Rōpata is of Ngāti Rārua and Te Ᾱtiawa descent. He is Chair of Whakarewa Board, ex-officio member to the Investment Committee and a member of the Education, Audit & Risk, Remuneration and Whakapapa Committees. Rōpata is also General Manager People & Culture with Wakatū Incorporation. He is a graduate of the University of Otago and prior to joining Wakatū was a secondary school teacher and tertiary lecturer.

Through Barney’s mother, his iwi connections are Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Toa and Te Ᾱtiawa, and through his father, Ngāi Tahu. Barney has been a Trustee of Whakarewa since its inception and Vice Chair from 1998 until 2019. He is also a Director for Wakatū Incorporation. He is Chair of Te Whanake committee. Barney was Chair of Ngāti Rārua Iwi Trust until he retired in 2005 and served on the Board of Trustees for Whakarewa School from 1991 to 1993. He is currently the Pou Tairangahau for the Department of Conservation in the Nelson/Marlborough area (50%) and Pou Wakahaere for Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua (50%). He was formerly with the Inland Revenue Department and the Department of Labour. Barney is married to Shona who is very patient and supportive, has three children (Renee, Fraser and Jackson), and a granddaughter, Sophia.

Paul Morgan is of Ngāti Rārua and Te Mahurehure descent. He is a member of Te Whanake, Audit and Risk and Whakapapa committees. He has held a number of commercial directorships over many years including Chairman of Wakatū Incorporation and land trustee of Te Ᾱwhina Marae. He has been a member of various government-appointed advisory groups and industry initiatives over the years.

Emma is of Te Ᾱtiawa descent and was appointed as a Trustee in April 2008. She is the Chair of the Audit and Risk and Education committees, and interim Chair of the Investment committee. Emma is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Directors. She is an independent contractor providing financial accounting services for various organisations and Iwi Trusts in Taranaki, where she now lives with her partner and their tama.

Mereama is of Ngāti Rārua and Te Ātiawa descent. She was appointed as a Trustee in 2015 and is a member of the Investment, Te Whanake, and Education committees.

Mereama has extensive experience in public management and is currently a Director at Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission, where she leads advice on the design and direction of New Zealand's Public Service.

Mereama is a graduate of Victoria University and holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Māori Studies. She lives in Wellington with her husband and three tamariki.

Taketake noa ana tōku ahi ngiha ki te whenua tāngaengae i Whakarewa.  Tērā a Tū Ao Wharepapa, a Pukeoneone e kekeho atu ana ki ngā wai maringi ō Motueka, ō Riuwaka e tūhono atu rā ki te tai pākato o Aorere, ki te ūkaipō o Hohaia Rangiāuru, o Wikitoria Rangiwhakapae, me kī ko Motueka.  Tēnei a Puketapu o Te Ātiawa, o Tokomaru waka te mihi atu nei.  My koro, Rongo Ropata, was the eldest of nine tamariki to Frances Nukumaru (nee Pullen) and Ngamoana (Jack) Ropata. My mother is Melanie McGregor (nee Hippolite).  Born and raised in Whakatū, my siblings and I grew up on Whakatū Marae, surrounded by our kaumātua, aunties, uncles, and cousins. Immersed in whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and mahi marae, we learned early on the value and strength of the collective and the importance of serving our people.   While my personal connection to Te Ātiawa has developed in recent years, it has grown from a love for whakapapa and kōrero tuku iho, as well as opportunities to foster connection through kaupapa on the marae and within the Motueka and iwi community.   My five tamariki - Ava Hinekohu Te Uira (17), Te Ākau Turi James (13), Wairā Te Kahupuku (9), Pakaue Te Mana Hereora (8), and Tyler-Morgan Te Rongomau Āwhio Tuo (6) - are actively engaged in their ahurea, reo and whakapapa through whānau, marae, kura, and iwi kaupapa.   Professionally, my background is in operational support and project-based administration within the iwi and public sectors. That experience has enabled me to serve Te Tauihu Iwi in my current role as Kaiāwhina Hononga for Te Kāhui Hononga (Iwi and Māori Partnerships and Engagement) at Te Kaunihera o Te Tai o Aorere (Tasman District Council).   I represent Ngāti Koata on the iwi advisory committee to the Nelson Provincial Museum and am the current iwi trustee for Tasman Bays Heritage Trust. I have held these roles since 2020 and 2023, respectively.   My strong cultural background and knowledge base, future and whānau focus, and personal inclination for the preservation and intergenerational transmission of taonga tuku iho (particularly whakapapa, kōrero tuku iho, mātauranga Māori, and waiata-ā-iwi) would add value to the strategic vision and objectives of Whakarewa and its Board.  It would be a privilege to contribute to the legacy of my tīpuna, Hohaia Rangiauru and Wikitoria Rangiwhakapae, through dedicated service to the whānau of Whakarewa as a Trustee. 

Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Pukeone raua
Ko Tuao Wharepapa ngā maunga
Ko Motueka rāua
Ko Riuwaka ōku awa
Ko Te Āwhina te marae
Ko Ngāti Rārua tōku iwi
Ko Rima Takutai Piggott ahau

Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa

Rima was born and raised in Motueka by her parents, Warren and Joyce Stephens. She knows the whenua and the whānau who live in Motueka. She has worked in the Motueka community in different industries and loves the place. Rima still lives here on their whenua with her husband, son, daughter-in-law, and four moko.

Rima recognized the need to understand better the responsibility, complexity, and skills that are required to serve our whānau, and over the last ten years, she has made the commitment to upskill herself in the areas of governance through the Institute of Directors and Māori leadership programs.

Rima is an active member of a number of boards in our rohe - Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua, Te Āwhina Marae, Manawhenua ki Mohua, Ngāti Rārua whakapapa komiti, Motueka Museum, Nelson Marlborough Conservation Board, and she serves her Iwi as a mandated representative.

Rima is honest and reliable and honored to serve you, the whānau.

Tana was born in Wairau and is of Ngāti Rārua descent. He is a product of Kohanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori. He is a proud father to two beautiful daughters Aewa and Amo, and raises them immersed in te ao Māori alongside his partner Kaahu. Currently working as a Strategy Manager for Fonterra, Tana also holds various governance roles in iwi, education, sport, and environmental sectors. With a deep sense of gratitude, he is honored to serve as a trustee for the Whakarewa whānau. Tana's grandmother, Amoroa (Molly) Luke, was an original trustee of the NRAIT board, further inspiring his commitment to the trust.

Matua Jansen, a medical doctor and co-founder of a medical cannabis company, is giving back by supporting NRAIT scholarships on behalf of his ancestors, Riwai Ngapaki and Tuatara Mokena.

Matua’s early years were spent in Whakaki, in rural Hawkes Bay. Initially he was only aware of his Ngāti Kahungunu whakapapa through his mother’s paternal side. As a teenager he discovered connections to Ngāti Raukawa on his dad’s side, and Ngāti Rārua on his mum’s maternal side. “Learning more about my whakapapa helped complete the picture of who I am and where my tūpuna were from,” Matua says.

“Success does not mean that you must get a degree. Success can mean making choices to make yours and your family’s lives better. It takes courage and self-belief to take that first step.”

Now living in Australia, the whānau come back to Aotearoa regularly so that Mahia remains connected to his whānaunga. Matua is working in clinical practice part-time, aiming to work with indigenous Australians and rural communities, while investing in social enterprises.

“I’m giving back to organisations like NRAIT that supported me. How fantastic would it be if other students NRAIT has invested in could one day pay for the entire scholarship programme? It will show that investing in education can be very fruitful, and that the seed can grow to support future generations.”

Joanie hails from the beautiful Whakatū and is of Ngāti Rārua, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Tama, Ngāi Tahu, and Ngāti Tūwharetoa descent. She is an Associate Director for Wakatū Inc, Trustee member of Ngāti Koata Iwi Trust Board, and a previous Director for Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology.

Prior to joining Whakarewa, Joanie held the regional role of Strategic Advisor Māori for NMWC, Ministry of Education, and prior to that, she was an Early Childhood teacher. Joanie holds both a BTchLn and tohu in Poutahu Whakaakoranga. Joanie is the wife of Josh Wilson and the mother of Bella and Elias.

John has been involved with Whakarewa for over 20 years. As the secretary he is responsible for ensuring that the board functions in an efficient and appropriate manner.