"Governance succession planning, capability-building and cultural intelligence will help breathe life into the dreams of our kaumātua, our kuia, our rangatira and our rangatahi," she said.
"I want to ensure that iwi members are confident that Aupōuri values are woven into all facets of the Te Aupōuri business ecosystem."
Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupōuri is the legal entity that was ratified and established by Te Aupōuri before the iwi's Treaty settlement with the Crown, its role being to hold and manage the settlement redress transferred to Te Aupōuri under the deed of settlement and grow the iwi's asset base.
"I wasn't a fan of the Treaty settlement because I felt we gave up so much," Kite said.
"However, moving on from there, I recognise the strategic lay of the land, and so I raised my hand to be a trustee. I am humbled to be supported and chosen by our people to bring another skill set and perspective of governance expertise to the rūnanga. Being elected chairperson by my peers is a signal of the type of change we have ahead of us.
"Growing strategic partnerships and working closely with all iwi of Te Hiku o Te Ika will continue to assist Te Aupōuri to identify opportunities despite the pandemic crisis," she added.
"The deputy chair and I plan to meet and greet with the governors of iwi throughout Te Hiku o Te Ika, and further afield, with a focus on growing relationships through our shared whakapapa for the betterment of our rohe, our takiwā and ngā taonga tuku iho o Te Aupouri."
The other trustees of Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupōuri are Ana Carpenter, Maahia Nathan, Sonny Christie and Rick Witana.