"I've had a lot of support from Sally. I've been able to work with lots of great people along the way." He is also owner and director of APR Consultants and has been involved with the Rotary Club of Rotorua West for the past 25 years.
"I tend to start work quite early and I treat seven days in a week as a week rather than two days of rest."
Mrs Eparaima (Raukawa, Tuwharetoa and Tainui) isn't comfortable with being singled out with her honour.
The wife, mother and grandmother was the inaugural chairwoman of Raukawa Iwi Development Ltd - the commercial arm for Raukawa, an iwi traditionally based within Waikato, Taupo and Manawatu-Horowhenua regions.
She later became the chairwoman for the Raukawa Settlement Trust and was the lead negotiator for the iwi which achieved its deed of settlement signing in 2012 and completed its settlement negotiations in April this year.
"My first reaction was I don't deserve this."
She said there were so many others who had put their "heart, soul and life working with their people".
"To tell you the truth I am a bit uneasy about it.
"Everything I do has been done with a group of very experienced people and I have been given great guidance by our kaumatua so this is more a recognition of Raukawa," Mrs Eparaima said.
The 49-year-old was a former chief executive of Whakarewarewa Thermal Village Tours.
She is also a director of Central North Island Iwi Holdings.
She expressed gratitude to her husband, Ngarepo, and her elders for their support and guidance.
