Source: New Zealand Government
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka has today confirmed seven new appointments to key Māori entities, bringing leadership, expertise and experience to the organisations to further support Māori development.
“The governance roles announced today will help advance te reo Māori revitalisation, strengthen the Waitangi Tribunal, and realise the social and economic potential of Māori. This benefits Māori and everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Mr Potaka.
The entities and appointments are:
Te Mātāwai
Dr Te Rina Warren (Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Rangitāne, Ngāti Matakore) as a member for a three-year term. Dr Warren is a senior lecturer at Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, Massey University, specialising in Māori and Indigenous education.
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori
Mahanga Pihama (Waikato, Taranaki Iwi, Ngāti Ruanui) as a member for a three-year-term. Mr Pihama is an experienced broadcaster, documentary and film director-producer.
Dr Jeremy (Tātere) MacLeod (Ngāti Kahungunu) as Deputy Chair for the remainder of his term. He has served on the board since 2019 and brings 15 years of experience in governance and Māori language revitalisation.
Te Māngai Pāho
Reikura Kahi (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Porou, Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Hine) as member and Chair for an 18-month term. Mrs Kahi is an independent producer in Māori television and film, and a Māori language consultant.
Kingi Kiriona (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru) as member and Deputy Chair for a three-year term. Mr Kiriona is Managing Director of Tupu Ora, which provides Māori language and capability development services to Iwi and public sector agencies.
“Today’s appointments bring a wealth of expertise in te reo Māori, education, media, and governance – all of which are essential to advancing our shared mission to revitalise our taonga, te reo Māori. These leaders will play a vital role in helping us achieve our collective aspiration: to have one million New Zealanders confidently using te reo Māori by 2040,” says Mr Potaka.
Poutama Trust
Mark Gray (Tapuika, Ngāti Rongomai, Tūhourangi) as trustee for a five-year term. Mr Gray is an experienced corporate leader with a strong background in the legal, investment, governance, financial, energy, export and resource development sectors.
“Mark Gray’s appointment to the Poutama Trust will strengthen the Trust’s ability to provide important business development services to Māori. This is essential for creating jobs, boosting incomes and enabling whānau to achieve their aspirations.
“Since its inception, the Poutama Trust has played a key role in nurturing Māori business talent and skills, enabling greater participation in both Māori and national economic growth.”
Waitangi Tribunal
Juliet Tainui-Hernandez (Ngāi Tahu, Te Whakatōhea) as a member for a three-year term. Ms Tainui-Hernandez is a full-time director serving on the boards of ASB Bank and Whai Rawa Fund Ltd. She also has expertise in regulatory law and Māori economic development.
“The appointment of Juliet Tainui-Hernandez will help strengthen the Waitangi Tribunal for the benefit of Māori and all New Zealanders,” Mr Potaka says.
“As the Tribunal reaches its fiftieth anniversary, it’s important we ensure the board has the right balance of skills to continue its important mahi hearing and reporting Māori treaty claims in a timely manner.”
Kua whakamana ngā kopounga mana ārahi
Kua whakamanahia e te Minita Whanaketanga Māori Tama Potaka ngā kopounga hou e whitu ki ngā hinonga Māori matua, e mau mai ana i te tohungatanga me te wheako ki aua whakahaere hei tautoko anō i te whanaketanga Māori.
“Ko ngā tūranga mana ārahi i pānuitia ai i te rangi nei e āwhina ki te pana whakamua i ngā mahi whakarauora i te reo Māori, e whakapakari i Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi, e whakatinana hoki i te pitomata ā-pāpori, ā-ōhanga anō hoki o te iwi Māori. He painga tēnei mā te iwi Māori, oti rā, mā ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa,” te kī a Minita Potaka.
E whai ake nei ko ngā hinonga me ngā kopounga:
Te Mātāwai
Ko Tākuta Te Rina Warren (Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Rangitāne, Ngāti Matakore) hei mema mō te toru tou. He pūkenga matua a Tākuta Warren ki Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, he mātanga ia i te mātauranga Māori, mātauranga Iwi Taketake hoki.
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori
Ko Mahanga Pihama (Waikato, ngā Iwi o Taranaki, Ngāti Ruanui) hei mema mō te toru tau. He kaipāpāho wheako nui a Mahanga, he kaitohu-kaitaki pakipūmeka, kiriata anō hoki ia.
Ko Tākuta Jeremy (Tātere) Macleod (Ngāti Kahungunu) hei Toihau Tuarua mō te toenga o tōna wā. Kua noho ia ki te poari mai i te tau 2019, e mau mai ana hoki i te wheako o te 15 tau e mahi ana i ngā mahi mana ārahi me ngā mahi whakarauora i te reo Māori.
Te Māngai Pāho
Ko Reikura Kahi (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Hine) hei mema, hei Heamana hoki mō te 18 marama. He kaitaki motuhake a Reikura i te pouaka whakaata me te kiriata Māori, he mātanga reo Māori anō hoki ia.
Ko Kīngi Kiriona (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru) hei mema, hei Toihau Tuarua hoki mō te toru tau. Ko te Pou Whakahaere o Tupu Ora a Kīngi, he mea whakarato i ngā ratonga reo Māori, ratonga whakawhanake āheinga hoki ki ngā Iwi me ngā hinonga rāngai tūmatanui.
“Mā ngā kopounga o te rangi nei e mau mai i te whānuitanga o te tohungatanga i te mātauranga, te pāpāho, me te mana ārahi reo Māori – katoa mai he mea mātuatua ki te whakapikinga o tō mātou kaupapa ngātahi ki te whakarauora ake i tō tātou taonga te reo Māori. He tūranga nui tō ēnei kaiārahi ki te āwhina i a tātou ki te whakatutuki o tō tātou moemoeā ngātahi: arā, kia kotahi miriona tāngata o Aotearoa e māia ake nei te kōrero i te reo Māori i mua i te 2040,” te kōrero a Minita Potaka.
Poutama Trust
Ko Mark Gray (Tapuika, Ngāti Rongomai, Tūhourangi) hei kaitiaki mō te rima tau. He kaiārahi rangatōpū whai wheako a Gray kua roa nei e mahi ana i ngā rāngai ture, te haumi, te mana ārahi, te pūtea, te pūngao me te whakawhanaketanga rauemi.
“Mā te kopounga o Mark Gray ki te Poutama Trust e whakapakari i te āhei o Poutama ki te whakarato i ngā ratonga whanaketanga pakihi whakahirahira ki te Iwi Māori. He mea nui tēnei mō te waihanganga o ngā mahi, e whakapiki ake ana i ngā whiwhinga pūtea me te tautoko i ngā whānau ki te whakatutuki ō rātou moemoeā.
“Mai i tōna takenga mai, he tūranga nui tō te Poutama Trust i te poipoinga o ngā pūmanawa me ngā pūkenga pakihi Māori, e tautoko ana i te whakapikinga o te whai wāhitanga i te tipuranga ōhanga a te Māori, ā-motu anō hoki.”
Te Rōpu Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi
Ko Juliet Tainui-Hernandez (Ngāi Tahu, Te Whakatōhea) hei mema mō te toru tau. He pou whakahaere wā-katoa a Tainui-Hernandez e mahi ana ki ngā poari o te ASB Bank me Whai Rawa Fund Ltd. He tohunga ia ki te ture whakahaere me te whanaketanga ōhanga Māori.
“Mā te kopounga o Juliet Tainui-Hernandez e āwhina ki te whakapakari i Te Rōpu Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi mō te painga o te iwi Māori, oti rā, o ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa,” te kī a Minita Potaka.
“Ka pātata haere nei te Taraipiunara ki tōna huritau tuangahuru mā rima, he mea nui kia mātua whakaritea he tika ngā pūkenga o te poari kia pai ai te haere tonu o ngā mahi nui whakaharahara i ngā nohoanga me te whakatakoto pūrongo e pā ana ki ngā kokoraho tiriti Māori i roto i ngā herenga wā e tika ana.
Additional information on appointments
Te Mātāwai appointment
Dr Te Rina Warren (Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Rangitāne, Matakore) has been appointed to the board of Te Mātāwai for a three-year term.
Te Rina Warren is a Senior Lecturer at Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, Massey University, specialising in Māori, and Indigenous Education. Her teaching spans Māori-medium and English-medium contexts, including courses on Te Aho Tātairangi and the politics of Māori education. Her research explores kaupapa Māori development, tikanga Māori, and the evolving role of digital technologies in cultural practice.
Te Rina holds a PhD from Massey University, where she examined the impact of the internet on tikanga Māori. She is actively engaged in iwi and marae-based initiatives and has contributed to Māori-medium education and youth development. Her academic work also includes a focus on traditional Māori governance models and their relevance in contemporary contexts, particularly in relation to iwi development and Māori-led decision-making.
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori appointments
Mahanga Pihama (Waikato, Ngāti Ruanui and Taranaki Iwi) has been appointed as Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori board member for a three-year-term.
Mr Pihama has a background as a broadcaster (including as a director and producer of documentaries and films), is a raukura of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae and graduate of Te Panekiretanga o te reo.
He is also a member of, and composer for Ngā Tūmanako, and is a long-time chair of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae, and Poumata of Te Rūnanga o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa. He’s fluent in te reo Māori and brings his deep understanding of tikanga Māori and community engagement to the role. Mr Pihama offers strong cultural and relational competency across Māori and mainstream contexts.
Dr Jeremy (Tātere) MacLeod (Ngāti Kahungunu) has been appointed Deputy Chair of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori for the remainder of his term.
Dr MacLeod has served on the board since 2019 and brings 15 years’ experience in governance and Māori language revitalisation across Iwi, community, and private sectors.
He is an award-winning language expert, cultural advisor and graduate of Te Panekiretanga o te Reo. Dr MacLeod has been leading the inter-generational language revitalisation strategy, Kahungunu, Kia Eke! for his Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi for several years. He brings continuity and alignment with sector priorities across Iwi, community, and private sectors.
Te Māngai Pāho appointments
Reikura Kahi (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Porou, Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Hine) has been appointed Chair and member of Te Māngai Pāho for an 18-month term.
Reikura Kahi’s work experience includes Programme Commissioner at Māori Television for four years. There she was responsible for commissioning more than $10 million in programming annually and assessed the quality and quantity of te reo Māori within programmes.
Mrs Kahi has been an assessor for Te Māngai Pāho, as well as a consultant on behalf of those seeking funding. Her roles as a kapa haka tutor and storyteller through TV and film highlight her commitment to promoting Māori culture. Through her work Mrs Kahi has been successfully growing and maintaining te reo Māori in urban communities.
Kingi Kiriona (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru) has been appointed Deputy Chair and member of Te Māngai Pāho for a three-year term.
Kingi Kiriona is Managing Director of Tupu Ora, which provides Māori language and capability development services to Iwi and public sector agencies. He is a board member of Whakaata Māori and was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal in 2025.
Mr Kiriona previously served as Deputy Chief Executive Mātauranga Māori at Te Aka Whai Ora and as Executive Director Māori Outcomes for Te Ahu a Tūranga Alliance. He has held senior roles in Māori education, including at Waikato Institute of Technology, and contributed to national initiatives such as Te Ahu o te Reo Māori and Ngā Kura ā-Iwi.
He began his career in journalism at TVNZ’s Te Karere. He holds an MA (Music) with distinction and qualifications in te reo Māori, performing arts, and media, and is a licensed translator and graduate of Te Panekiretanga o te Reo.
Poutama Trust appointment
Mark Gray (Tapuika, Ngāti Rongomai, Tūhourangi) has been appointed to the Poutama Trust for a five-year term.
Mark Gray is currently Group General Counsel for Magnis Energy Technologies Limited and a non-executive Director of Telkwa Mining Limited. Mr Gray holds a Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University and has been admitted to practice in New Zealand and Australia.
His law experience spans major law firm practice, corporate law and niche General Counsel roles. Mr Gray’s previous roles include founder and Chief Executive Officer of Allegiance Coal, Head of Legal for DiamonEx Ltd, Chief Executive Officer of Bounty Industries Limited and Partner of Bell Gully Buddle Weir in Wellington. Mr Gray is an experienced corporate leader with a strong background in the legal, investment, governance, financial, energy, export and resource development sectors.
Waitangi Tribunal appointment
Juliet Tainui-Hernandez (Ngāi Tahu, Te Whakatōhea) has been appointed by the Governor General to the Waitangi Tribunal for a three-year term.
Ms Tainui-Hernandez is a full-time director serving on the boards of ASB Bank and Whai Rawa Fund Ltd, and formerly Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporation. She has governance experience across commercial, financial, and Iwi sectors, with expertise in regulatory law and Māori economic development.
Her previous roles include Chief Compliance Officer at Norton Rose Fulbright and Assistant Governor at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. She began her legal career at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and has practised in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. She continues to advise trusts, corporates, and her home rūnanga, Ōnuku, integrating legal and policy expertise with kaupapa Māori principles.
Memberships as at 16 September 2025
Bolded names indicate outgoing members.
Poutama Trust
Member
Date of appointment
Expiry date
Kim Skelton (Chair)
03/08/2020
03/08/2025
Rachel Maidment
03/08/2020
03/08/2025
Hinerangi Edwards
02/06/2021
01/06/2026
Heta Hudson
02/09/2023
01/09/2028
Riki Ellison
02/09/2023
01/09/2028
Te Mātāwai
Member
Date of appointment
Expiry date
Ministerial appointed members
Penetaui Kleskovic
16/04/2019
15/05/2025
Reikura Kahi
19/03/2025
18/03/2028
Te Mātāwai appointed members
Brenda Soutar (Co-Chair)
01/04/2021
31/03/2027
Mātai Smith (Co-Chair)
01/01/2020
31/12/2026
Kiri Tamihere-Waititi
28/02/2025
27/02/2028
Kylie Brown
01/10/2018
30/09/2025
Teina Boasa-Dean
10/10/2018
09/10/2025
Dr Haki Tuaupiki
08/08/2022
07/08/2025
Hohepa Isaac-Sharland
01/09/2023
31/08/2026
Agnes MacFarland
01/12/2023
30/11/2026
Aperahama Edwards
01/09/2021
31/08/2023
Ruakiri Fairhall
27/10/2024
26/10/2027
Kiwa Hammond
10/02/2025
09/02/2028
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori
Member
Date of appointment
Expiry date
Professor Rawinia Higgins (Chair), MNZM – Te Mātāwai nominee
30/06/2018
27/09/2026
Charisma Rangipunga (Deputy Chair) – Te Mātāwai nominee
30/06/2015
30/11/2024
Te Haumihiata Mason, ONZM – Te Mātāwai nominee
28/03/2025
27/03/2028
Te Atamira Jennifer
Ward-Lealand, CNZM – Ministerial appointment
31/08/2023
01/09/2026
Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod – Ministerial appointment (Becomes Deputy Chair for remainder of his term)
22/10/2019
01/09/2026
Te Māngai Pāho
Member
Date of appointment
Expiry date
Dr Eruera Tarena (Chair) – Ministerial appointment
12/02/2014
05/03/2025
Paraone Gloyne (Deputy Chair) – Te Mātāwai nominee
10/07/2019
05/03/2025
Tamalene Painting – Te Mātāwai nominee
01/07/2020
27/03/2028
Brian Morris – Ministerial appointment
05/09/2023
05/09/2026
Erana Reedy – Te Mātāwai nominee
28/03/2025
27/03/2028
Waitangi Tribunal
Member
Date of appointment
Expiry date
Chief Judge Dr Caren Fox
22/08/2023
22/08/2028
Professor David Williams
31/03/2023
13/03/2026
Professor Susy Frankel FRSNZ
29/01/2020
13/07/2026
Dr Paul Hamer
29/01/2020
13/07/2026
Basil Morrison
25/08/2008
13/07/2026
Kevin Prime
24/05/2021
10/10/2027
Kenneth Williamson
10/10/2024/
10/10/2027
Dr Hana O’Regan ONZM
24/05/2021
18/12/2027
Derek Fox
24/05/2021
18/12/2027
Professor Tā William Te Rangiua (Pou) Temara
25/08/2008
18/12/2027
Dr Ruakere Hond
24/10/2018
18/12/2027
Kim Ngarimu
24/10/2018
18/12/2027
Tipene Chrisp
18/12/2024
18/12/2027
Philip Crump
18/12/2024
18/12/2027
Vanessa Eparaima MNZM
18/12/2024
18/12/2027
Grant Hadfield
18/12/2024
18/12/2027
Rex Hale
18/12/2024
18/12/2027
Kingi Kiriona
18/12/2024
18/12/2027
Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren
18/12/2024
18/12/2027
Hon Ron Mark
18/12/2024
18/12/2027
Gerrard Albert
17/04/2025
16/04/2028