Our Board

Chair person

Dr Margaret Southwick

QSM

Dr Margaret Southwick is of Tuvaluan/Palagi descent. She was born in Suva, Fiji and moved to New Zealand shortly thereafter.

Dr Southwick is a highly experienced leader in health and education, with strong advocacy for the needs of Pacific Peoples. She played a key role in establishing the Pacific Health Research Centre and School of Pacific Education at Whitireia Community Polytechnic.

Dr Southwick has served on various advisory committees and has extensive governance experience, including as Chair of the Nursing Council. She was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for services to Pacific Communities in 2009.

Dr Southwick is Chair for the Pacific Neighbourhood Nurse-Led Service Trust t/a Vaka Atafaga Pacific Nursing Service based in Porirua.

Member

Karopaerangi Ngatoko

Karopaerangi is of Cook Islands and Māori descent, hailing from the islands of Mauke and Mangaia.

Karopaerangi has extensive experience in developing and leading programmes related to international relations and public policy. She has played a vital role in coordinating the Cook Islands’ response to COVID-19 at a national level.

Karopaerangi is a former Acting High Commissioner to New Zealand for the Cook Islands and a past President of the Waikato University Cook Islands Association. In 2010, she spearheaded the creation of the Waikato University Pacific Islands Student Association. This is a formal advisory body made up of Waikato University students of Pacific descent.

Member

Ruth Tolise

Ruth Tolise is a first-generation New Zealand Samoan hailing from Taputimu, Tutuila. Her mother was raised in her maternal grandmother's village of Nofoalii while her father is from Fai'a'ai, Savaii. In 2017, Tolise was bestowed the Matai title of "Fualau" from her father's village.

Ruth has over 32 years of commercial experience in the government, banking, and insurance sectors, managing and leading high-performing teams. Her areas of specialisation include asset services (Corporate Actions, Settlements, Treasury), lending & operations, regulatory, risk and compliance, internal audit, and financial crime anti-money laundering. Ruth holds over 10 years of experience as an accountant. As a governance professional, Ruth's experience includes serving on the Audit & Risk Committees, Co-Chair Non-Financial Risk Committee, Chair of Niuvaka Trust, Trustee of Niuvaka Trust, Governance Advisor services, Director of New Zealand Shareholders Association, and Founder/Director of Legas Co Ltd.

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Member

Reverend Vaegaau Liko

Reverend Liko was born in Samoa and later migrated to New Zealand as a young child growing up in Wellington. Reverend Liko hails from the villages of Falealupo, Gataivai, Lepa, Si’umu and Lefaga.

Reverend Liko is the Chair of Pacific Health Service Hutt Valley Incorporated and serves as the Church Minister of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa Upper Hutt Parish. He has a wealth of experience in community development and public service. Prior to entering Malua Theological College, Revered Liko gained experience in management and government agencies.

Member

Reverend Nove Vailaau

ONZM

Reverend Nove Vailaau is CEO of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (EFKS) New Zealand Trust, which he established to liaise with the government to address issues impacting New Zealand Samoans.

He has been Church Minister of the Porirua EFKS for 22 years. Reverend Nove helped establish the Atamu Porirua EFKS Incorporated and the Aoga Amata Porirua, community-driven organisations that help young Samoans.

He was a member of the Ministerial Advisory Council for the Minister for Pacific Peoples, the Ministry of Education’s Pasefika Talanoa Group, and the Ministry of Health’s Pacific Advisory Group. Reverend Nove was also the Chair of the Porirua Pacific Church Ministers Group and is a member of the Wellington Samoan Faifeau (Church Ministers) Group.

Our Team

Establishment CEO

Fa’amatuainu Tino Pereira

MNZM

Fa’amatuainu draws on his cultural values to lead the organisation. He has transformed his 30+ years of working in the system into actual solutions to address the disparities faced by Pasefika communities. He has extensive leadership experience in building organisations to deliver Pasefika outcomes.

Fa’amatuainu is a Chiefly Orator and High Chief from the village of Lufilufi, Samoa.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement Lead

Anthony Carter

Anthony is the link between the organisation, the community, service providers, and other stakeholders, ensuring they work together to achieve shared outcomes.

Anthony has extensive community development and social services experience and has lived in Te Whanganui-a-Tara all his life. He is of Samoan (Falelatai, Satalo – Falealili), Kiribati, Tuvalu, and English descent.

Strategy & Housing Lead

Jason Leung Wai

Jason’s focus is on establishing Our Whare Our Fale, a project to build up to 300 affordable fit-for-purpose homes for Pacific home ownership.

He is an economist with a public policy background. Jason has consulted for the last 20 years, focusing on economic and regional development.

Born and raised in Samoa, Jason is of Samoan, Chinese and Dutch descent.

Design and Masterplanning Lead

Elyjana Roach

Elyjana is responsible for delivering our housing vision. She is an architect and urban designer and a Harvard scholar with an interest in designing neighbourhoods that support Pacific people's health and wellbeing.

She is a Porirua local and is of Samoan and Australian descent.

Finance Lead

‍Lisa Hooper-Kuiti

Lisa is responsible for keeping CPC running. She balances what goes out with what comes in and supports the many requirements of our funders, stakeholders and employees.

Executive Lead

Failagi Filipo

Failagi keeps everyone in the office in sync, making sure that people are in the right place at the right time.

Failagi is of Samoan descent from the villages of Falealupo and Papa Sataua.