Our board of trustees is made up of representatives from our three sponsoring organisations Te Kupenga o Hoturoa PHO, TaPasefika PHO and the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society. 

Chairperson 

Ngati Maniapoto, Ngati Mutunga
The former CEO of Manukau Urban Maori Authority (MUMA), June is also the Chair of Whakatipu Trust, Chair of Family Start Manukau, a member of the NZ Parole Board and Te Kupenga o Hoturoa PHO. June has extensive experience in developing models of self-sufficiency, establishing small business initiatives and working with families. She has been particularly successful in working with Maori communities and development.

Trustees 

Ana Bailey

Samoan heritage, R.N. 
Anna is a service manager for Health Star Pacific, a Pacific health service provider based in Panmure. She trained as a nurse in Fiji and New Zealand before returning to Samoa working mostly in nursing education. Anna has held two terms as a member of the Samoa Board of Nursing and worked for the Samoa Red Cross as a field officer/secretary general, before moving with her family back to New Zealand. She has also worked for the National Women’s Hospital and the Plunket Society. Anna currently holds a number of advisory and governance roles with the ADHB, Tapasefika PHO  and is a member of the Samoan Nurses Association in New Zealand (Inc) and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. 

Prof. Colin Mantell
Ngai Tahu
FRCOG, PhD
Colin has a long history of working in Maori health workforce development and recently retired as a professor of obstetrics/gynaecology and as a professor of Maori Health at the University of Auckland. He is currently a trustee of Te Kupenga o Hoturoa.

Eru Thompson – Plunket
Te Kawerau a Maki, Ngati Te Ata, Ngati Mahanga, Ngati Pukenga Tainui waka

BA, Maori, Teaching Diploma

A member of the local mana whenua and cultural advisor and kaumatua for Tainui. Eru’s background is hugely diverse and spreads across several disciplines. He is a recognised expert in Maori issues and actively supports many organisations within the Auckland region as a cultural advisor and kaumatua.  Eru has held several leadership roles in Counties Manukau for community organisations including chair of the Auckland Regional Economic Development Maori component and as a member of the national Te Atamira Taiwhenua’s Kaumatua board of the Department of Internal Affairs. Eru is a strong advocate for Maori inclusion in all environments of the Auckland region, promoting the development of rangatahi in leadership roles.  He has been pivotal in the development of Manukau City and continues to support his community as one of the key leaders in the Auckland region.

Nuku Rapana 

Nuku Rapana is the President of the Pukapuka Island Community in New Zealand and was instrumental in the establishment and development of the Pukapuka Community Centre and the Pukapuka Training Academy based in Mangere, Auckland. He also founded and is a managing director of Entech Electronics. Nuku a recognised leader is widely respected for his contribution to the Cook Island and Pacific communities. 

Deputy Chairperson - Roine Lealaiauloto
BSW
CEO for Penina Health Trust, a community based support service for people and their families who experience mental illness. Roine has lived most of her life in South Auckland developing her background in social work and management. She began her career working in the child protection unit at Otara’s department of social welfare. Roine later worked as a pacific consultant on assignments with the Ministry of Health supporting pacific mental health providers in Wellington and Auckland. She is passionate about working in the area of mental health and is currently completing an MBA with the Southern Cross University delivered by Manukau Institute of Technology.

Ruth Sinclair – Plunket
BBS, Chartered Accountant
In 1998 Ruth joined Plunket as a volunteer in the Papakura area and now represents Papakura volunteers at the area society level.  It was through this involvement that she was asked to represent Plunket on the Family Start board.  Ruth has a background in business advisory services and worked for Coopers & Lybrand of Manukau for several years.  She specialised in tax planning, management reporting and systems installations.  In recent years Ruth has undertaken financial controller systems implementation project work.

Sepali Naus - Plunket
Sri Lankan
Chartered Accountant
Sepali is a member of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society council and has been a volunteer for Plunket for 12 years. She is an Accountant, a member of the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants and owner of two floral studios. Sepali is currently studying towards a degree in business studies with Massey University.