Māori Reference Group Profiles

Druis Barrett (chair)

Druis has many years experience in policy and operational service delivery to Māori communities, in particular in the area of Maori health and is a resident of Whangarei. Druis has been the chair of her marae for the past six years. At national level, she has had an advisory role to two Minister’s of Health, served on the Gisborne Cervical Screening Enquiry, and is a past national president of the Māori Women’s Welfare League. Druis is a director of the Maāri Women’s Development Corporation and was a commissioner to the Māori Employment and Training Commission.

Di Grennell

Di (Ngai Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga) is the Amokura Project Manager. Di has extensive experience in the family violence prevention field including working with youth, programme development, provider training, and membership of the Domestic Violence Programmes Approvals Panel and of the 2nd Māori Taskforce on Whānau Violence. Di has also participated in Ministry of Justice research advisory groups for family violence research. Di is based in Whangarei, and works across Tai Tokerau, following the leadership of the members of the Family Violence Prevention Consortium.

Hera Clark

Hera is the Managing Director for Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri and the Deputy Chairperson for Jigsaw. Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri encourages, empowers and motivates the concepts of Tika, Pono, and Aroha using practical and clear methods of communication, intervention and administration. They deliver services with less intrusion, consultation and absolute integrity. Every school holidays as part of their Tamariki and Rangatahi development programme, they run Rangatahi J.A.M (Jesus and Me) for children aged 5–13 years. This is a residential school holiday programme that provides respite care for both parents/caregivers and tamariki.

Ngaire Te Hira

Executive Family Co-ordinator, Waipareira Trust, PO Box 21081, Henderson, Auckland.  Ngaire is also a member of Family Services National Advisory Council, was also on the Death Review Board and is currently a member of the Social Security Appeal Authority. Ngaire has been working in the family violence field for over 15 years and has extensive knowledge that incorporates tikanga, kaupapa Māori and all Māori values.

Georgina Wilkinson

Georgina Wilkinson currently manages the Family Violence Programme at Turuki HealthCare in Mangere South Auckland. She has worked in domestic violence for over 20 years, having recently left SAFE Network (NZ's largest community-based treatment programme for sex offenders) after 13 years. As the Manager of Māori Development, she was an integral part of the implementation and development of the Māori Programme at SAFE.

Georgina had also previously worked at the Leslie Centre as an ACC Registered Therapist.

She is also the Company Director of Hikurangi Consultants, her own consultancy business.

Dr Hone Kaa

Archdeacon Dr Hone Kaa, is a senior lecturer at Te Rau Kahikatea Theological College, St Johns. Dr Kaa is the Chairperson of Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri, and has served on this board for over 10 years. As both a Senior Priest and Kaumatua, Dr Kaa has been very instrumental in supporting initiatives that advance Māori education and the protection of tamariki and their whānau. Dr Kaa also fronts Te Kahui Mana Ririki, a recently formed organisation to promote the wellbeing of Māori children.

Jozie Karanga

Chief Executive of Te Korowai Aroha o Aotearoa. Jozie has a professional background in teaching and regional education advisory roles in the public sector. This includes 20 years' experience in capacity building for Māori NGOs, specifically in the provision of social and health services. 

Roku Mihinui

Chief Executive Officer of Te Arawa Lakes Trust. Roku is head of the new governance tasked with managing 14 Rotorua lakes. He has many years of experience in working with whānau and hap on addressing social issues, and has taken a variety of roles in doing this.

Darrin Haimona

Darrin is Chief Executive Officer of Te Hauora O Ngāti Haua Trust, of Waharoa (Tainui) the trust’s aim is to promote a quality of life which reflects health and wellbeing within the communities and people of Ngāti Haua. Darrin provides advice to a number of boards and sits on various boards including the Taskforce for Action on Violence within Families.

Roni Albert, Ariana Simpson

Te Whakaruruhau Māori Women’s Refuge, Hamilton. Roni and Ariana have been working in the operational services side of family violence for over 20 years, most of that time with Māori Women’s Refuge. They have many years' experience and knowledge in the area of violence against women and children and its effects.

Roma Balzer

Roma has been a member of the National Women’s Refuge and Hamilton Abuse Intervention Project (HAIP) and has been a member on a number of boards that deal with family violence. Roma has worked in the family violence area for over 20 years.

Ngaropi Cameron

Ngaropi is Manager and Senior Family Violence Programme Facilitator and Educator at Tu Tama Wahine O Taranaki Inc, which is a kaupapa Māori service providing counselling, social work, and family violence education programmes for men, women and children. It also provides training services, children's programmes, social worker in schools service, advocates for children and young people who have witnessed family violence and a kaupapa Māori mental health needs assessment and service co-ordination service.

Mereana Pitman

Mereana has devoted many years of her life to strengthening Māori capacity to respond to the challenge of family violence. Mereana has worked in whānau violence prevention for over twenty years as an educator, trainer and counsellor.

Tau Huirama

Tau has worked in child protection and family violence prevention for the past 20 years in the community and justice sector.  His past roles include counselling and group work, support for sexually abused children, and group facilitation for men who have been violent towards their children and partners. He has also worked extensively within the prison system and for seven years he was the national Kaiwhakahaere for the National Network of Stopping Violence Services.

Glenys Papuni

Glenys has an alcohol and drug rehabilitation background and has been involved with the Early Intervention Mental Health Child and Adolescent Unit. Glenys is also a clinician in Hauora Whanui, relationship counselling, assessment – cultural and clinical, policies and procedures, programme development and delivery.

Parekotuku Moore

Kaihautu National Director Māori Development, National Network of Stopping Violence Services.  Parekotuku has extensive experience and knowledge of work in the family violence and has worked as counsellor and run workshops for men who have been violent toward their children and partner. 

Barbara Greer

Since 1995 Barbara has been working full-time in Māori health, as the Tumuaki (CEO) of Rata Te Awhina Trust, a kaupapa Māori health and social service. Her paramount interest lies in improving the health status and outcomes for Māori in particular, and the wider community in general.

Donna Matahaere-Ariki

Donna was the Director of Policy with Te Puni Kōkiri and has a background in research. Donna is currently the Executive Director of Arai Te Uru Whare Hauora in Dunedin which is an independent community provider of integrated health, education and social services. They provide Kaupapa Māori services that support and encourage the growth and wellbeing of whānau and the wider community.