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| Published date | 29 April 2023 |
| Publication title | Northern Advocate, The (Whangarei, New Zealand) |
Brought up by her grandparents in Moerewa, she used to visit her parents in Tūrangi during the school holidays.
She helped her mum with her cleaning job and worked at a takeaway shop to earn money for her school uniform and books while attending Kaikohe Intermediate, and later Northland College, then Bay of Islands College.
“Having to work for everything that I wanted was pretty normal,” Poa said.
“We didn’t feel we were disadvantaged but anything we wanted we had to work for, we weren’t going to get anything for nothing.
“I knew then if I was going to stop cleaning and working in burger bars, I had to get my education.”
For the past year, Poa has worked as the Tai Tokerau director at Te Puni Kōkiri, the Government’s principal policy adviser on Māori wellbeing and development.
Before that she was chief executive of Te Hau Ora Ō Ngāpuhi for 13 years.
She was a board member of Kaikohe Education Trust for six years and holds a master’s degree in human resources and organisational management from Southern Cross University.
Poa values equity, wellbeing, accountability, and “the Māori voice being acknowledged and respected”.
She likes to follow the mantra “be fair, be respectful, and do the mahi”.
Poa is most proud of her work at Te Hau Ora Ō Ngāpuhi, delivering quality services to whānau, working to get more social housing in Kaikohe, and “giving young people the opportunity to grow”.
“I’m proud of being able to help out anywhere, whether it’s large scale or not, being able to make a difference.
“We’re not better than anyone else in leadership.
“My grandfather said no one is better than anyone else.”
Poa is inspired by women like Dr Maria Baker, the new chief executive of Te Hiku Hauora, and Kia Ora Ngāti Wai chief executive Lynette Stewart.
As for anthropologist, environmentalist and writer Dame Anne Salmond, says Poa: “I love everything about her, I have all her books”.
Men she admires include the late Syd Jackson, a prominent Māori activist and leader, the late West Auckland kaumātua Jack Wihongi, and Allen Wihongi who in 2015 was made Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori, the arts, and education.
“What we are seeing now is a new style of leadership more about your humility and integrity and that you’re here to serve,” Poa said.
“They have allowed me to be in a position where I’ve been able to observe leadership.
“I’ve learned so much in the past 13 years, especially that leadership is earned, it’s not a given.
“It’s about serving people and humility and trusting in mātauranga [Māori knowledge] and the principles of tikanga.”
For the past several years Poa has followed the principles of maramataka in her daily life to help prioritise what’s important: kai (food), wai (water) and whare (shelter).
For this she credits inspiration from renowned Māori astrologer and maramataka expert Rereata Makiha, from the Hokianga.
Being guided by the traditional Māori lunar calendar and being around like-minded people helps her stay grounded and focused.
Ultimately who Poa is today, comes back to her grandparents, whom she describes as “humble people”.
“My grandparents were hard-working and died with nothing but left me with the ability to make decisions that were important.
“The fact I’m homegrown has kept me grounded and never forgetting who I am and where I’m from and who I serve.”
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