Our Team

Zoe has worked in hauora sector for over 20 years.  With qualifications in social work, public health, and community development, she has worked in leadership positions in Māori public health locally and nationally. Zoe has lead community engagement teams and policy and advocacy teams in the area of mental health, tobacco control, problem gambling harm prevention, alcohol harm prevention, well-child tamariki ora, nutrition and physical activity, SUDI prevention.

Zoe gains great strength from her māmā, who was a teenage mother and despite a range of challenges was an outstanding parent who achieved much in life personally and professionally.

Zoe also holds lived experience of the impacts of state care on whānau intergenerationally. This also influences her thinking and approach to providing whānau tautoko.

Zoe currently works to lead the strategic direction of the E Tipu E Rea Whānau Service Board,  and supports the overall operation of the organisation, and reaching its mission of

“Supporting mātua taiohi and pēpi to grow, thrive and be rangatira within their whānau and community”. 

Zoe holds several board positions on an iwi and community level.  Outside of mahi , Zoe loves spending time with her growing boys aged 8 and 11 and her amazing māmā.

Ngongotahā te maunga
Ko Te Arawa te waka
Ko Tamatekapua te tangata
Ko Ngāti Whakaue te Iwi
Ko Paratehoata Te Kohea ngā marae 
Ko Tūnohopū te whare
Ko James tōku whānau
Ko  Peter tōku pāpā 

Ko Maunga Turoto te maunga
Ko Ohaewai te awa
Ko Ngatirangi te hapu
Ko Ngawha te marae
Ko E koro kia Tutuki te whare
Ko Takauere te taniwha
Ko Penetaui te tupuna
Ko Beazley tōku whānau
Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi
Ko Ingrid toku mama
Ko Tahlea Hohaia tōku ingoa
Ko Karson tōku tamaiti

Tahlea joined E Tipu E Rea Whānau at the end of 2020 and with her lived experiences as a teen parent makes her extremely passionate about working with mātua taiohi and their pēpi. Tahlea is very committed to being part of the cause that removes the negative stereotypes a lot of young parents have to face daily. Tahlea is a skilled accounts and office manager for E Tipu E Rea, and highlights daily that being a teen parent does not get in the way of success.  Tahlea’s lived experience also supports the strategic and daily operations of our organisation.

Tahlea’s personal life consists of a lot of traveling,  sports and dancing with whānau and friends. She enjoys creating new memories with her whānau and friends.

Cindy comes to E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services in 2022 with over 20 years in the social service sector, predominately in Domestic Violence. Cindy historically trained as an Early Childhood Teacher, which has allowed her to live, work and travel extensively in Southeast Asia. She has returned to tertiary education and is currenting completing a Degree in Humanities majoring in Policy and Indigenous Development.

Cindy is passionate about the importance of whanau being seen as the leaders in their own journey and that services are there to support, and if needed, be the korowai for them in that journey.

Her extensive work in the Domestic Violence sector has shaped her thinking about the need for a Te Ao Māori framework if we are to see any sustainable change occurring in outcomes for our whanau.

Cindy has been awarded a Lifetime Collective membership to Nelson Women’s and Children’s Refuge because of the work and support to the organisation and community. She is also an active member in her community on Auckland North Shore as a Board Member of the local Community Project. Cindy’s commitment to the area of Whanau Violence has seen her involvement in national sector advisory groups.

Cindy’s real passion is her whanau and the support she can give to them all. She is the mother of a young wāhine Māori, Cass, who appears to be travelling the same path. A teacher who believes she will also end up work with kids experiencing whanau violence.

Amiria is a proud Māori and Niuean māmā of two, born and raised in West Auckland. She joined E Tipu E Rea in 2022 as the Youth Support Worker who helps the team with admin, everyday tasks, and  supporting mātua taiohi and their whanau.

Amiria has over 7 years experience working with young people of all ages from different backgrounds. One of the things that stood out for her is that many young people down-play their skills, knowledge and potential and lose a part of their identity because they don’t fit into societies mould! She likes to help people find the confidence to be proud of who they are, where they have come from and where they are wanting to be.

Amiria is currently on her own journey of self-discovery with Te reo Māori/Te ao Māori and finds herself connecting more to others through whakapapa, culture and identity.

In her spare time, Amiria likes to create new memories with her friends and whanau by going on road trips, adventures out in nature and having backyard barbeques. She loves playing sport, being creative and having a good scroll on TikTok for some laughs.

Ko Puke Huia Ngā Puke Haua tōku maunga
Ko Taukahawai tōku awa
Ko Ngatokimatawhaorua tōku waka
Ko Te Piiti tōku marae
Ko Ngāti Hau tōku hapū
Ko Ngapuhi tōku iwi
Ko Hauraki tōku whānau

Ko Roy Tomlinson rāua ko Donna Hauraki ōku Matua
Ko Lisa Tomlinson tōku ingoa

Lisa is a third-year Social Practice student on her first placement with E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services. Lisa was led to Social Work by her passion for her community. In the future, she wants to work alongside rangatahi Māori and support them as they achieve their aspirations. In her personal life, Lisa is entrenched within the Waitakere Netball whānau where she coaches for her own club as well as Tamaki Makaurau Poitarawhiti.

Kia ora ko Emmaline ahau. Born and raised in Viti until I was a young person. Since migrating from my vanua to my whenua here in Aotearoa I have lived in Te Atatū and still do. My mahi is in health, education, media and most importantly being a Māmā to 3 hardcase Fijian, Māori, Sàmoan, Tuvaluan little humans. My Masters research titled ‘Na gaunisala me vakavinakataki kina na bula ni vaksama : The way towards positive mental wellbeing. Frontline perspectives of the mental health system in Fiji. Focussed on the mental health system in Fiji and its policies, alongside this it gave a voice to frontline workers and their experiences. I am a hearty activist and bring this into all my mahi. Being a teenage māmā myself I come to E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services with lived experience and a passion for ensuring our whānau are able to walk through this world empowered and loved.

I have been a young māmā with the organization since 2016.  I am proud to say that now I am in the position of being employed to work here alongside my beautiful whānau at E Tipu e Rea as an Alcohol Social Movement Coordinator. This role has allowed me to give back to our rangatahi in a way that was once done for me.  I am also fulfilling my passion for youth learning and learning more about Te Ao Māori.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini”
Ko Ngã Toki Matawhaorua Te waka
Ko Hokianga Whakapau karakia te Moana
Ko whirinaki Te awa me Te whenua
Ko Ramaroa Te Maunga
Ko Matai Aronui Te Marae
Ko Te Hikutu Te Hapu
E noho ana ahau ki Tamaki Makaurau
Ko Arian Taku Ingoa

Growing up in the duality of Te ao Māori and Western

Influenced NZ I have always had a passion for reinvigorating the belief system of Whanau Māori and Pasifika, taking the learnings of our Tupuna, and cultivating them into systems that create meaningful outcomes in our communities.

As a professional fundraiser I have learnt to build relationships with people from all walks of life, helping them not only to see a common goal but to also support that goal physically and financially.

Pairing this with my Human Resources/ People and Culture experience, I can provide full life cycle support of staff. From systems and innovation, talent sourcing, policy and contracts right through to careers and development. It is my belief that if our Kaimahi are feeling safe and valued their work will reflect this in our community.

Toi tu te Tangata

I am the partner of John, mother to 11, godmother of 2, and Nanny Jo to 13 mokopuna. I am a daughter, sister, aunty, and cousin to many.

I work with ADHB to provide community, pregnancy and parenting programmes, and through this mahi I am working with E Tipu e Rea to deliver monthly wānanga to hapū māmā and mātua taioihi. My passion is to restore traditional Māori birth knowledge and wisdom to whānau. My other passion is maternal mental health. I have lived experience with perinatal depression as do my daughters and nieces.

I graduated as a registered nurse in 1990, and as a midwife in 1992. I was one of the first LMC Māori midwives to practice in South Auckland and spent 18 years providing care for Māori whānau. During this time I was a founding member of Putea o Pua Trust that created what is now known as Turuki Health Care in Mangere. I was Hapūtanga Kaiārahi for Ngāti Whātua ki Orākei 2014- 2020 and I also helped establish Ngā Maia which is the national Māori midwives organisation.

Emma has recently been a lecturer in Hauora Māori and Māori Health Promotion at AUT University and holds a Master of Philosophy focused on Barriers and Success factors for Māori in Public Health and beyond. Emma is an experienced facilitator and educator and specialises in Tiriti Alignment and how to use a Te Tiriti framework for practice. She is Co-Vice Chair of the Indigenous Working Group of the World Federation of Public Health Associations, Director of ManuKahu Associates – Indigenous consulting, and is passionate about supporting individuals and organisations to understand and live their Tiriti responsibilities and all the richness that that brings.

I ahu mai ai ki tētahi wāhanga o te taone nui, arā ko Tāmaki Makaurau, ko taua takiwā ko Te Raki Paewhenua. I kuraina e au ki te kura Tuarua o Oneroa kātahi ka haere ki Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau me te Whare Wānanga o Yoobee School of Design. I whai tohu au ki roto i te Ao Putaiao me te Hanga Niko/Whakanikoniko anō hoki. I whakatūria e au taku pakihi niko arā, Mana Design kia ruku hōhonu ai ki te ao whakarakei me te whakawaiwaiā o ngā mea katoa. Heoi anō, i mokemoke ai ahau mō āku āhuatanga Māori, nā whai atu i ērā momo huarahi i hoki ai au ki tōku Ao Māori, ā, ka whakauru au ki ngā akoranga Reo Māori ki te Whare Wānanga o Aotearoa, Rōnakitanga, Aupikitanga tae noa ki te Pīnakitanga o te Reo Kairangi. Kātahi anō au ka whakapōtaetia te kaupapa whakamutunga, ko te Pīnakitanga.

Ko toku matainaina ko te whakawhanuitanga o ngā Toi Māori ki ngā kokona katoa o tēnei Ao Kikokiko.

My name is Ben Thomason, a proud Māori descendent of Ngāti Raukawa based in Ōtaki. I grew up on Auckland’s North Shore where I attended the decile 10 School Long Bay College. After college I degrees in Science and Graphic Design from UoA and Yoobee School of Design. My passion remained in the Graphic Design side of things as I already had a background in Māori Art from my apprenticeship as a Tā Moko (Māori Tattoo) artist in my final year of college. After graduating i set myself as a freelance Graphic Designer under the Sole Trader Name, Mana Design. I worked tirelessly to broaden my skillset. My background in Māori Art saw a gapped filled in the design world and i’ve been lucky enough to work alongside some awesome companies such as, Auckland Transport, MoE, Māori TV, TVNZ, NZ Police, Māori Party, Te Whānau o Waipareira, Whānau Ora, ANZ, Northern Mystics and the Warriors.

However as I have progressed i’ve found myself wanting to solidify my skillset and cultural competency even further, thus for the last 3 years ive been enrolling and graduating all the full emersion Te Reo Māori programmes at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Im currently about to graduate the final course they have on offer at the highest academic level with that institute.

To conclude, my deepest want is to use all my skills and work ethic to see Māori Art done right and flourishing around the world so it too can be loved by all.