Tofilau Talalelei Taufale has been told more than once that he may receive royal recognition for his work, but it was still far from his mind when he finally made the King’s Birthday Honours list this year.
Taufale, a resident of Napier, was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Pacific Health as part of the King’s Birthday and Coronation Honours List 2023.
He said he didn’t think much about being nominated himself, but he always enjoyed seeing Pacific people across all fields being recognised.
“It has been a while since we have had a Pacific person from Hawke’s Bay [honoured] and to be nominated was just such a huge honour and privilege for myself, but I also acknowledge the people who have supported all the health focuses that we have put in place over the years. It is the sum of all parts,” Taufale said.
“For those who nominated me, I feel very humbled and very privileged to have even been thought highly enough in those spaces to be put forward.”