Today the Whānau Ora Commisioning Agency farewelled one of its long-serving directors, Robin Hapi (Ngāti Kahungungu) who attended his last meeting after ten years in the role.
Chair Merepeka Raukawa-Tait acknowledged Robin's remarkable contribution over the past decade.
“We will miss Robin’s extensive knowledge and governance experience around the table where he has had such a significant presence. The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency has come a long way since our inception, Robin has been pivotal in every step along the way and he will always be a part of our whānau”.
Robin appreciated the growth and success of Whānau Ora.
“When we first started we had very few staff around the table, very little money in the bank and a very short reach. Those things have increased significantly and we have matured our reach through our provider network and they are a formidable representation of the aspirations we have as Māori. There is some apprehension with the coming election, but we are in good shape and we are very resilient”.
Robin will continue to be on the Kāinga Ora board for another three years and remain Chair of the Te Wanānga o Raukawa that is transitioning from being a crown entity to becoming a non-crown tertiary.
“Our mana motuhake will be placed with our iwi who will become the people responsible for monitoring our progress rather than the Tertiary Education Commission and the MOE”.
Robin was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori, Community, and Governance in 2016. Robin is a long-time advocate for Māori education, economic development and governance. In 2022 Robin received the illustrious Dame Mira Szāszky Lifetime Award at the Māori Business Leader Awards.
While Robin is looking forward to spending more time with his whānau at home in Foxton, he leaves knowing the future looks positive for Whānau Ora.
“I just like the way our Whānau Ora Network has developed. We’ve used the term before, we are a movement, we are a cause that has really captured the imagination of our people. And that’s not just those we are directly involved with, but others who have seen how well we have developed and how remarkable our database is”.
