Our Board
Dr Rhys Jones – Tamaki Makaurau
In 2005-06, Rhys was a Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy based at Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA. His fellowship project examined interventions to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care using organisational case studies. He is also Māori Director of Training for the New Zealand Public Health Medicine training programme and past chairperson of Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (The Māori Medical Practitioners Association). |
Gary Coghlan – Tai PoutiniGary Coghlan lives on the West Coast of the South Island, Te Tai Poutini, and has four children, all boys Sean, Rory, Tamati and Nopera. Gary is the General Manager, Maori Health West Coast District Health Board Ngati Mahaki/Ngaitahu. He has previously been the Chair person and Deputy Chairperson of Tumu Whakarae, the national DHB Maori General Managers collective, former Deputy Chair of Tai Poutini Polytechnic, former Deputy Chair of Makaawhio Runanga, chair of Te Runanga o Makaawhio. Pounamu Management committee, and Marae Committee and Chair of He Waka Taua Trust. Gary has also worked in the West Coast community as the Community Employment Mobile Information Coordinator and as the manager of Te Korowai Aroha o Mawhera a Kaupapa Maori NGO for over three years. Gary is also a keen sporting enthusiast trains in Jujitsu and a former coach of West Coast junior Rugby League team. |
Joe Puketapu – Wairau
In addition Joe holds many other roles as the Chair of Waikawa Marae at Picton, a Director of the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board, a Trustee of Te Atiawa Manawhenua ki Te Tau Ihu Trust, a Trustee of the Kimi Hauora Public Health Organisation, Chair of the Iwi Health Board and Board member of the Nelson Marlborough Conservation Board. His iwi affiliations are with Te Atiawa Nui Tonu. |
Riki Niania – Te Whanganui a Tara
Careers Project Steering Group, a member of Te Taumata Roopu and is the Central Region DHB GM Maori health lead. Riki has also been the Director of Maori Health at Wairarapa DHB and the Public Health Services Manager at Good Health Whanganui. More importantly Riki has four wonderful children (2 boys and 2 girls) aged between 14 and 1 year old and spends most of his spare time with them. |
Tahi Takao – Whakatu
Tahi has served on numerous committees and advisory groups including a number of national organisations. He has been a justice of the peace for 26 years and served on the Rolleston District Prison Parole Board for 6 years. Tahi is very passionate about the inferior status of Maori Mens health because of his knowledge of the problem areas that need to be addressed in order for better health outcomes for Maori men. Tahi has 6 children, 28 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren. He considers himself, priviledged and blessed to be still around to share quality time with them. |
Dr Rhys Jones (Ngāti Kahungunu) is a Public Health Medicine Specialist and Senior Lecturer at Te Kupenga Hauora Māori, University of Auckland. He teaches Māori health at both undergraduate and postgraduate level in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. His research interests include Māori men's health, child health, health care inequalities and indigenous health education. Rhys is Principal Investigator of the Hauora Tāne study, a national research project examining the health of Māori men.
Joe Puketapu lives in Blenhem where he is employed as Co-Manager of Te Hauora o Ngati Rarua. As part of his role with Te Hauora o Ngati Rarua Joe was instrumental in the successful preparation and submission of a business case to the Ministry of Health to obtain funding towards holding the inaugural Tane Ora National Conference in 2009. The conference attendee's mandated the conference organising committee to continue as the Interim National Maori Men's Health Coalition of which Joe is currently the Chairperson of.
Riki Nia Nia lives in Wellington. He is currently employed as the Director of Maori Health at Capital & Coast DHB. However, affiliates to Ngati Kahungunu ki Te Reinga and Tuhoe. As part of his current role Riki also chairs the Tumu Whakarae Maori Workforce Champions Group, is chair of the Tu Kaha 2010 Conference committee, a member of the DHBNZ Workforce strategy group, a member of the Kia ora Hauora Maori Health
Tahi Takao (Tuhoe) lives in Motueka. Tahi is one of the kaumatua to the Nelson/Marlborough DHB, and he is also the Maata Waka representative on the Tau Ihu Iwi Health Board. Tahi has been in the health arena for a number of years having had experience in mental health, alcohol & drug, older peoples health and many other facets of the health system, both primary and secondary health. To date he has served a total of 56 years in the public service, 38 years with the Post Office/Telecom, 2 years in the NZ Army in Korea during the Korean War, 2 years in the Department of Social Welfare as a cultural advisor, 14 years in the primary and secondary health as a cultural advisor/kaumatua.