James Whetu
Strategic Growth CommitteeEmail: james.whetu@council.hcc.govt.nz
James is a Director and Principal Planner of the Whetu Group and has particular expertise working with local authorities and central government agencies to help them incorporate Maaori perspectives in their planning, in keeping with post-treaty settlement requirements.
In his earlier career he was a planner, working for both public and private agencies and has a particularly strong understanding of the complexities around the use of land and water, and activities within coastal and marine environments.
James has been the Chairperson for the Ngaaruawaahia Community Board since 2013 and is also Chairperson for a newly established Charitable Trust called the Waikato Housing Hub. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and has held a number of governance roles in the past, including the Statutory Māori Advisory Committee for the Environmental Protection Authority and the Māori Special Interest Group Committee for the New Zealand Planning Institute. He has gained additional governance experience as a Trustee on a School Board and as a Sports Club Chairperson.
Norm Hill
Infrastructure Operations Committee
Environment Committee
CBD/River Plan Advisory Group
Email: norm.hill@council.hcc.govt.nz
Norm has over 19 years' experience in environmental management, strategy and research, river and biodiversity restoration, environmental compliance, law enforcement and corporate-cultural relationships.
He currently works as an environmental consultant where he is responsible for integrating cultural values into large-scale infrastructure and residential projects within Hamilton City and further afield. This has included both the Te Awa Lakes and the Peacocke developments.
Norm has also held many governance roles with a range of iwi and community organisations. He has been a member of the Waikato Tainui Tribal Parliament (Te Whakakitenga O Waikato) a previous chairman of Kaitumutumu Marae, and a trustee of the Graeme Dingle Foundation (a not-for-profit organisation delivering leadership programmes to schools). Norm also previously chaired Waikato Rivercare (a not-for-profit trust undertaking riparian restoration along the Waikato River).
Norm is presently on the board of Tainui Waka Tourism Inc and Te Humeka Maaori Business Network.
He is currently involved with conducting Cultural Impact Assessments of wastewater infrastructure developments and dairy manufacturing plants around the Waikato.
Olly Te Ua
Community Committee
Economic Development Committee
Stategic Growth Committee
Email: olly.teua@council.hcc.govt.nz
Oliver has worked in senior leadership roles within a number of government, commercial and not-for-profit organisations, both in New Zealand and abroad over the course of his career.
He is currently the Owner and Managing Director of OT Milk Distributors Ltd. He is also the Commanding Officer for the 3/6 Battalion of the New Zealand Army which involves leadership of 280 Regular Force and Army Reserve soldiers and officers.
He has led and been involved in a number of Defence Force overseas deployments and projects, and earlier this year, was the Commander of the New Zealand Defence Force contingent to Gallipoli.
From 2012-2015 he was General Manager of Organisational Development for Hamilton City Council. Prior to this he was the Community Development Manager for around five years.
This followed around seven years working with Ministry for Social Development in Auckland, and prior to this, for Te Puni Kokiri.
He has been involved in a number of other local boards, including approximately nine years as the Chairperson of the Aberdeen School Board of Trustees.
Te Pora Thompson-Evans
Community Committee
Economic Development Committee
Email: tepora.thompson-evans@council.hcc.govt.nz
Te Pora is a Public Health specialist and research consultant who has extensive experience advocating for the interests of whanau and iwi, working alongside a range of authorities and institutions both within the Waikato and Auckland.
She has postgraduate qualifications in Public Health and has previously worked with Auckland Council to review their long-term plan through a Maaori public health lens.
Te Pora is the Waikato-Tainui representative to the Waikato District Health Board Iwi Maaori Council and, in April 2018, was elected as its Chairperson (on a three-year term). She is also the Interim Chair for the Midlands Iwi Relationship Board (Midlands is a collective of five DHBs).
Through her myriad roles, Te Pora has acquired considerable experience making high-level financial decisions and providing advice, ultimately, to improve outcomes for Maaori.
Educated at the University of Waikato, Maangai Hemi Rau's governance experience includes being an executive member of Te Whakakitenga o Waikato (Te Arataura), a Trustee and Committee member of Te Kotahitanga Marae, a Director on Tainui Group Holdings and a tribal representative of the Joint Management Committees for both the Hamilton City Council and Waikato Regional Council, and previously with Waikato District Council.
From 2002 to 2009, he was Chief Executive of Waikato Raupatu Lands Trust, where he was responsible for administering and managing the operations of the tribe's post settlement entity. Specialising in educational consultancy, he is currently Chief Executive Officer of Kia Ata Mai Educational Trust and Chief Operating Officer of Te Kopuku charter school.
Maangai Rau's passion lies in balancing economic rationale and cultural principles and enabling marae to become more self-sufficient and sustainable by achieving their strategic goals.