Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tamanuhiri, Ngāti Porou

 Meka Whaitiri was born in Gisborne and raised in Hawke’s Bay attending Te Kura o Mangateretere, Heretaunga Intermediate and Karamu High School, including as Head Girl. Mother of two sons who attended Lindisfarne College, she represented the region in Netball, Cricket and Softball and attained NZ representative honours in Netball and Softball.

With a Master’s in Education from Victoria University of Wellington, Meka has over 30 years of governance and work experience across the Sports, Education, Iwi, Community Development, Local & Central Government sectors.

Alongside the HBREDA directorship, Meka is a trustee on the Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust, Director on Turanga Group Holdings Ltd  (a collective Asset Holding Company that manages treaty settlement properties in Gisborne), Director on Rongowhakaata Iwi Asset Holding Company (manages Rongowhakaata’s Maori fisheries settlement), trustee on Te Runanga o Turanga nui a Kiwa (collective of the three iwi based in Gisborne) and trustee on the Local Leadership Board (an entity legislated in treaty settlement between Gisborne District Council and the three Turanga iwi).

 Meka is committed to economic growth in the Hawke’s Bay region for all, including thinking outside the box, anchored in working alongside existing industries and our small/medium sized businesses, attracting greater capital investment to the region and partnering with the largely untapped Maori economy both at home and across the motu.