WHAIKAHA - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Deputy Chief Executive
• Deputy Chief Executive Commissioning, Design and Delivery

Board members who are not from Whaikaha were selected by an independent panel which included Jonathan Godfrey, Ann Hawker and Nigel Ngahiwi.

A thalidomide survivor, Barry has been championing disability rights for more than 40 years. He co-founded and is Chief Executive/Director of the Renaissance Group. He is also on several boards and advisory panels within the health and disability sector including Auckland Council's Disability Advisory Panel. Until 2023 he was the chair of Taikura, an Auckland-based Needs Assessment and Service Coordination service.

Job Titles:

• Deputy Chief Executive
• Deputy Chief Executive Strategy and Partnerships

Job Titles:

• Board Chair and Interim Chief Executive for the Standards

Delia is Board Chair and interim Chief Executive for the Standards and Monitoring Services. She was formerly Kaitohu Tumuaki - Lead Human Rights Advisor to the Chief Human Rights Commissioner and is a strong advocate for tāngata whaikaha Māori. She has an extensive background in policy and has collaborated on many policy projects across government to improve systems and outcomes for communities, including the Family Violence Sexual Violence Joint Venture. Delia is currently working towards completing a Master's Degree in Indigenous Studies.

Job Titles:

• Deputy Chief Executive

Job Titles:

• Deputy Chief Executive

Job Titles:

• Leader

Kellie is an experienced leader and change manager across people, systems and processes both in the United Kingdom and in New Zealand. She has lived experience of disability, both personally and as a parent of a disabled child. Kellie has worked across a number of sectors and is a member of the Institute of Directors and the Podiatrists Board of New Zealand. She was a Programme Manager on the Oranga Tamariki Action Plan working closely with six children's agencies to improve outcomes for tamariki and rangitahi whaikaha Māori and Pasifika.

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive
• MNZM Is the Chief Executive of Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People
• Public Service Leader

Paula provides strategic leadership to Whaikaha and across the disability system to achieve better outcomes for disabled people and tāngata Whaikaha Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand. Paula is well-known and a respected leader in the disability community. She is disabled and has a deep knowledge of the challenges and opportunities for the disability community. Paula was previously the Disability Rights Commissioner at the Human Rights Commission, a position she held since 2017. She also acted in the role of Chief Human Rights Commissioner from May 2018 - January 2019. Paula is an experienced Public Service leader. From 2010 - 2016, she was the General Manager, Higher Courts at the Ministry of Justice. In 2016, she was seconded to Statistics New Zealand where she was the General Manager, System and Partnership. Paula has served in various governance roles including as Deputy Chair of Peke Waihanga - Artificial Limb Service and Deputy Chair of Nuku Ora (previously Sport Wellington) and she served on the Board of Paralympics NZ. She is a life trustee of the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation and is an honorary advisor to the Asia New Zealand Foundation. Paula is a Paralympian, winning a gold medal and two bronze medals at the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Job Titles:

• Chairman of the Enabling Good Lives Mana Whaikaha Midcentral Governance Group

Peter is Chair of the Enabling Good Lives Mana Whaikaha Midcentral Governance Group. He is a member of the Disabled Peoples Core Group of Enabling Good Lives. He works for My Life, My Voice Charitable Trust in Palmerston North which provides programmes and services to the disabled community. He is also on the board of Workbridge, has been on the National Enabling Good Lives Leadership Group, and was involved with the establishment of Whaikaha through the Establishment Unit Governance Group and Better Outcomes Partnership Board.

Ray is the father of two sons with autism and leads Dads of Autism Hamilton. He is currently a trustee of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Mahuta ki te Hauāuru and a director of The Disability Trustee. Ray served for three years in the New Zealand Army, followed by six years working in various leadership roles with The Warehouse Group. Other roles of Ray have included being a youth mentor,leadership coach and a group facilitator for Waiora Tamariki.