Our Staff

Kaimahi

Lana Ngawhika

General Manager

Iwi affiliations: Te Arawa – Tūhourangi, Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Rongomai, Ngāti Pikiao.

Ngāi Tūhoe – Ngāti Hinekura.

E tū ana ki te taumata o Tarawera e tū takotako rā
Ka titiro whakararo iho ki te waka o Te Arawa
E rere nei i ngā wai karekare o Tarawera
Ka ū te waka ki uta ki te marae nukunuku-ātea o Te Pākira
Kia rongo i te reo pōhiri o Tūhourangi, o Ngāti Wāhiao
E mihi nei e karanga nei

Lana is married to Herby Ngawhika who serves as Area Commander Rotorua with the NZ Police.  Their pride and joy are their tamariki and mokopuna.

Lana is the former Head of Māori Strategy at Fonterra where she managed a national team of Māori Business Managers.  She served as Pou Takawaenga for the NZ Fire Service, working with iwi throughout Waiariki, Te Tairāwhiti and Waikato-Tainui. Previously Lana was part of a team appointed by Te Arawa Māori Trust Board to engage in Crown negotiations for the return of 14 lakes to Te Arawa.

Lana is an experienced governor and has served on several PSGEs and advisory boards.  She was a Ministerial appointment to the Lakes District Health Board and a member of the Institute of Directors NZ Board and serves on the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Māori Advisory Board.

Lana holds a Master of Business Administration (Dist.) and a Diploma in Te Reo Māori.

Aroha Dorset

Executive Officer

Aroha is a Managing Director of Awhi Rōpū Consultants and is currently seconded to Te Taura Ora o Waiariki as the Executive Officer.

With more than 15 years experience in both business and governance, including the PSGE space, land trusts, incorporations and large charitable trusts, Aroha has developed strong administration and operational skills that support Māori organisations to establish and grow.  She is passionate about making positive generational change and uses her skills and experience as tools to propel Māori aspirations.

Aroha’s commitment to ongoing professional development evidences her drive to support Māori social wellbeing – including Social Return on Investment (Social Value Aotearoa), Leading from the Emerging Future (u-lab: Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Hei Rātā Whakaruruhau – Good Governance (Victoria University in conjunction with FOMA and Te Pūtea Whakatupu), and Te Ara Reo (Te Wānanga o Aotearoa).

Married into Te Arawa and calling Rotorua home, Aroha is of Tūhoe and Rongowhaakata descent.  She is actively involved with her marae at Ngatapa, supporting the marae committee with funding applications and financial management.

Cheyane Kahukiwa

Contractor - Design/Admin

Cheyane’s Iwi Affiliations:

  • Te Arawa: Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pikiao
  • Tainui: Ngāti Koroki, Ngāti Haua
  • Ngāi Tūhoe: Ngāti Hāmua, Ngāti Haka-Patuheuheu, Ngāti Rongo
  • Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki

Cheyane is a Māori Consultant for Awhi Ropū Consultants (ARC). She employs a wide range of skills—including design, website development, IT, administration and more—to deliver customised solutions that align with client goals. Her commitment to meaningful contributions extends to her collaboration with Te Taura Ora o Waiariki, where she supports initiatives to improve hauora outcomes for whānau Māori within her rohe.

Cheyane’s academic foundation is in Computing Systems (I.T), with a major in software design and development. She is driven by a passion for reinvesting in her iwi and uplifting her community in virtual, economic, environmental, educational, and cultural spaces. With experience working with multiple boards and organisations, she has contributed to the development of their initiatives and operations to help achieve their vision.

Above all, Cheyane treasures her role as a partner and a mother to her one-year-old son, who inspires her dedication to creating a thriving future for her whānau.