Get to know your elected Trustees

Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust Board of Trustees 2025

The newly elected Board of Trustees for Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust has officially commenced their mahi for the year, gathering for their first wānanga at Whakatō Marae in February. This wānanga marked the beginning of their governance journey, reinforcing their collective commitment to serving our iwi with integrity, vision, and unity.

Aunty Romia Whaanga Chair of our Kahui Kaumātua, attended to provide invaluable cultural guidance and support, ensuring that all discussions and decisions remain firmly grounded in tikanga and mātauranga Māori. As part of their kaupapa, Trustees also visited key sites, including Pipiwhakao and Rākaukākā, to deepen their understanding of the strategic efforts underway to protect, preserve, and revitalise our whenua.

During this wānanga, the board elected key leadership roles. We are pleased to announce that Connie Maynard has been elected as Chair, with Roxanne Smith as Deputy Chair. Together, they bring valuable leadership, insights, and expertise to their roles.

Our newly appointed Trustees represent the diverse voices and aspirations of Rongowhakaata, coming from both our marae and iwi-elected positions. We acknowledge the dedication and hard work that lies ahead and encourage whānau to stay connected, engaged, and informed as the Board continues their mahi in service of our iwi.

Click the link below to learn more about your elected Trustees and join us at our first Wānanga-ā-Iwi on March 29 to connect kanohi ki te kanohi with your trustees.

Marae Candidates

• Whakatō Marae – Hohi Westrupp

  I am Hohi Westrupp, the second youngest of nine siblings born to Miniata and Harry Westrupp. My wife, Joanne, and I are proud parents of four children and grandparents to two mokopuna.
  
  For the past 40 years, I have worked in the telecommunications industry, with the last decade dedicated to running my own business, delivering high-speed internet to homes across Tairāwhiti. I am also a part-owner of a renewable energy company focused on sustainable solutions.
  

  My commitment to our iwi is grounded in leadership, economic stability, and upholding our Rongowhakaatatanga. I am passionate about strengthening the infrastructure and capacity of our marae to reconnect whānau.

  
  My dedication extends to listening to your voices, representing your interests, and collaborating to achieve our shared aspirations.
  

  Kia kotahi te haere whakamua—let us move forward as one.

• Ōhako Marae – Phil Hokianga

  I served 23 years in the New Zealand Military before moving into the private security sector, where I operated in high-risk environments. For the past 16 years, I have worked in the industrial and construction sector at Vertical Horizonz, and I now lead the Māori Pasifika division as its Director. I am passionate about working with rangatahi, supporting them to achieve their goals and aspirations.
  

  I also serve as the ConCOVE Co-Chair and am currently serving my second term as a Trustee of the Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust. I am committed to working together with my fellow Trustees to drive meaningful outcomes.

• Pāhou Marae – Te Aturangi Nepia-Clamp

  I am a company director, chairman, and trustee with extensive governance experience across various boards. A motivated self-starter, I have successfully managed businesses and complex projects for over 30 years, with a strong focus on cultural initiatives and community development. I have consistently delivered projects within agreed timeframes and budgets, including those exceeding $10 million (NZD).

  My professional experience spans government departments, non-government organizations, and private sector management roles at local, national, and international levels. I hold a Bachelor of Health Studies (BHS) and am a Winston Churchill Fellowship Award recipient. Additionally, I have been recognized with various art awards, commissions, and grants as a carver, sculptor, and waka builder.

  I am of Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Porou, Kahungunu, and English descent. I am the son of Rahera Rachael Stewart and Frederick Clamp, and the mokopuna of Nepia Te Aturangi Stewart (Te Pāhou Marae) and Merepapapa Tamihana (Whakatō Marae).

• Manutūkē Marae – Meka Whaitiri

  I was born and raised in Manutūkē, where I now reside in our whānau home, built by my late father, Willie Honk, opposite the Māori Battalion. His parents, Bob and Kimi Whaitiri of Papatu Road, entrusted his upbringing to his nan, Merekingi Whaitiri—affectionately known as the ‘Old Quack’—on Whakatō Road. My mother, May Whaitiri (née Robin), raised five children under the age of seven. Her grandmother, Reremoana Hakiwai (née Paratene), was born in Manutūkē and was the sister of Moana Paratene (senior). Our whānau has a strong sporting legacy, with both my parents and grandparents representing YMP in netball, rugby, and hockey.

  After serving 10 years in Parliament as the MP for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, I returned home to Manutūkē in February 2024. My governance experience includes serving as Chair of Horouta Kōhanga Reo in Porirua, Chair of Te Kura Māori o Porirua, Trustee of Ngā Kaihoe o Aotearoa (National Waka Ama Association), and Chair of Tarewa 4 Ahuwhenua Trust. I have also held leadership roles as the first General Manager of the Māori Women’s Welfare League and as Chief Executive of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated.

  My life is centered on my whānau, my two adult sons, and my continued service to our people.

• Te Kurī-ā-Tuatai Marae – Sarah Pohatu

  My name is Sarah Pohatu. I was born in Tūranga and live in Kaiti with my whānau. My great-grandfather, Reverend Turoa Pohatu, was raised at Awapuni Pā.

  I whakapapa to Ngāi Tāwhiri and Ngāti Kaipoho of Rongowhakaata and have connections to Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Ngāti Porou, and Ngāi Tahu. Many of you may know my father, Godfrey, or my mother, Mere, through their work across Te Tairāwhiti.

  I am proud of my whakapapa and committed to serving our people.

Iwi-Elected Candidates

• Connie Maynard (Chair)

  I am serving my second term as a board member of the Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust, Chair of Audit, Risk & Finance, and the Rongowhakaata representative on the newly formed Local Leadership Body with Gisborne District Council. I also serve as the Chief Financial Officer at Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa and am a Chartered Accountant.

  Over the past three years, the Rongowhakaata Board has undergone a period of reset and refocus. Now, it is time to grow—both our physical assets and our unseen assets: our resilience, mātauranga, and rich cultural histories. I believe in creating a pātaka (repository) to safeguard and share our knowledge for the next 100 years. The coming years present an opportunity to strengthen not just our commercial wealth but our collective wealth as a people. This can be achieved by involving whānau in practical decision-making, advancing our whenua into commercially viable assets, and supporting uri in developing their own lands.

  We are entering lean times—not in terms of money, but in what we, as Rongowhakaata, consider true wealth: our reo, our marae, and our people. These are at risk in the shifting political landscape, and we must be proactive in safeguarding them.

  Now is the time to uplift and invest in our rangatahi and future leaders, ensuring they are prepared to guide us into this new era.

• Roxanne Smith (Deputy Chair)

  I whakapapa to Rongowhakaata through my father’s parents, Erina Pohatu (née Smith) and Houakiterangi (Rock) Pohatu, who lived at the ‘corner house’ on the intersection of Papatu and Wharerata Roads.

  I am currently serving my second term as an iwi-elected trustee. My first term has been an invaluable opportunity to deepen my understanding of our tribal lands, investments, taonga, and people, while contributing to decisions that shape the future for our mokopuna. I am proud of what the Trust has achieved, despite many challenges, and I want to use my experience to continue advancing the aspirations of our iwi.

  I bring extensive governance experience, having been the Director of my own research and evaluation company for 15 years. I also hold whānau governance roles with Ngā Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi Settlement Trust and Te Tira Whakaari Charitable Trust, and I have served as the Board Chair of a kura kaupapa Māori. My skills, experience, and commitment to advancing the strategic goals of our hapū and whānau align well with the responsibilities of a trustee.

  I currently live in Rotorua with my partner and our four tamariki—two attend kura kaupapa Māori, and two are studying at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato.

• Samuel Lewis

  I was born in Manutūkē, the youngest child of Horace and Patience Lewis. Raised on the land, I have developed extensive experience across the rural landscape as a farm manager, owner, developer, and employer. This background has given me valuable insights into land management and governance.

  With over 30 years of governance experience, I currently chair the Awapuni Moana Whenua Tōpū Trust, oversee multiple Ahu Whenua Trusts, and serve as Deputy Chairman of Ōhako Marae. I also chair the KIWA and Tangata Whenua Reference Groups, both of which contribute to the Tūranganui-a-Kiwa water quality enhancement project.

  From 2018 to 2021, I worked for the Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust as a researcher, contributing to historical and resource management projects across all Pou of Rongowhakaata. I played a key role in external engagement, ensuring that the iwi’s voice was represented in critical decisions affecting our people and whenua.

  Now self-employed as an environmental consultant, I specialise in land use practices and water solutions. I also contribute to the Tairāwhiti Resource Management Plan review under Gisborne District Council, helping to reshape policies that impact our natural resources. My background includes working in Māori public policy and environmental and cultural heritage roles across both central and local government. Currently, I am leading environmental strategy in cyclone recovery projects within our region.

  I offer my kete of skills and connections to support the development of a future that my daughter and mokopuna can be proud of. I am passionate about our reo and dedicated to ensuring that our tikanga and kawa continue to thrive for generations to come.