Che Wilson
Che Wilson hopes to be the kind of dad who bikes to school with his two children later this year.
The Ngati Rangi pouarahi/CEO has resigned, and Andy Gowland-Douglas takes over the role mid-June. She's currently the CEO of the WEL Energy Trust in Waikato.
She has a background in community development and applied for the job enthused by Ngati Rangi's transformation project.
It was time for a change of leader because the Ruapehu iwi needed to move to a new stage, Mr Wilson said. "I don't have the skill to grow us to the next level. It needs a detail person, and I'm a big picture person. "
Mr Wilson has been pouarahi for just over three years, and was the iwi's chairman for four years before that.
He's loved his time as pouarahi. Highlights have included the transformation plan he intends to continue championing, the white ribbon campaign against domestic violence, environmental advocacy and a steady advance toward settling Treaty of Waitangi land claims.
He won't be leaving Ohakune when Ms Gowland-Douglas takes over. He's planning to stay and said parenting would be his primary role - something he hasn't had much time for in the past three years.
As well as that, he'll return to contract work in Maori development, with a special interest in getting as much value for Maori as possible out of Maori land. There's lots of Maori land in the Ruapehu District.
Wife Riria (Missy) Te Kanawa, an accountant, will maintain their Ohakune-based Koa Group accounting business.
Mr Wilson hopes to have time to ski with his children, a boy and girl aged eight and six, when their school goes to the mountain. And he may get the urge to write Maori songs and poetry if he has enough leisure.
As well as contracting to Ngati Rangi, Whanganui and further afield, Mr Wilson will continue with his calling as cultural supporter for his tribe. He said there was no European title or equivalent for that role.
He was brought up in Ohakune, the youngest of a big family. He went to Victoria University and then worked in Auckland and Wellington before spending two years in the United Kingdom. He then started a consultancy business in Hamilton before moving back to Wanganui, then Ohakune.
He's always had an obligation to serve the tribe, he said.
"When I wanted to go to the UK I had to ask the elders. They said: 'Yes, go because we need you to understand the world'."
He'd like to go back overseas, but not now.
"This is the place where our children need to be raised, to root them to our turangawaewae. "