How PPTA is organised: structures

There is a PPTA branch in each school, making the branch the most immediate and significant level of involvement for most members.

17,000 members in 560 branches (schools).
Each branch is autonomous.
Many branches are now led by an elected collective of branch officials, among whom tasks are shared out as they arise.
A branch receives funds from their region.

The effective performance of branch officers is crucial to ensure that the Association receives accurate and clear messages about what is happening in schools and what members want, and for members to receive the information and assistance in their working lives to which they are entitled.

PPTA branches are divided into 24 regions throughout New Zealand. Regions are autonomous and led by elected regional officers: chairperson, secretary, treasurer, women's co-ordinator, te reo-a-rohe and Pasifika co-ordinators.

Each region is responsible for:

• forming links between the branches in its area and links between its branches and the Executive;
• discussing matters referred to it by the Executive;
• considering remits from its branches and forwarding such remits to the Executive if approved by the regional organisation;
• appointing representatives to attend annual and special conferences;
• originating discussion on matters concerned with education in general and with secondary education in particular;
• controlling regional finances;
• supplying to the Executive before 31 May each year a report on its activities for the previous year.

The PPTA executive is the governing body of the association and is made up of members elected from the 24 regions, plus Māori and Pasifika representatives. Members also elect the PPTA president and vice-president. 

President

Melanie Webber*

Junior Vice President

Chris Abercrombie* James Hargest College

Kaumatua

Hēnare Hūtana**

Kaitautoko (Te Huarahi)

Gazala Maihi** Whaea

Te Huarahi Māori Motuhake:

Hēnare Hūtana*

Anthony Urwin, Aotea College

Patty Robinson* Freyberg High School

Vince Hapi Wesley College

Komiti Pasifika:

Angela Maisiri Southern Cross Campus

NZ Secondary Principals’ Council Chairperson:

Kate Gainsford Aotea College

Aoraki: Emma Porter Waimate High School

Auckland:

Lawrence Mikkelsen (Eastern) Selwyn College

Austen Pageau (Northern) Birkenhead College

Louise Ryan (Western) Western Springs College

Kieran Gainsford (Southern) One Tree Hill College

Bay of Plenty/Central Plateau: Robert McCafferty Western Heights High School

Canterbury: Jacinta Grice Hillmorton High School, and Bernie Lee St Thomas of Canterbury College 

Counties-Manukau: Powhiri Rika-Heke Alfriston College

Hauraki Coromandel/Western Bay of Plenty: Tania Rae* Mt Maunganui College

Hawkes Bay/East Coast: Amanda Moys Havelock North High School

Hutt Valley/Wairarapa: Evan Jones Rathkeale College

Manawatu-Whanganui: Rob Torr Wanganui Collegiate School

Nelson/West Coast: Michael Waller Westland High School

Northland: Catherine Martin Tikipunga High School 

Otago: Joe Hunter* Otago Girls’ High School

Southland: Chris Abercrombie* James Hargest College, and Luke Nickholds Southland Girls' High School

Taranaki: Simon Reid* Coastal Taranaki School

Waikato: Vinnie Monga Fairfield College

Wellington/Marlborough: Doug Clark Reliever, and Simon Curnow Marlborough Girls' College

*   Management Committee member

** Not members of the Executive but entitled to attend meetings and receive Executive circulars

Te Huarahi's role is to advise Māori members and to act as a channel for their concerns; to consider and represent those concerns to Executive; and liaise with Māori members, particularly the regional Te Reo-ā-Rohe network. Te Huarahi has the responsibility for making decisions that impact Māori members.

Te Huarahi is the national Māori body elected on an iwi geographical basis by Māori members of the Association (Rule 75). Te Huarahi annually elects three of its current members to serve on the National Executive.

Where Executive or Te Huarahi wishes to resolve a question about Ngā Take Māori, a group consisting of Te Huarahi's representatives and an equal number of Executive members meet to find an appropriate solution as Te Rōpū Matua.

Elections

Members of Te Huarahi are elected by members on PPTA's Māori electoral roll to represent the following tribal areas: Tai Tokerau, Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato, Mataatua, Te Arawa, Tai Rāwhiti, Taranaki, Whānganui, Horowhenua / Manawatu, Ngāti Kahungunu, Whanganui-a-Tara ki Ōtaki, Ōtepoti / Murihiku, Waitaha, Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka a Māui.

Kaumātua and Whaea

The Kaumātua and Whaea are chosen by Te Huarahi to assist and support Association matters and are entitled to participate in all aspects of the Association.

Contact

TeHuarahi@ppta.org.nz

Te Huarahi Māori Motuhake

Kaumātua: Hēnare Hūtana

Whaea: Gazala Maihi

Whaea Kaitautoko: Tihi Puanaki

Manu Tātariki (Honorary Member) : Moeke Paaka 

PPTA field officer: Bill Anderson - Te Mataroa 

PPTA field officer: Bill Harris

Awakairangi / Wairarapa: 1 Vacancy

Horowhenua / Manawatū: Patty Robinson, Freyberg High School

Mataatua: 1 Vacancy

Ngāti Kahungunu: Shona West, Hukarere Girls’ College

Ōtepoti / Murihiku: Josephine Kaio Clarke, Te Wharekura o Arowhenua

Tai Rāwhiti: Trish Tangaroa, Gisborne Girls’ High School

Taranaki: Hemi Haddon, Reliever

Te Arawa: Hemi Ferris-Bretherton, Te Kura o Hirangi 

Te Taitokerau: Te Aomihia Taua-Glassie (Convenor), Tikipunga High School

Te Tau Ihu o te Waka a Māui: 1 Vacancy

Tāmaki Makaurau:

Vincent Hapi, Wesley College

Pōwhiri Rika-Heke, Alfriston College

Waikato: Marino Hau, Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu

Waitaha: Daniel Hapuku, Christchurch Boys' High School

Whanganui-ā-Tara ki Ōtaki: Anthony Urwin, Aotea College

The annual PPTA Service Awards are designed to recognise significant contributions members or former members have made to fellow members and the Association through their activism, leadership and commitment in their service to the association

Award candidates must be nominated by at least two other current full members.

Te Roopū Matua is the PPTA’s Treaty Partnership Roopu made up of equal members of PPTA executive and Te Huarahi members. They meet on equal terms to talk about relationships between the Treaty parties in the PPTA including issues that may arise and such things.

Recently, Te Roopū Matua assisted the PPTA on constitutional matters concerning the right of regions to include the traditional Māori name of their region in the constitution alongside the English one.

Current members (click any name to send an email):

Melanie Webber – PPTA president

Joe Hunter – PPTA executive

Henare Hutana – Te Huarahi (Kaumatua)

Gazala Maihi – Te Huarahi (whaea)

Vinnie Monga – PPTA executive

Powhiri Rika-Heke – Te Huarahi

Te Aomihia Taua-Glassie – Te Huarahi

Shona West – Te Huarahi

Miriama Barton - Kaihautū Māori

Angela O'Donnell-King - Kaihautū Māori

Michael Stevenson – PPTA executive, general secretary