Two named to join Trust Tairāwhiti

Rawinia Kamau

Gisborne District Council has confirmed two new appointments to the governance board of Trust Tairāwhiti “to take forward the good work of departing trustees Dr Jill Chrisp and Kristen Kohere-Soutar”.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz acknowledged the significant contribution both had made around the trust’s governance table.

“Dr Jill has been a trustee since 2017 and has provided leadership among the board with her dedication to community and social outcomes.

“Kristen has been a trustee since the pandemic in 2020 and has been a strong advocate for community and tangata whenua.”

Rawinia Kamau and David Battin are the new trustees appointed to a three-year term.

Mayor Stoltz says both bring a breadth of experience and value at governance level to support commercial, economic, social and Māori outcomes.

Rawinia has whakapapa to Wairoa, Whakakī and Te Māhia and 20 years in governance and management experience.

She is currently also a director for the Hawke’s Bay Regional Economic Development Agency and recently worked as general manager for Tātau Tātau Commercial Limited Partnership in Wairoa.

As the previous general manager for Trust Horizon in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, “with her strategic acumen and extensive background in economic development, leadership in Māori business, Rawinia will bring a values-based approach to outcomes for the trust and whānau in Tairāwhiti”.

David Battin is the current chief financial officer of Mangatu Blocks Inc and a chartered accountant with 10 years experience in the financial and business sector.

With whakapapa to Te Arawa, David has lived in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa for the past 15 years holding governance roles on several trusts including as the chair of the National Māori Accountants Network–Ngā Kaitatau Māori o Aotearoa and a trustee of Tairāwhiti Whenua Māori landowners’ collective.

“He brings strong commercial and technical attributes, with knowledge of Māori economy to represent the interests of the region, to the trust table.”

The council has the role of selecting and appointing trustees to Trust Tairāwhiti under the trust deed and undertakes to make appointments as specified in its Board Appointments and Remuneration Policy 2022.

Other current trustees are Dr Warren Williams, Ron Aitken, Wi Pere Mita, and chair John Clarke.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz is also a member of the trust board as the council’s delegated representative.