Tama Tawhai

Board Member

Tēnā koutou ngā whānau whānui o Te Ao Mārama.

Ko Tama Tawhai tōku ingoa.
He uri ahau nō Ngāti Kahungnu ki Heretaunga, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Porou, me Rangitane.

It is with great excitement that I am re-elected onto the Te Ao Mārama School Board.

I have absolutely enjoyed representing the school community as a Board member and am proud of the mahi the Board has continued to do, acknowledging the foundation set by previous Boards. It’s been a privilege to provide governance support and guidance to help aid our Tumuaki (Principal) and Kaiako (Teachers) in providing the wonderful environment that allows our tamariki to thrive.

In my previous candidate statement I mentioned how excited and stimulated my kids were about the school which was one of the drivers in my desire to apply for the Board. That excitement has only grown and is something I see across the wider school community. It’s a delight to see our staff and tamariki living by our values - confident, creative, curious, collaborative and community minded. The whanaungatanga and manaakitanga which our school community embraces is something that aligns closely with my own values.

My wife, Natalie, and I have 2 children – Emilie-Cate, 11, a previous foundation student at Te Ao Mārama is now at Rototuna Junior High School. Blake, 8, is in the bilingual class – Te Puāwatanga o te Rito. The establishment of this class this year has been one of the major school achievements that I’ve been most excited about. I look forward to seeing this continue to grow and flourish.

I’ve spent the last 18 years working on national infrastructure delivery projects, in both private and public sectors, in various roles in programme and contract management, and stakeholder relationship management. I also sit on different Whānau Trusts.

I enjoy spending time with whānau and friends, staying active through regular exercise, and getting involved with my kids sports and activities. I’m also an avid Warriors fan – up the wahs!

It would therefore be my privilege to once again represent our Te Ao Mārama whānau and community as a member of the School Board.

He toa takitini taku toa, ehara i te toa takitahi
My strength is not the strength of one, but the strength of many.

Ngā mihi harikoa
Tama Tawhai