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Whānau Ora COO awarded MNZM for services to hauora Māori

Chief Operating Officer of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, Awerangi Tamihere at Te Whānau o Waipareira offices. Photo / Stuff / File / Mahvash Ali

Awerangi Tamihere, the Chief Operating Officer of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, has been awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the King's honours list, for her outstanding contributions to Māori health.

With a career spanning over three decades, Tamihere was instrumental in overseeing the organization's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We grew up in a house where we took a lot of pride in education and we believed in making the world a better place," Tamihere once told Stuff.co.nz

"Working for the community was a natural progression for me. You may call it a career, but for me, it is as much personal as it is professional"

Married to politician John Tamihere, Awerangi told the paper she's experienced both amazing and trying times, but in her mahi, it's about not giving up on the kaupapa.

"It is about putting one step in front of the other, until you find success - whatever that might be for you." she said.

Having faced media scrutiny during her time in Pōneke with her husband, Awerangi says there's an importance in maintaining an inner sanctum and surrounding yourself with grounded individuals who keep her connected to reality.

"Nothing phases me anymore. I have seen it all, and my glass is always half full" she said.

Public Interest Journalism