Tūtaki mai ki te tīma
Meet the team
Ko tā te rōpū o Ngā Pou, he tautoko i ngā whānau, i ngā kaimahi me te kaupapa o Te Kōhanga Reo mā te ārahi me te whakahaere i ngā āhuatanga katoa o ngā whakahaerenga o Te Tari Matua o Te Kōhanga Reo.
The Executive Leadership Team supports whānau, kaimahi, and the Kōhanga Reo movement through leadership and oversight of all aspects of Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust operations.
Angus Hartley
Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive Officer
He uri ahau nō Te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi; Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Tūwharetoa me Tainui hoki.
I tipu ahau ki Whanganui.
Hai Tumu Whakarae, ko ngā haepapa nui he ārahi, he whakahaere i ngā wāhanga katoa o te kaupapa, me te tuku kupu āwhina ki te Poari. Ko tētahi o ngā āhuatanga matua o tana tūranga, he whakarongo ki ngā whānau o Te Kōhanga, kia mārama ki ō rātau wawata, ki ō rātau hiahia.
I tau mai a Angus ki tēnei tūranga i te Kohi-tātea, 2019, whai muri i tana mahi i roto i Te Kōhanga Reo mō te rua tekau tau i roto i ngā mahi ahumoni, ā, nō muri iho ka noho ia hai Poumatua Ahumoni. Kua mahi ia ki ngā Ratonga Tūmatawhāiti, Tūmatanui anō hoki ki Aotearoa, ki Ahitereiria, ki Peretānia.
E whakahīhī ana a Angus i te ahu whakamua o te tipu pūtea mō ngā whānau o Te Kōhanga Reo, me te whakaaetanga o te Tohu Whakapakari hai hōtaka tohu paetahi, te ahu whakamua o ngā utu mō ngā kaimahi, e whakapai ana i ngā rawa o Te Kōhanga Reo, me te whakaniko i ngā whakahaerenga o Te Kōhanga Reo.
Mā te ngākaunui ia e ārahi ki te tautoko i ngā whānau kia kite i ō rātau wawata mō te ānamata, kia mahi tahi ki ngā whānau me ngā hapori kia ahu whakamua ai ngā whāinga me ngā wawata o Te Ara Tūāpae (tā mātau rautaki) kia whakapūmautia hoki te manawa piharau me te hūrokuroku o te kaupapa. Anā, ko Te Kōhanga Reo te kōwhiringa tuatahi mā te mokopuna.
Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au. Tihei mauri ora!
He uri ahau o Te Atihaunui a Paparangi; Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Tūwharetoa me Tainui hoki.
I tipu ahau i Whānganui.
As Tumu Whakarae, Angus is responsible for providing direction, overseeing all facets of the organisation, and providing advice to the Board. One of the most important aspects of his role is listening to Kōhanga Reo whānau to understand their aspirations and needs and putting this into a wider framework to support the Kaupapa.
Angus came into the role in January 2019 following involvement in Kōhanga Reo over two decades in finance roles and latterly as Chief Financial Officer. He has worked in the public and private sectors in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
Angus is proud of the progress that has been made in growing funding for Kōhanga Reo whānau, achieving recognition of te Tohu Whakapakari as a degree programme, progressing pay parity for kaimahi, improving Kōhanga Reo property, and enhancing Kōhanga Reo operations.
He is driven by a passion to support whānau to realise their aspirations for the future, to work collectively alongside whānau and communities to progress the aims and aspirations of Te Ara Tūāpae (our Strategic Plan), and to ensure longevity and sustainability of the movement, where Kōhanga Reo becomes the first choice for mokopuna.
Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au. Tihei Mauri Ora!
Andrew Hema
Pou Pakihi Matua | General Manager Corporate Services | CFO
Ko Huiarau me Panekire ngā maunga.
Ko Waikaremoana te moana, ko Waiau te awa e whāngai nei i te whenua, i ngā tāngata hoki.
Ko Rangiāhua, ko Te Kūhā Tārewa ngā marae.
Ko Mātaatua, ko Ruapani, ko Kahungunu ngā iwi.
Ko Heiotāhoka taku ūkaipō.
Kua mahi a Andrew i roto i ngā tūranga Kaiwhakahaere Matua me ngā mahi whakawhanake pakihi i ngā Ratonga Tūmatawhāiti, Tūmatanui anō hoki ki Aotearoa, ki Ahitereiria, ki Peretānia. Ko ana wheako kei roto kē i ngā mahi Civil Engineering me te Draughting. Heoi anō, i tere tana anga atu ki ngā mahi pakihi, mātua rā ki ngā mahi Pūmanawa Tangata. I te tau tōmuri 1999, kāore tonu i tutuki tana tohu paerua, i hono atu a Andrew ki te Tari Matua o Te Kōhanga Reo. Anā, hai tā te kōrero, “ko te toenga, he hītori”.
He hōnore nui ki a Andrew te noho ki tētahi kaupapa hihiri i kite rā i te nui o ngā huringa pai.
I waho o te mahi, ko tana whānau, ko te tākaro hahaupōro i ētahi wā ngā mea pārekareka ki a ia. Ahakoa he mahi pūputu te tākaro hahaupōro.
Hai tā te waiata, e whakahīhī ana a Andrew kia tū hai Māori.
Ko Huiarau me Panekire ngā maunga.
Ko Waikaremoana te moana, ko Waiau te awa e whāngai nei i te whenua, i ngā tāngata hoki.
Ko Rangiāhua, ko Te Kūhā Tārewa ngā marae.
Ko Mātaatua, ko Ruapani, ko Kahungunu ngā iwi.
Ko Heiotāhoka taku ūkaipō.
Andrew has worked in senior management and business development roles in the private and public sector in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom. With an initial background in Civil Engineering and Draughting, Andrew quickly changed direction and moved towards business and in particular Human Resources. In late 1999, armed with an incomplete MBA, Andrew joined Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust and as they say, the rest is history.
Andrew feels privileged to be a part of a dynamic organisation which has seen so much positive change.
Outside of mahi, it is his whānau and the occasional game of golf that he enjoys the most, although the latter is very occasional.
As the song goes, Andrew is proud to be Māori.
Titia Graham
Pou Whakangungu ā-Motu | General Manager, Training & Development
I whānau mai, i tipu mai, ka hoki tonu ai ki te whāruarua o Ruatoki,
kia pūrea e ngā hau o Tāwhirimātea, kia rongo i te waiora o Ōhinemataroa,
ki tōku ūkaipō, ki tōku iwi o Ngai Tūhoe.
I kuhu a Titia ki Te Kōhanga Reo hai māmā i ngā rā o mua.
He māmā ia ki ngā tamariki tokorima, he kuia ia ki ngā mokopuna ātaahua tokowhitu, ā, he kuia, he whaea kēkē ia ki ngā mokopuna me ngā irāmutu a ōna tuākana, taina, tungāne.
Ko ā Titia mahi, kua mātua aro ki te mātauranga Māori me te whakangungu. Kua noho ia hai Kaiwhakaako mō te Social Services Trust, e whā tau i noho ki Te Rapuara. I whakarato hoki ia hai Kaitohu o Te Kaiāwhina Ahumai ITO, ā, ko tētahi o ana whakatutukinga nui, he whakatū i tētahi pou tarāwaho Mātau Kaupapa Māori mō ngā Kaimahi Pāpori.
E rima hoki ngā tau i noho a Titia ki NZQA, nōna te hōnore ki te mahi ki ‘ngā toki o te ao Māori’, ko rātau hoki i whakawhāiti mai ki te whakatūnga mai o te wāhanga Māori o te tohu NZQA pou tarāwaho.
Nā tana haerenga i whakahoki ai ia ki te kaupapa, ki Te Tari Matua o Te Kōhanga Reo, tekau mā tahi tau i manawanui ai ia ki te tīma whakangungu, ā, nō nā tata nei ko ia te Pou Whakangungu ā-Motu e ārahi ana i Te Whare Ako. I reira ngā piki me ngā heke. Engari, he huarahi whakatūtataki noa atu, e whakaranu ana i tana aroha ki te mātauranga, i te ao Māori me te tāpae ki te whakamana, ki te whakakaha i te whānau, me te whānau o Te Kōhanga Reo.
Ahakoa ana mahi ōkawa he kanorau, ka mau pū tana ngākau ki te tautoko me te poipoi i ngā tamariki kia noho hai ‘tamariki o te ao tukupū’ me te reanga hou o ngā kaiarataki Māori.
Mauri ora.
I whānau mai, i tipu mai, ka hoki tonu ai ki te whāruarua o Ruatoki,
kia pūrea e ngā hau o Tāwhirimātea, kia rongo i te waiora o Ōhinemataroa,
ki tōku ūkaipō, ki tōku iwi o Ngai Tūhoe.
Titia’s introduction to Kōhanga Reo was as a māmā way back in the day.
She is a mother of five, a nan to seven beautiful mokopuna, and a nanny and aunty to her siblings’ mokopuna, nieces and nephews – so many that she has lost count!
Titia’s career has revolved mainly around Māori education and training. She has worked as a Kaiako for a Social Services Trust, spent four years in the Career Service Rapuara and served as Director of Te Kaiāwhina Ahumai Industry Training Organisation (ITO), where one of her key accomplishments was establishing a Kaupapa Māori Competency framework for social workers.
Titia also spent five years with New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) where she was privileged to work with ‘giants of te ao Māori’ who were involved in the establishment of the field Māori of the NZQA qualifications framework.
Her journey then led her back to the Kaupapa, and to Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust where she has dedicated the last 11 years in the training team and more recently as Te Pou Whakangungu ā-Motu leading Te Whare Ako. There’s been ngā piki me ngā heke, but it's been an absolutely fulfilling path, combining her love for education, te ao Māori and contributing to empowering and strengthening the whānau and Kōhanga Reo workforce.
And while her professional life has been diverse, her heart remains firmly rooted in supporting and nurturing our mokopuna to be ‘children of the universe’, and our next generation of Māori leaders.
Mauri ora.
Heke Huata
Pou Whakahaere ā-motu | General Manager Operations (Acting)
Mai Paritū ki ngā Remutaka
Mai i Rongomaiwahine te Tauihu
Mai i Kahungunu te Waenga
Mai i Rangitāne te Taurapa
Ko Kahungunu te tangata
Ko Takitimu te waka
Ko Hikurangi te maunga
Ko Waiapu te awa
Ko Porourangi te tangata
Ko Ngāti Porou te iwi
Ko Horouta te waka
Ko Ngāti Pahauwera, ko Ngāi Tama Te Rangi, ko Ngāti Hori, ko Ngāti Hawea, Ko Te Whānau a Ruataupare, ko Te Aitanga a Hauiti ōku hapū.
Kua mahi a Heke ki roto i Mātauranga Māori me Te Whare Karioi hai Kaiwhakaako, hai Kaiwhakahaere, hai Kaitiaki mai anō i te tau 1983. I runga i ngā kupu āwhina me te tautoko a ōna mātua, a Te Kēnana Wī Te Tau Huata rāua ko Ringahora Hēni Ngākai Ybelle Tomoana, i whakatūria e rāua ko tana hoa tētahi Kōhanga Reo i te tau 1991, whai muri iho ko tētahi Kura Kaupapa i te tau 1995, i whakahoungia rā hai Wharekura i te tau 2016. Ko ia tētahi o ngā tarahitī tuatahi o Te Waka Tapu o Takitimu i te tau 1983. Otirā, he mema o nāianei nō Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Takitimu.
Mai anō i te Whiringa-ā-Nuku, 2023 kua noho a Heke ki tana tūranga o Te Pouwhakahaere ā-Motu tae ana ki te whakahaerenga o ngā rohe tekau, arā, ko Te Tai Tokerau, ko Tāmaki Makaurau, ko Tainui, ko Mātaatua-Tauranga Moana, ko Waiariki-Tūwharetoa, ko Te Tai Rāwhiti, ko Kahungunu, ko Aotea, ko Ikaroa, ko Te Wai Pounamu–Wharekauri.
E mea ana a Heke, ko tana tūranga he ihiihi, he werowero nōna te haepapa kia kounga ngā mahi tuku i roto, ki ngā wāhanga katoa o Te Kōhanga Reo e tautokotia ana e Ngā Pou (ko ngā mātāpono tūāpapa o Te Kōhanga Reo), Te Korowai (ko ngā whāinga e hiahiatia ana me ngā mahi), Te Whāriki a Te Kōhanga Reo (te marautanga), me Te Ara Tūāpae (te mahere rautaki 2008-2033).
Ko ngā wheako mahi o Heke hai kaiwhakaako, hai Kaiwhakahaere, hai Kaitiaki ka whakaahuatia ia e ia hai ‘Pracademic’, e whakaoti ana i ana tohu ōkawa i muri iho i tana mahi mō tana iwi, mō Ngāti Kahungunu.
E ārahina ana ia e tana ngākaunui me tana whakapono ko Te Kōhanga Reo te tūturutanga mahi pono o te kaupapa Māori. Ko Te Kōhanga Reo e whakamana ai te rangatiratanga me te tautīnei i ngā rangatira o āpōpō, me ngā mokopuna o te rā nei.
Tihei Kōhanga Reo
Heke has worked for, and in, Māori education and Māori performing arts as a Kaiako, Kaiwhakahaere and Kaitiaki since 1983. With the advice and support of her parents, late Canon Wi Te Tau Huata and Ringahora Heni Ngakai Ybelle Tomoana, she and her partner established a Kōhanga Reo in 1991 followed by a Kura Kaupapa in 1995, which was redesignated to Whare Kura in 2016. She was an inaugural Trustee of Te Waka Tapu o Takitimu in 1983 and is a current member of Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Takitimu – Takitimu Performing Arts School.
Heke has held the role of Pouwhakahaere a-Motu since October 2023, which includes oversight of ten rohe / districts: Te Tai Tokerau, Tāmaki Makaurau, Tainui, Mātaatua-Tauranga Moana, Waiariki-Tūwharetoa, Te Tai Rāwhiti, Kahungunu, Aotea, Ikaroa, Te Wai Pounamu–Wharekauri. The ten Kaitohu ā-Rohe / District Managers are part of the Strategic Leadership Team.
Heke says her role is both exciting and challenging as she has responsibility for driving quality service delivery within and across Kōhanga Reo underpinned by Ngā Pou e Wha (the cornerstone principles of Kōhanga Reo), Te Korowai (the desired objectives and practices), Te Whāriki a Te Kōhanga Reo (the curriculum) and Te Ara Tūāpae (the Strategic Plan 2008-2033).
Heke’s practical experience as a Kaiako, Kaiwhakahaere and Kaitiaki means she describes herself as a ‘Pracademic’ having completed formal qualifications after working primarily with and for her Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi.
She is driven by her passion and belief that Kōhanga Reo is Kaupapa Māori in action. Kōhanga Reo are best placed to enact self-determination and to sustain our future leaders, ngā mokopuna of today.
Tihei Kōhanga Reo