<p style="text-align: justify;">In July 2016 we regretfully accepted Richard Steedman&rsquo;s notice of resignation from the Whakauae Board. Richard has been an invaluable asset for Whakauae bringing a wealth of iwi knowledge and additional skills and knowledge in the areas of financial oversight and strategic iwi development. In his letter Richard stated:</p>

<p style="margin-left:36.0pt"><em>&quot;I have been privileged to have been part of much of the development of Ng&#257;ti Hauiti into Te Ao M&#257;rama in recent years but for now, my priorities must lie with our M&#333;kai P&#257;tea Iwi to the north, especially through the Waitangi Claims process that we currently find ourselves a part of.&quot;</em></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">We understand his reasons for leaving and will sorely miss his input&nbsp;however, we also know we can call on his help and support at any time so I suspect this is not really goodbye. Richard is being replaced by Anthony Thompson who is of Ng&#257;ti Hauiti and Ng&#257;ti Whitikaupeka descent. Anthony is a graduate of the He Whetu Arataki Leadership Programme and will be mentored into the governance role through external business mentorship support, governance training as well as oversight and support from existing iwi leaders. We welcome Anthony to the role and look forward to working closely with him into the future.&nbsp;</p>

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