Zara Morrison is expanding her governance experience as a future director on the board of Scion.
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
See below for English translation
Kua tohungia ki a noho hai rangatira whakahaere ā tōna wā ki Scion he rangatira whakahaere nō Te Kura O Te Koutu.
Ko Zara Morrison te kanohi o te pae tawhiti kua whakawhiwhia ki tēnei nohanga rangatira. Nō Ngāti Whakaue me Ngāti Tūwharetoa ia. Kai te whāia e ia te māuri ora o Dr Melinda Webber kātahi nei ki a oti i tana noho kotahi ngāhuru mā rua o ngā marama ki tēnei tūru.
Ko tana mahi, he mātakitaki, he āta whakarongo ki te poari me ā rātau kaupapa.
Ka nui te whakahīhī kua ūwhia ki ngā pokowhiwhi o tēnei rangatira tēnei kowhiringa.’ E harikoa ana ka noho tahi ahau me ngā hapū e toru ki te whakapakari i te herenga ki a Scion. Me te whakakaha anō hoki i aku pūkenga kawanatanga-ā-rohe kia māia ai te koke whakamua i tēnei ao Pūtaiao e noho mana ō rite nei a tauiwi me ngā hapū otīā ngā iwi taketake’.
He tūtohinga poutiaki pūtea a Zara mō ngā tau kotahi ngāhuru mā rua. He wahine mahi ki te whenua o Tiamana engari i timata kē tana mahi ki Ernst & Young i Te Whanganui-a-Tara e mahi tākahi ana. Ko ia tētehi o ngā mema o te rōpū Māori Sector Services (ko EY Tahi te ingoa o taua rōpū ināianei). He rangatira whakahaere kaupapa ia ki Te Kura o Te Koutu .
He tauira tawhito ia nō Te Whare Wānanga o Wikitoria ki Te Whanganui-ā-Tara. Nōna e akona ana ka whakawhiwhia e ia ki tana tohu paetahi Pūtaiao.
Ko tana kaupapa matua ko te mātai koiora. Nōna hoki e ako ana ka whai wāhi ai ia ki te karaehe rautaki engari nō enei rangi kua whakahuringia te ingoa ki te Ministry for Primary Industries.
I whai nōhanga hoki ia ki te taumata haumarutanga ā motu ki reira whāngai mātauranga Māori atu ai ki a whai turanga ai te Māori ki tēnei ao. Nō te tau tawhito timata ai tana haerenga kawanatanga-ā-rohe mā te kaupapa whakawhanake kawanatanga-ā-rohe e whakahaerehia ana e Ngāti Whakaue.
Nō mua o tēnā he pou mahi tiaki pūtea i GHA ko tāna he hāpai,he manaaki i ngā pākihi Māori ā pāmu, ā ngāhere, ā waiariki hoki. Kātahi nā ka whakauru i te reo ki ngā rīpoata me te mahi o ia rā.
Nā ngā taratī o Ngā Hapū e Toru a Zara i tautapa ki tēnei tūranga nui whakaharahara. Ko Ngāti Hurungaterangi, ko Ngāti Taeotu me Ngāti Te Kahu. ‘He mema hoki a Zara nō Ngāti Taeotu nō mātau te maringinui ki te mahi tahi, ki te hīkoi tahi me tēnei wahine mana nui.
Ko āna pūkenga kawanatanga-ā-rohe ko āna pūkenga whika me tana mōhio ki te whakahaere, kai whea mai! He kura nui ki a mātau’. Nā Hoki Kahukiwa me Veronica Butterworth ēnei taipito kōrero.
“Ko tana whakapono ki tōna ao tūturu me tana whakapono ki te whakatairanga i te mana Māori he pou ihirangaranga’, hai tā te rangatira o te poari i a Dr Helen Anderson.
‘Ko te mahi ā te rangatira whakahaere he poipoi i te mauri o te nohanga whakahaere. Ka nui te māramatanga i tohaina e Dr Webber ki a mātau. Kāore e ārikarika ngā mihi ki a ia me tona mana.
‘Ko te pae tata kai te ihu nō reira kai te rangatira e Zara, te wahine mātauranga Pūtaiao te wahine pupuri mātauranga whika te māngai Māori te puna o te kupu kōrero nau mai haere mai haere mai.
— Na Raimona Inia i whakamaori
A project manager at Te Kura o Te Koutu has been appointed to a 12-month future director role at Forestry Crown Research Institute Scion.
Zara Morrison, who is of Ngāti Whakaue and Ngāti Tūwharetoa descent, is the second future director to be appointed and follows Dr Melinda Webber, whose 12-month term finishes this month.
As a future director, Zara will participate in board meetings as an observer.
Zara said she is honoured to take up this role at the request of her iwi. “I will enjoy working alongside Ngā Hapū e Toru to strengthen the partnership with Scion.
“I also look forward to extending my governance experience and contributing to what is a world-leading science and commercial entity that is able to recognise the value of partnership with hapū and iwi.”
A chartered accountant for 12 years, Zara has worked in New Zealand and Germany, starting her career at Ernst & Young Wellington Tax as a member of the Māori Sector Services Team (now EY Tahi).
She is currently a project manager at Te Kura o Te Koutu in Rotorua, working in a full immersion te reo Māori environment.
Before that she was a senior accountant at GHA – Chartered Accountants & Management Consultants, working for local Māori entities with interests in farming, forestry and geothermal energy. She incorporated te reo Māori into reporting and everyday business communications.
Zara obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from Victoria University in Wellington, majoring in Biology. During her studies, she worked in the Māori Strategy Unit at what is now the Ministry for Primary Industries.
She sat on national biosecurity incursion responses and provided strategic input from a Māori view.
Her governance journey started last year through the Ngāti Whakaue Governance Development programme, which is a Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust initiative to support aspiring Ngāti Whakaue governors.
Zara was nominated for this role by the trustees of Ngā Hapū e Toru – Ngāti Hurungaterangi, Ngāti Taeotu and Ngāti Te Kahu.
“Zara is a member of Ngāti Taeotu and we are pleased to walk alongside her as she takes her next steps in governance with this appointment. Her research background and financial acumen lends itself well to this future director role,” said trustees Hoki Kahukiwa and Veronica Butterworth.
“Her commitment to Te Ao Māori, interest in driving equitable opportunities and outcomes for Māori, and her relationship management capabilities ensure that the relationship between the hapū and Scion will continue to grow.”
Board chair Dr Helen Anderson said she was delighted to welcome Zara to the role.
“The role of future director is one that fosters talent in the governance space. Dr Webber shared meaningful insights during her term, and we’ve greatly valued her contributions. On behalf of the board, I’d like to thank her for her passion and commitment to the role.
“We now look forward to working with Zara Morrison whose background in both science and accounting ensures she brings a wealth of knowledge and also a strong commitment to Māoritanga.”
Walker mentors six jade carvers in Rotorua.