Te rōpū kaihautū
Leadership Team
Dr Maria Baker
CEO
Maria initially trained as a Registered Nurse and has over two decades of expertise in the development and delivery of healthcare, mental health, organisational, and workforce development. Her passion lies in building the capacity and capability of talent amongst Māori. She earned her PhD in Māori Health by developing the theory "Seeking Solutions to Being Restricted," which reveals how Māori manage mental distress and mental health services in Te Tai Tokerau. Maria has contributed to a range of Māori health initiatives.
In the early 2000s, Maria worked at Te Hiku Hauora as a Māori Mental Health Nurse. She returned to the organisation in 2023 as the CEO.
Tracey Brown
Kaiwhatu
E mihi kau atu ana ki ngā mana whenua o Te Hiku o Te Ika.
He uri ahau nō Waikato, Maniapoto, heoi ko taku uri nō te Iwi o Ngāti Kuri i Muriwhenua me Nga Puhi.
I tipu ake ahau i roto i Te Rohe Potae, i raro i ngā ahutanga o Te Pā Harakeke i roto i Te Whare Pora.
I am an interdisciplinary Māori wāhine, who works in a wide variety of aspects that holistically encompasses Te Ao Hauora Māori me ōna Tikanga. I enjoy teaching and passing on the knowledge of our tūpuna, that integrates Te Reo Māori me ōna Tikanga, valuing our culture and traditional practices.
This philosophy predominantly reflects my mentors who have unconditionally shared their knowledge, as I continue to also share with students, colleagues, communities of Aotearoa and my whānau.
Sarah Gucake
General Manager (GM), People and Performance
Kia ora! I am the blend of an array of iwi; Ngāti Kuri, Nga Puhi, Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare, Rongowhakaata, and Ngai Tahu. This rich Māori whakapapa, passed down through my Kuia, is complemented by the diverse lineage and culture of Ireland, England, and Scotland from my Koro.
With a deep sense of justice and a relentless passion for employment relations, I've dedicated two decades to the realm of Human Resources. Six transformative years of this journey have been immersed in the Hauora Māori space, where I have provided guidance, awhi, and leadership. My experience is vast, spanning the Public, Private, and Voluntary sectors, NGOs, Public Health, the world of Thoroughbred Racing, and the Pacific (Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu). Engari, ko te Hauora Māori te wāhi e whakakī ana i taku ngākau, it's in Hauora Māori where my heart is truly fulfilled.
As the guiding force behind People and Performance, my kaupapa is about upholding the mana, wellbeing, health and safety of all kaimahi. Our focus is on harnessing the potential of our most valuable asset - Ngā tangata - to effectively drive Te Hiku Hauora's strategic objectives. My motto? "Look after the Kaimahi, and they will look after the kaupapa of the organisation."
Jean Petera
General Manager Whare Tautoko
E hara taku toa, I te toa takitahi, engari, he toa takitini”
My strength is not that of one person, but instead the strength of many.
Tēna Koutou Katoa, Nau mai, Whakatau mai.
He mihi iti noiho tēnei, hei whakamārama ai, he aha kē, tōku nei Tūranga I roto I tēnei roopu whakahāere o Te Hiku Hauora.
I was born, raised and educated here in the beautiful Te Hiku O Te Ika. It’s home, I love it and the people that live in it. It is the place I chose to raise my family.
I love connecting people with people, and that’s part of what my role involves, connecting the right support worker with a client, to ensure they receive the best delivery of care in their home. I have been with Te Hiku Hauora for 13 years, and during this time I have built solid working relationships with support workers, clients, Te Hiku Hauora staff, external providers and stakeholders.
I believe that my actions and the way that I conduct and present myself demonstrate that I appreciate and support the values, tikanga and mana of Te Hiku Hauora.
No reira, tēna koutou, tēna koutou, tēna koutou katoa
Joanne (Jo) Urlich
General Manager Whakapiri Ora
It's important to me to serve our hapori (community) to the best of our abilities in a holistic way, promoting positive and sustainable hauora (well-being).
Chris Drowley
Chief Information Officer
My passion is making IT simple, identifying and fixing IT issues to make IT systems easy and stable for users.
I have a very wide set of skills acquired over 4 decades in the IT sector and Civil Defence Responder and Management. Utilising and applying these skills will assist managing and enhancing the IT services supporting our varied support services for the Northland communities. Initially trained in the 1990's as an electronics and data technician, before computers, I have since held varied positions from data and electrical cabling, IT Systems Administrator and Manager, IT Business Consultant to multiple businesses, to General Manager of an IT Managed Services Business and Chief Information Officer role at Te Hiku Hauora.