation. He became Match Controller for ju-jitsu tournaments and created the Referee and Judges’ Course in 1974. NZJJA became a member of the International Judo and Jujitsu League under his leadership. Mr van Ess remained active with NZJJA, holding large tournaments and training seminars, until semi-retiring from ju-jitsu training in 1996 at the rank of 7th dan.